Over the years there has been a lot of bickering back and forth between the makers of “engineered stone” and “natural stone” suppliers. Lots of arguments and misinformation about stains, heat resistance, and what looks natural. So let’s get one thing clear: they are different products with different advantages. Both are pretty easy to keep clean and sanitary. Both are very hard and resist scratching. Both cost about the same to install as a kitchen countertop. But in the interest of acquiring market share both industries have engaged in a winner take all approach. That was unfortunate. But designers and home owners have 
been turning the tables on both industries by coming up with “Two Tone” kitchen countertop designs that incorporates natural stone with engineered stone. From an aesthetic standpoint the reasoning is quite simple. The island get’s to be the wild or elegant show piece while the surrounding counters offer a complementary consistent color. The effect can be quite stunning. From a functional standpoint, it means you can take advantage of the engineered stone as a food prep surface while having marble as your centerpiece.
Countertops With Recycled Materials!
Busted up toilets and crushed glass for a counter top?
Does buying a post-consumer product really make a difference? Let’s see; i treduces landfills, saves energy, re-uses discarded materials, reduces water in manufacturing, reduces emission throughout manufacturing and when it’s time to replace that old counter top, it can be re-used again.
Have we gone to far? Don’t think so. These companies all produce engineered counter top slabs from recycled materials such as mirror, glass, earthenware, vitrified ash and yes porcelain from toilets.
These companies all produce environmentally-friendly engineered stone that’s aesthetically desirable containing the highest level of post-consumer recycled materials. Post-consumer waste products are headed for landfills, crushed into aggregates and combined with a proprietary bio resin binder. Tons of glass and concrete are put in landfills on a regular basis so buying recycled products reduces the waste in landfills. Our industry is embracing sustainability, design and quality making these engineered products a Smart Choice.
These materials are heat and scratch resistant much the same as granite and are being used for bars, partition walls, office desks, kitchen tables, restaurant tables and service counters, kitchen fronts, big format flooring tiles, in-floor radiant heating, bathrooms, furniture, shower trays, shower cabins, mosaics, covered columns and stairs.
Portland Marble endorses using engineered post-consumer products. The consistency of colors, ability to maximize the yield from each slab and it’s environment benefits create a win, win, win for all. Call Portland Marble Works to help you select the best material for your project (503) 235-9240.
How to prevent rings from developing on marble
Yikes! When rings like this can develop on marble, should I use marble?
Marble–like that pictured here–is gorgeous! But you should know some information before you select a sedimentary natural stone.
It is important when selecting natural stone to evaluate how you will use your countertop. Those considering sedimentary stones such as marble, limestone, and travertine for their kitchen countertops should know they are soft materials and damage can occur such as scratches and water spotting from minerals. They also can etch as shown in this picture –which is a chemical reaction caused by an acidic substance such as lemon juice making contact with the surface of the stone and not being wiped up immediately.
If you just have to use these exquisite beautiful stones like this marble and you want your countertops to continue looking new, it is wise to use this material in low use areas and treat your countertops like fine furniture. Refinishing is always an option if damage does occur, but you need to know that it is an expensive labor intensive process to repair and restore the stone’s luster.
Ask your Portland Marble customer service representative to help you evaluate what works best in your project. Call Portland Marble Works at (503) 235-9240 or click here to email us.
What Can You Afford? Dream Within Your Means
Is having a beautiful kitchen too expensive and too involved to consider?
Updating your kitchen can be expensive but using Granite Countertops does not have to break your budget.
As you shop for a countertops– or even before you start the search – it’s important to know what you can comfortably afford. There are various materials we can guide you to keep within your budget.
Let Portland Marble simplify your process call us at (503) 235-9240 or contact us here to obtain a budgetary quote for your project.
Amazing Transformation!
TITANIUM GRANITE IS A NATURAL STONE PORTLAND MARBLE COULD TRANSFORM INTO AN ISLAND COUNTERTOP WITH A TRICK SPECIALTY EDGE- – This Titanium Granite technically is a schist and was quarried in Brazil – it occurs naturally in alluvial earths, and is mixed with the red oxide of titanium, garnets, cyanite, and with fragments of granite and gneiss. This is a metamorphic stone that contains a good deal of igneous materials like mica, feldspar and quartz. The sparkles are mica. The cream white agate areas are quartz.
