I apologize ahead of time if these questions have been asked before but I did use the search function and found nothing relevant to my situation.
I will be putting a slab of granite (28x58inches) on top of a plywood and drywall box. The “box” is actually at the top of the 2nd floor landing and has shelves for my books. It is situated perfectly for growing plants, which is why I chose a granite slab.
There is a granite/marble place not too far away, so I went for a visit and found their remnant pile. After (what seems like) 2 days of glorious treasure hunting found 3 granite slabs that are extremely close to my 28×58 wish. Polished top but sides and bottom are unfinished.
1. Has anyone had any experience with granite called Absolute Black, Uba Tuba or Blue Pearl? I’m leaning more towards Uba Tuba because of the color(black w/gold flecks) but googled and found info that Uba Tuba doesn’t need to be sealed. This is a good characteristic as plant watering(and overspill) will probably occur. Given the usage slated (sorry) for this slab do I need to be overly picky about sealing/not sealing the slab?
2. I was just planning to lay the slab, polished side up on top of the “box”. Buck (brother dear) suggested that this might not be a good idea as the slab needs to be level and fastened down somehow. I thought that the slab’s weight(at least an inch thick) and earth’s gravity will hold it in place. Am I wrong and if so what type of fastening should I use?
3. I’ve tried googling for granite fabricators in IL but haven’t run into much. The one near me in Naperville, a listing for a company in Rockford and another one in southern IL. I’m not certain if the price of 281usd for any one of the slabs, as is, is reasonable. IL is known for limestone, so granite is already expensive.
As always, I appreciate any advice or insight you can pass along.
Fannie May? Fannie May? FIE, I’ll take Cookiemonster’s exquisite creations anytime.
Replies
I bought a slab with simple rounded and polished adges, and paid $50/sf.
Bucky might have a point, and if it was me I would epoxy a couple of wood scraps to the underside of the slab, and let them act as stops so the slab won't slide around. If the framing is exposed under the slab, set the blocks far enough back from the edge so they are about 1/4" inside the edge of the framing. That should be enough slack so you can get the slab ito position, and allow for a little seasonal movement, but not enough to let the slab shift around.
Whenever you are asked if you can do a job, tell'em "Certainly, I can!" Then get busy and find out how to do it. T. Roosevelt
The craftsman formerly known as elCid
I love Blue Pearl.
Flat would be good. Level to the eye is level enough. From your description, I'm imagining the slab surrounded on three sideds. I wouldn't bother fastening it down unless there's a big overhang on the open side. Not a lot of seismic risk in your neighborhood.
If you Google for the three color/pattern names, you might be able to find some description of physical properties. One measure of porosity, which affects your sealer decision, is how much water the stone will absorb, as a percentage of its own weight.
When I was looking at granite two years ago, I didn't have much success with web searches, either. There were quite a few stone dealers in the Denver Yellow Pages, but I get the impression that most of them don't do their own fabrication. There may only be a few fabricators, even in a large metropolitan area.
Sorry, description of placement is poor.
4 sides. East side is chimney, enclosed in primed drywall, north/south and west sides are open. Hmmm, this is more difficult than I thought without photos.
| __W_ | | | --------- | S| | N --------- | | | Stairs-- | |____| ----------- E
As you climb the stairs the "box" is on your left. Primed drywall of box has niches enough on the north/west and south side to allow for book shelves. The north side bookshelf has my cookbooks (run to the top of the stairs, grab the cookbook and run back down to the kitchen). Rescued redoak floors from top landing around the west and south side hallway. The line on the southside represents a window bank (gosh I really need to get my digital camera fixed).
Buck is worried that a young kid dashing up the stairs will bash his/her head if the corner is taken too quickly (can you tell he's got a 2 year old?). I think I can get away with square unpolished corners for the moment (until I figure out if polishing granite is a DIY endeavor). The granite would lay on top of this box, like a lid. Do I need to worry about movement or would adhesive be added insurance?
Fannie May? Fannie May? FIE, I'll take Cookiemonster's exquisite creations anytime.
Yes, in that configuration it should be glued down. Several blobs of silicone caulk are the standard solution.
Rounded edges are more forehead friendly, or you could take the position that no one child is likely to ram his head into it more than once.
Polishing the square edges yourself is certainly possible if you have more time than money. I would pay to have it done, and I don't even have a job. Shaping and polishing bullnose edges would take a long, long time. Doing that at home isn't like changing the oil in your car, it's more like making your own pistons from solid aluminum billets. Not difficult if you already have a nice CNC lathe, slightly more difficult if you're starting with just a pocket knife.
Did I mention how much I like Blue Pearl.
lol Twice so far.
And I really don't think the placement warrants a fancy edge (bullnosed or otherwise). I was just thinking of getting the same shiny finish on the sides as exists on the top.
So it's between Uba Tuba and Blue Pearl. Hmmm, how do you think BP would look against a luscious wine red wall? I'm thinking of painting the righthand wall up the stairs that color. Which will be the same color as the ceiling in the Morocco room.Fannie May? Fannie May? FIE, I'll take Cookiemonster's exquisite creations anytime.
I thought Blue Pearl was cool too. The flashes of Caribbean blue caught my eye.
I'm trying to avoid overhang as much as possible (1/2 inch on anyside is my limit).
Do you think water absorption would be a problem given what I will be using this for? One of the forums that google found mentioned something about a lemon juice test. Couldn't track down what it actually revealed. Suspect it may have something to do with the granite's reaction to weak acid.
Side note: Thank you so much for the dump of snow heading our way. It's supposed to hit on Thursday.
Edited to add the apostrophe, I can feel the breeze from those grammar/spelling black helicopters already.
Fannie May? Fannie May? FIE, I'll take Cookiemonster's exquisite creations anytime.
Edited 2/4/2004 12:51:32 AM ET by PLANTLUST
I don't think water absorption will be a problem, unless you're just remarkably free handed with the watering can. The way I understood it, the water absorption test is an indication of porosity, which affects how easy it is to stain. If you're worried about stains, get it sealed. Ten square feet of sealer can't be terribly expensive. I just don't know how badly you really need it, or if you do, how often it has to be reapplied.
>> Thank you so much for the dump of snow heading our way.
If it's really the same storm, I wouldn't worry too much about it. I got about 1/2 inch at my house.
Staining, so that's what they're worried about. I don't think it will be a problem in my situation. Any absorbed water will eventually evaporate, right?
Once again the weather is being exaggerated? The weather people here are howling about another 5 inches. I am soooo glad I'm off on Thurs.
Oh, just to double check on the Blue Pearl. The piece I saw seemed black with Caribbean blue flashes. Are there other color variations or is that the predominant one? Fannie May? Fannie May? FIE, I'll take Cookiemonster's exquisite creations anytime.
I went Googling for images of Blue Pearl.
http://www.everlastinggranite.com/colors/SwBlP.jpg
http://www.benefit.ru/granit/A_ue_Pearl.jpg
http://www.stonexpressions.com/StoneBackgrounds/StoneBackgrounds/GRANITE/Blue%20Pearl-Snap.jpg
Many of the Google pictures were quite a bit darker than these three, but that means exactly nothing on the internet. I've only seen BP in the flesh one time. I remember it being lighter than even these three, but I could be mistaken. You might search for Blue Pearl over at Knots. A guy posted pictures of some wood project taken on a granite kitchen counter. The granite didn't look blue on my monitor, but the pattern looked familiar. I asked him about it and sure enough, it was Blue Pearl.
If the overall effect is blue and it has the big, iridescent flake figure, I guess it qualifies as Blue Pearl. I'm not saying that grudgingly. I'd hate to reject a legitimate Blue Pearl just because it doesn't match my one experience. The important thing is if you like it. If you're happy with it, it doesn't matter if the seller calls it Blue Pearl or Candy Apple Red.
I googled under Blue Pearl granite characteristics and lo, the following appeared (also includes marble types):
http:/www.luckstone.com/arch/stone_library/Granitechart.pdf
You will be pleased to note that Blue Pearl has a better rating in pitting than Ubatuba. But the color descriptions of Ubatuba say dark green w/black and gold. Darnit, the one I saw was black w/gold. I guess I will have to go back and actually have these 2 pieces hauled out where I can REALLY see them, in the sunlight, without any snow on them, which means I will have to check things out before Thurs. How ever will I survive? <g>Fannie May? Fannie May? FIE, I'll take Cookiemonster's exquisite creations anytime.
We used all three colors quite a bit in homes I built in Las Vegas. I know it seems to be your first choice, but the Uba Tuba was the worst of them all. The grain structure was very fragile for some reason (Mica chips in the material I was told), and it was prone to cracking. The guys hated putting the stuff in, because invariably a piece would break when it was being set. We had a really tough time with sink/cooktop cutouts- the thin section at the front edge almost always cracked, and the guys had to whip out their "miracle repair kits" of akemi epoxy and spend an hour making the repair disappear.
We didn't have those problems with the Absolute Black or Blue Pearl. Blue Pearl would be my choice, BTW.
Bob
Any experience with or opinions on Tan Brown granite?
Ordered natural maple cabinets from local KDA, and would have ordered Tan Brown granite countertops based on color alone, but the way they work it is to have the granite guys come and measure the day after you tell them your cabinets are installed. They measure and make a template and bring your cut counter tops a week later. So I have not committed to an order yet. We picked Tan Brown based on the color of the maple (certainly not its clever and catchy name), wanting a dark contrasty counter that still has some warmth. Dishes and accesories are navy and cobalt, giving us a orange and blue complimentary color scheme with the rust in this granite.
(Truth be told, 11 yr old son picked it first when he was championing cherry cabinets, spouse and I had picked Absolute Black or Impala, then 15 yr old son re-picked it when he saw the sample board. He said pure black was too modern for our 60 yr old colonial repro house - when did teen boys start giving decorating input, and tastfully?)
Now Plantlust has me worried about stain and scratch resistance, porosity, etc.
Any opinions?
Hmmm...Tan Brown isn't a color I'm familiar with. Unfortunately, some granites get different names in different parts of the country, so I may know it by another name though. Sorry I can't be of much help.
Bob
We've put in granite in two home remodels - one was uba tuba - the other St. Cecilia (I think) which has much more variation in color - a more mottled appearance than the "mostly dk green" - it is a dk green by the way - uba tuba
Depending on your application location - this may not make a difference - but on a countertop - we had a difficult time keeping the uba tuba clean from fingerprints and streaks - in an area where it is touched, a more mottled coloring will "hide" smudges and dirt much better
just my experience
Well, the granite slab choice and acquisition is on hold until spring. Why, you ask? Because the rasifrassin sissies don't feel like chisling my choice outta the snow/ice.
Go to the other side and choose a piece from there, I was told. So out of another hour of sorting remnant pieces, trying not to kill myself by slipping on polished pieces scattered under the snow, I find a piece that is larger than my choice (my choice being 28x58). 2 cuts will be needed to get it down to the size I need (it's too wide and too long but it's UbaTuba). Guess how much that adds to the original cost? 200usd, a hundred dollars a cut. Ummm, so sorry, I can wait until spring.
And I checked out the Blue Pearl and UbaTuba again (also saw something called Black Galaxy and Blue Eye). The Blue Pearl that they had was too light, as in too light of a background with too much blue. I was actually more impressed with the Black Galaxy (black background w/small flecks of gold and silver) but it rates more poorly in the scratch and stain catagories.
The Blue Eye was interesting. Darker background with larger eye catching flashes of Caribbean blue. Very nice but I didn't run into any remnants of this.
I think UbaTuba will be the best application for me in both color and scratch/stain resistance. This waiting until spring is gonna kill me.Fannie May? Fannie May? FIE, I'll take Cookiemonster's exquisite creations anytime.
I like to think the delay may work to your advantage...
Your application sounds great. But the unfinished edges you mentioned bother me a bit. Keeping plants on this ledge will eventually result in some form of spill as Wayne mentions. His point about seepage is a great point, but what about larger spills that will fall off the edge?
What I'm leading to is to make it a more professional and finished installation as opposed to just sitting the stone there. I would like to think a stone finisher could easily and relatively inexpensively (if a good template was brought to him) rabbet a strip of scrape to serve as a proud edging around 3 sides with a small backsplash on the 4th. This would create a small bowl to retain spills as well as provide the built-in resistance to sideways movement.
The way to do this would be to take a piece of 1/4 or 3/8ths plywood and cut to it to the exact shape to cover your ledge. The accuracy of your template will determine the ease of installation.
Then your problem becomes finding a stonebender to do your finishing. He'll get the stone you want - probably cheeper than the price you were quoted.
I was thinking about the edge issue and I thought a nice touch would be a teak band and backsplash that he glued to the granite edge.
ANDYSZ2I MAY DISAGREE WITH WHAT YOUR SAYING BUT I WILL DEFEND TO THE DEATH YOUR RIGHT TO SAY IT.
This slab will be about 1 1/2- 2 inches thick, depends on the remnant that I find. Since it will be in one piece, I don't think I will have to worry about chipping, assuming I treat it properly.
The comment about granite absorbing water(I would think any kind of granite will absorb water to a certain degree) worries me enough that I've come up w/the idea of putting either a piece of 30# roofing paper or a piece of ice/water shield underneath it. UbaTuba and Blue Pearl are not supposed to need to be sealed, assuming the surface isn't honed.
I still don't like the idea of "framing" this granite piece (just not aesthetically pleasing to me). But then the 3 unpolished sides come to mind and the ugly consequences of if the silicon caulk dries out enough to let the piece slip if someone bumps against it going up the stairs. I just can't think of any way to bolt this down solid without marring the slab.
*sigh* At least I have until spring. Please keep the comments and ideas coming.Fannie May? Fannie May? FIE, I'll take Cookiemonster's exquisite creations anytime.
Hi Plantlust,
I've been doing a lot of research on granite myself lately as I am in the market too. I would question the advice you were given on porisity. While some granites are less porious than others, all of the advice that I have been given is that all granites need sealant and that it should be applied every year at a minimum.
Why are you trying to avoid sealing it? It isn't a difficult or messy project.
>> ... all of the advice that I have been given is that all granites need sealant ...
I'll wager that all this advice has been from people who just happen to sell sealant. I can't offer any references because it's been a couple years since I was researching granite, but IIRC, I got the same information PL reports, some granites need sealant, some don't.
no, the person who most recently told me this was the marble and granite restorer who came to my house to restore my marble floor. He said that a lot of people believed that some granites did not need sealant, but then would have to hire him to fix water spots that never went away. He said that if his clients just took care of their granite then he wouldn't have as much business. Granite is a tough material, but to look its best, it needs some attention.
We installed Uba Tuba in our kitchen 4 months ago and LOVE it ........... I just clean with soapy sponge, or 409, or windex ............... I don't think granites in general need much maintenance .... Marbles and other are more tricky
We looked at black Galaxy & Absolute black too, but liked the variation of the uba tuba
Plant, My son was given some granite from a resturant re-do by the owner, a friend of his. It was too long for the desk top, so we took it to a stone company. They charged $24 for a 25" straight cut. Learned a lot from the owner. Stay clear of high mica content, sealing is good, don't breath the cutting dust, polishing is for the pros with correct equipment and air control. Some shops short cut the edge polishing compared to the top polish, and try to hide the difference with a layer of wax. The counter top had been fastened with silcone caulk, which we scraped off with razor blade scraper. Will re-apply some gobs when we mount it on his desk frame. PaulEnergy Consultant and author of Practical Energy Cost Reduction for the Home
I would fasten it down somehow. If someone sat on it and slid off they could pull the slab off too if they did it just right. The suggestion of a couple of dabs of silicone is a good one.
Sealing is not a bad idea if you are going to use plants. Water will seep through granite. I attended a seminar on stone and tile. One of the demos was that the instructor placed some water on a granite slab. A half hour later he flipped it over and the back was wet. So, if you have moisture on the slab it will work down to the wood frame of the house quite easily. May take years to do damage, though, or none at all if you wipe up all your spills all the time.