http://www.care2.com/greenliving/granite-countertops-dont-rock.html
Granite Countertops Don’t Rock
Recently I had a Realtor into my house to talk about what kinds of changes we’d need to make if we wanted to sell it. Our house was built in the ’50s and it has all original just about everything: Wood floors, plumbing, electrical, and kitchen and bathroom tile. My husband and I happen to love the slightly funky green tiles in the shower and yellow tile countertops with red accents in our kitchen. But I braced myself for the dreaded and expected suggestion to redo the kitchen and put in granite countertops.
I am sorry, but what is the deal with granite countertops? Why is everyone so ga-ga over them? Personally, I don’t think they are particularly attractive. I can understand the allure of countertops without grout, which is hard to keep clean. But is no one but me concerned about the fact that granite is a completely NON-renewable resource? Do you know what that means? It means we take it from the Earth and when it’s gone, it’s gone. No more.
The way I figure it, mining of granite so that your kitchen counters can look just like everyone else’s is a blight on the environment. Most of it is quarried from an open-pit mine, which then just becomes an open pit that is often used as a landfill. Nice, right? Plus there’s the issue of how far the granite has to travel; some of the mines are in desert areas of the United States, but others are in Egypt and India. That’s a long way to travel, and that’s so not green.
I like to watch HGTV, and invariably in every episode of “House Hunters” you’ll see someone running their hands over the kitchen counters and saying “ooh! granite.” On “My House is Worth What?” there is always a shot of granite countertops and a huge red arrow, indicating that this means their house is worth more money! I recently saw an episode of “Spice Up My Kitchen” that featured a couple who wanted a greener kitchen, and while thankfully they did not use granite countertops, they tore down all the cabinets and replaced them! Hello? What’s green about that? Haven’t they ever heard of a coat of paint and some new hardware? It did wonders for our kitchen.
Anyway, don’t get me started about people demolishing perfectly good kitchens and bathrooms, and dumping the results in our landfills.
The point is, maybe granite countertops aren’t the scourge on our planet I am making them out to be. But if you need new countertops, or just want them, and are going for the “natural” look, there are tons of eco-alternatives to granite that are very attractive (some even look similar to granite) and grout-free. I found this nice article on Sunset.com with five green solutions for kitchen updates, from recycled glass, aluminum, and paper to end-grain bamboo.
I find the bamboo and recycled glass options particularly pretty. I will have to keep them in mind if we ever decide to trade in our ’50s tile. (Our realtor actually suggested we keep it, which was good news for us.) As far as I am concerned, these options all rock. Granite? Not so much.
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42 comments
add your comment »Can I use disinfectants like pine sol or some of the others that don't have bleach in them. I want something that will kill germs and not just clean the counters like with soap and water. Someone said to use vinegar and water but I don't think that is a disinfectant, is it? I am starting to get a little darkened area in the grout around the faucet that I want to clean and kill the mold. Thanks for any help you can give.
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I still believe solid surface countertops are much better. Why does everybody hooked on those granites? Since you don't like it that much so just buy smth cheaper and more reliable without making all that fuss around granite.
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I agree with you. I used to have a lovely Houston concrete style counter-top in my old home but my new home has a granite counter-top. It has such an ugly texture it’s so horrible to use. I don’t see the fuss about it at all, especially at such expensive prices.
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It's hard to recapture the cost of the granite installation in the sale of your home. However, luxury homes in Mesa Arizona should always have a nice granite in order to compete with the best listings in town.
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The reasons why granite is so popular are pretty straight forward: It's very attractive, incredibly durable including reistant to heat and scratching, easy to maintain and clean, very inexpensive based on the above criteria.
Paper countertops, in my experience, are not the durable product they claim to be.
Countertops made with recycled materials like concrete and glass are awsome! Have you priced them lately?
I agree that bamboo tops and other sustainably harvested wood product countertops are really cool! Nowhere remotely close to the durability of marble, but alwyas a great option.
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YOU ROCK! I thought my sister & I had those same thoughts! THANK YOU! Your article is well written & RIGHT ON! Thank you for the enlightening eye-opener! Peace & Love!
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What a great article. And it looks like it was well received by the readers judging from the comments of the consumers.
Tara N,
You are a granite industry shill!
Granite has silica present as well during manufacturing! And surely you know it isn't the resin emiting the silcia, it is the quartz!
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I was referring to reclaiming old chemistry lab tabletops.
If the are already existing and are headed to a landfill, it seems like it'd be better to repurpose it instead as an industrial-feel countertop rather than letting it go to waste.
You gave me several facts that I did not previously know about those chemistry lab tabletops. Thank you for taking the time to research and post this.
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Oh and I forgot.
Glass is from sand which mined from the earth.
Aluminum also gets its start from the mining from the Earth.
Granite and quartz are recyclable and can later be used for pavers, tiles, decorative rock for gardens or crushed finer to possibly make glass??
The open pit mines actually have reclamition plans as they are being mined and many have become beautiful lakes for communities to use for public swimming and parks,fishing and natural wildlife preserves. They have also become prime lakefront property for a few lucky residents who realized the mine was there before they were.
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