Natural stone is appealing, but it has drawbacks which many consumers aren't aware of.
Virtually all natural products have flaws, which can add to their charm. But that irregularity can also pose problems. Natural granite and marble have veins and seams, which can crack. Being porous, they are susceptible to staining, and must be treated with sealers on a regular basis. Worse, those porous surfaces can harbor bacteria — the last thing you want on your kitchen or bathroom surface.
Olympic Marble owner Craig Hill has seen it all. When customers mention natural stone, he has a ready response. I'll take them over to the granite,
he says, and show them how the seams are very visible. I talk about the porosity of the stone, because it is porous. Even if you seal it and seal it, you're still going to end up staining it with wine, water, coffee.
That's not to mention the salmonella and other organisms that could be flourishing in those pores.
And, as a recent New York Times article points out, natural stone sometimes contains radioactive substances like Uranium, which can emit carcinogenic radon gas — not what most homeowners are counting on when they buy that beautiful granite counter. According to Dr. David J. Brenner, director of the Center for Radiological Research at Columbia University, the typical health risk from such granite specimens is low. But, as he points out in the article, "If you can choose another counter that doesn't elevate your risk, however slightly, why wouldn't you?"
The granite fad has led some suppliers to use inferior products, just to satisfy consumer demand. As Craig Hill observes, "The stone on the market nowadays — at least the inexpensive stuff — is pretty much garbage. It's stuff they wouldn't even have pulled out of the ground ten years ago." Of course, the average consumer doesn't know the difference.
Craig's preference for polymer isn't just sales hype. He's a satisfied customer too: "I have Avonite in my kitchen, and Wendy (Olympic Marble's receptionist) does too!"
Cast polymer products, like cultured marble, cultured quartz and onyx, combine the esthetic appeal of stone with the practical advantages of modern technology. They capture crushed stone in a durable, non-porous resin to provide a uniform, reliable, versatile surface. Plus, each unit can be custom fit for the space at hand, with a minimum of seams.
It's the best of both worlds.