First look at the lighting in your room. Does it have a lot of natural light? Is it dark and cozy? A light color stone will brighten up a dark space. If you have a well-lit and open room, you could pull off a very dark shade for a stunning effect. A small room might require a lighter or neutral shade, whereas some of the darker shades could give a larger room punch. Of course, the variety of shades in between might go with just about any layout or lighting.

Still can’t decide what color will work? Our expert staff is ready and willing to help you come up with something that will brighten and complement your living space. Our showroom boasts a large variety of colors and textures to choose from.

Natural stone is priced by different factors, with availability being the foremost. The more rare the stone, the more it costs us, and ultimately you, the customer. Come in and let us go over your needs. We have a variety of stones to choose from, and our knowledgeable staff will help you decide on an affordable solution to your individual requirements and budget.

The beauty of granite is that it is a natural material and will vary in color, tone, and pattern with each piece. As with any work of art, no two are exactly alike. That being said, the samples and online images may be computer generated and not true to color.

Once your granite is installed, normal use will not crack the stone. The granite is most vulnerable during its fabrication and shipping, and sometimes during installation.

Although both stones are highly durable, they are made of different materials. Granite is the most dense, formed deep in the earth’s core. Marble is made up of deep sea sediments. Both of these stones have taken millions of years to solidify to their current state. Their individual composition make them different in how they react to outside elements

For structural reasons, the recommended thickness is one and one quarter inch for a kitchen countertop. For a bathroom vanity, a thinner piece can be used.

As a natural stone, some granite does have pits and fissures, and will vary depending on the type and cut. These natural flaws can be made minimal by sealing the surface.

It is not recommended to cut on a granite countertop. Granite is a dense stone, and, although it can take the abuse, your knives will suffer. To protect your knives, it is best to always use a cutting board.

Under normal use, hot pots or boiling water will not hurt your countertop, nor will knives. However, as with any solid surface, a high-impact blow can damage the granite.

If not sealed, the surface of your granite countertop can be stained by certain things, such as oil or red wine. Harsh cleansers or acids, even citric acids, can damage the granite finish.

To clean granite, the number one rule is to be gentle. Use warm water and a mild, phosphate-free liquid dish soap (preferably without aromatics) mixture. Scrub gently with a soft cloth and rinse thoroughly. Dry the countertop with a soft towel or microfiber cloth. Never use Windex, ammonia, or bleach on granite. Thoroughly rinse with clean water, and dry the surface with a cotton towel or chamois.

Always clean up spills quickly when they occur. Amanzi carries its own 3-in-1 Granite Cleaner, that is wonderful to use anytime. When it’s applied once a month it keeps your granite (and also stainless steel sinks and appliances) looking brand new. Do not use vinegar based products, or citrus. Avoid any abrasive cleaners as well.

Granite is very durable and much harder than marble. You may be able to find products at your local retail store that are formulated specifically for stone products.

The rock forming the Earth’s crust falls into three generic groups: igneous, sedimentary, and metamorphic. Granite is usually classed as igneous rock derived from molten masses or magmas. Marble is a metamorphic rock resulting from the recrystallization of limestone. Limestone and travertine are defined as sedimentary. Because the world of rocks and geology is  such a vast and complicated field, the above descriptions are very general. Please keep in mind that the following descriptions are generalized and there are exceptions.

Granite is a harder material, resistant to heat, chemicals, stains, and scratching. It is available in thousands of colors. General appearances range from fine to coarse graining, and little to large amounts of veining. Of all stones, granite is the most practical.

Marble is a softer material with limited applications, unless the consumer is willing to accept the changes associated with use. Marble’s biggest asset is its appearance or look. Because of its mineral composition, nothing has the look of marble. Marble’s biggest drawback is the lack of stain, chemical, and scratch-resistance.

Quartz countertops are man-made engineered stone countertops formed by combining 90% ground quartz (a natural, hard mineral) with 8-10% resins, polymers, and pigments. This forms a very hard granite-like surface with similar properties of durability and being heat/scratch/stain resistant. Quartz will not be as reflective or shiny as polished granite. The appearance depends on how the quartz is ground: coarsely-ground quartz produces a flecked appearance, while finely-ground quartz produces a smooth look. With dyes, patterns, and coarseness all being controlled by manufacturers instead of mother nature, you have more control over consistency.

Improved stone-working technology has made granite countertops very affordable compared with man-made hard surface materials. With granite, your countertop can last a lifetime! Plus, the resale value of your property will also increase with granite countertops in your kitchens and bathrooms.

First, The Marble Institute of America’s position is that most granite does not need sealing. It is of a dense enough material to be frost proof, or have a water absorption rate so low that it will not entertain a damaging amount of water in case of a freezing temperature.

Will sealing improve this status? Possibly, but only minimally so. Most granite is very stain resistant so what are we trying to improve?  With that being said, some granite will benefit from sealing. That is why we are here. We take a look at all of the stones and granite we fabricate. If it needs a sealer, we will seal it for you. The general rule we use is, “if water darkens the stone”, we believe it needs a sealer.

Why not just seal everything? Well, resin coating is a process that slab fabricators have developed over the last 5 to 10 years. This process applies an epoxy coating over the slabs, and fills the voids, veins, and fissures. Resin coating has become such a part of slab fabrication, that many of the fabricators use a resin coat on all slabs and colors to keep things simple and consistent

Heat will not damage your granite countertops, unless you subject it to a high heat source for a long period of time. If you take a casserole dish out of the oven, feel free to set it on your granite countertops. It will cool long before it will have any effect. If a frying pan gets too hot, you can set it on your granite tops without fear of damage. To get a little on the technical side, it takes an 80 to 90-degree difference within your granite countertops to cause enough thermal stress to cause a crack. Something like a heat lamp left on may do it. But, it will have to be left on for several hours to cause a problem. If you heat a piece of granite uniformly, it will take many hundreds of degrees before any problems arise. Also, please note granite tops will draw the heat from food dishes or a delivered pizza very quickly.

Granite is available in almost any color imaginable. There is an easily dispelled myth that granite doesn’t offer many color options. Come to our showroom and you’ll see this isn’t the case. We have 200+ color samples on display, and if there is a color you’ve seen or heard of, please let us know and we will find it for you. In our conversations with suppliers, who maintain libraries of different colors, they have told us they have 4,000 to 5,000 colors on record. Granite is one of the most naturally beautiful stones, and even the same color has varients, depending on the rock each slab is cut from.

In general, no. All stone, however, is porous to some extent, but granite has very little porosity. Most colors will never show any moisture. A few colors may absorb some moisture with prolonged contact. For example, a puddle of water left on the counter may show a dark spot when the water is wiped away. Usually, no evidence remains once the liquid is removed and the granite dries. Our granite is sealed before installation and with proper maintenance, staining should not be a problem. *Please see our “Granite Stain Remover Stone Poultice Recipe” under our Care and Maintenance page. 

Granite continues to be used and approved in food and medical applications. The CDC (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention) has no record of granite harboring bacteria, and no reports of people becoming ill from bacteria in granite. With regular cleaning, granite is far less likely to support bacteria than butcher block or even laminated materials.

Granite is very hard and not likely to scratch due to using a knife on the surface.

While knives will not scratch the stone, cutting directly on the countertop is generally not recommended for a couple of reasons. First, it will make your knives dull. Second, acidic substances found in many foods can sometimes penetrate the stone and cause discoloration on light colored countertops.

Also note, any material harder than granite can cause scratches and dings, i.e.: diamond jewelry, sapphires, quartz, and products that contain silica sand can scratch granite.

Granite slabs are often about 10 feet long, if your countertop layout calls for continuous sections of stone longer than the slab, then yes, you will have some seams. The visibility of seams depends on how many unique slabs are used on your project, and how each slab is cut. With good planning by the customer and their designated Amanzi Account Manger, the layout of the stone will account for matching the color and pattern of the granite so seams are not noticeable. The placement of the seams within the room are also important. You’ll want to place seams in locations where they are naturally hidden, and in a way that the eye is not drawn to them.

Granite countertop seams are joined with a strong epoxy that is mixed with a color similar to the stone. After the seam is created, the area is smoothened and only a thin line should be seen. It is common to have two or more seams in an average size kitchen.