Contractor Stephen Fanuka gives The New York Times his insight into the materials often requested by Manhattan customers spending big bucks on apartment renovations. He tells us why we should be wary of Carrara Marble and why expensive does not always mean high-quality. Pictured above is Laramite, a composite that is a cheaper alternative to slate...
What a great article! I wish he could clone himself and send his replicas all over the country to help those of us in search of honest, competent contractors!
view madampince's profile
Whenever I see Carrara marble in a photo of a kitchen, I think "what a waste" because even if you don't cook and instead you microwave, what happens when you drink? Red wine, grape juice, berry juice or even blueberries on your cereal? Hello???? It's marble! It's gonna get ruined! Even if you have a lotta dough, how many times are you gonna have someone from the fabricator fix your problems because you used the wrong material in the kitchen? Yeah, it's pretty, but it's not for countertops, and an ethical fabricator would talk you out of making this rookie mistake, no matter who the designer is.
view kaanswfm's profile
i read the article i'll save you guys from reading all the way through - this is the only point i found in there:
Acidic liquids can stain Carrara marble if they are not wiped up promptly, one alternative for a kitchen countertop is polished granite, which stands up to more abuse.
yw
view Tiger's profile
YOU CAN have the marble look and no worries
I did it with porclain tiles that look exactly like marble. I boght them at Southampton Brick and tile - reasonable, and I used th Schluter edging
see:http://www.31islandview.com/images/416_dnna_kitchen.jpg
view parrishnut's profile
I have a marble counter in the kitchen, and I love it. I don't fuss over it, and it still looks great. There are two schools of thought on marble counters: 1) you need to keep them looking pristine and get in a frenzy every time anything mars them (not a good school to belong to if you're going to have marble); and 2) marble has been used in Italian homes forever, and marble looks great even when it gets worn and used (if you believe this, you'll love marble). You should only ever get honed marble, not shiny polished marble, as the latter really will show everything. Honed marble is not as fragile as everyone seems to think, and a few marks and dings, to me, only make it look better.
view zim's profile
I agreed to Tiger granite makes a beautiful choice if you're looking for a strong, stone counter top. While limestone and marble easily stain from oils and common kitchen acids like lemon juice, granite won't. Though it's not as porous as other natural stones, the counter top must be sealed every few years. I'm glad that I called New York Kitchen Contractor and did a great make over in my kitchen,
view keyscouts's profile