Granite is a beautiful type of rock that is found in many homes around the world. Many kitchens take advantage of the tough igneous rock to make countertops and tiles out of granite, and the beautiful rock makes for an excellent décor for any kitchen. Granite also comes in a number of colors, and can naturally be found in colors ranging from black to white, and green to blue.

There are many kitchens around the world that opt for a simple use of granite, limiting it to the counters and tables in the kitchen. One reason that granite is so popular for countertops is the fact that it is so durable and tough. Polished granite is nearly impossible to chip with regular implements found around a kitchen. Another reason that granite is so popular is because it can be used as an all purpose surface. You can use granite as a cutting board if it is clean, and you won’t need to fear scoring any lines or cutting into the counter like you would with a wooden counter. There is no fear when placing boiling pots and trays fresh from the oven on the granite counters as well, as the rock simply absorbs the heat without being ruined.

Other kitchens utilize granite as the tiling, both around the walls and floors, and around the sink. The granite tiles are better than regular kitchen tiles, as they are easier to polish and clean, and stains simply wipe off of the tile with little more than a wet cloth. The granite is very easy to keep clean, and is far less likely to break than regular tiles. For kitchens that use a heavy refrigerator, freezer, and oven, granite tiles are an excellent choice. Regular tiles often tend to break under the weight of these heavy home appliances, but granite tile is far stronger and can withstand a great deal more weight than regular tile.

Many people will actually use a sink made from granite, which is another excellent use for granite in the kitchen. It makes for a strong sink that is difficult to break, and the slickness of the granite ensures that the sink is easy to keep clean.

One of the main reasons that people use granite in the kitchens is the huge range of colors it can come it. The granite, when polished, creates a shining surface that is smooth and sleek. Granite in the kitchen provides a look of elegance, but is still practical and easy to work on. The range of colors that granite comes in ensures that any kitchen of any color or style can easily install granite tiling and countertops.

One downside to using granite in your kitchen is that the shine on the granite will eventually wear off. If this happens, it can be costly to call in an expert. Reshining the granite is a process that is fairly costly, but it is definitely worth it to have a kitchen that is both utilitarian and practical while still looking elegant and classy.

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Among the many different kinds of materials to choose for your worktop surface, granite is one of the most sought-after materials because of its many positive qualities. Granite is a naturally-occurring substance, meaning it is produced in abundance on the planet. Its use is widespread, and you can find it on everything from pavements to kitchen worktops. If you are convinced that granite is the material you need for your kitchen worktop, here are more reasons why it is simply the best.

1. It is durable. Next to quartz and diamonds, granite is one of the hardest natural substances known to man. This makes it a valuable asset to homeowners who are looking for a heavy-duty worktop surface that can withstand the impact of everyday kitchen traffic, such as scratches, especially when it comes to activities like chopping your food. While you CAN chop your food directly on a granite work surface, it’s always best to preserve the beauty of your worktop by using a chopping board. In addition, granite worktops are also known to withstand very high temperatures, so you can lay hot pots and pans on the surface without incurring major damage to your worktop.

2. It is versatile. Since it is a naturally-occurring substance, no two granite worktops will ever be the same. Depending on the area it is mined from, granite contains intricate vein patterns, specks, pitting and swirls that are a product of the various minerals present in the area. The most common colors of granite are black and gray, but you can also find blue, green and brown shades of granite available on the market. Granite is a classic choice that is favored by many people because of the timeless and elegant look it can provide to your kitchen.

3. It is easy to maintain. Keeping your granite worktop as beautiful as the day you bought it is actually very simple to do. In order to maintain the finish, a yearly sealing will help to prevent your granite work surface from unsightly cracks that can serve as breeding grounds for mould and other harmful bacteria. Aside from a yearly sealing routine, you can keep your granite worktop clean by simply wiping it down with warm water and soap. If you feel the need to provide extra protection for your worktop, you can purchase special stone cleaning material instead.

4. It will increase the market value of your home. First things first: quality granite does not come cheap. However, it is precisely this investment that will assure you that your worktop, with a little bit of care, will last a lifetime. Should you happen to sell your home in the future, having a granite kitchen worktop will increase your home’s resale value by a significant amount.

Granite can be a rewarding addition to anyone’s kitchen and these are just some of the reasons why you should look into investing in a granite kitchen worktop. We hope these factors will help you decide whether you want a granite kitchen worktop for your home.

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Persons who are involved with any kind of new home construction will most likely find that a very important part of the whole process is being able to work successfully with all of the contractors that are involved. It is essential that a comfortable relationship be established from the very first day of construction. This is because they will be working on the details of your new home for an extended period of time. In addition to this, any new home construction is a major investment. Therefore, you should select contractors who have proven themselves to be extremely trustworthy and dependable; so that there will

automatically be an open channel of communication throughout each phase of the new home construction development.

The following checklist of tips and recommendations will provide the steps in finding the best builder and in dealing effectively with him or her through each stage of the project.

1. First of all, ask some of your friends and acquaintances if they personally know of any designers or contractors in the area. This will be especially helpful if any of them have already had to opportunity to build a new home themselves; or are familiar with other individuals who have recently walked through this whole construction process.
2. Be absolutely sure to do some research on all of the recommendations that you acquire. Probably many of them will have at least one web site that you can check out; looking in particular for reviews of past customers.
3. Attain everything in writing. It is always beneficial to the homeowner to take advantage of the services of your family attorney when it comes to reviewing any of the contractual agreements. A reputable builder will usually expect you to do this.
4. The most common dissatisfaction that has been voiced by people who have had new homes built has been because of some kind of careless workmanship; in one form or another. This is why it is of prime importance you visit the job site and review the work during each phase, just to keep everyone on their toes. This is not meant to insinuate that there is anything wrong with your particular contractor. It just means that there are a huge number of different people who are involved in this massive undertaking; laborers, plumbers, electricians, and so on. Therefore, a stream of constant communication will go a long way in preventing expensive mistakes. After all, this is your investment; so involve yourself as often as is necessary.
5. When you do find a problem be specific about the issue; for example the flooring is the wrong color. Be sure to ask the builder when the issue will be remedied; and then check to make sure that it has been done.

It is always easier and less expensive to do things right, the first time. This is especially true when it pertains to constructing a new dwelling. As I was once told, it is better to measure twice and only cut once!

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It is fairly common now to hear the term green home, especially when dealing with newly-constructed houses. While there is not enough space here to go into the details, this article is meant to be a summary of the topic.

LEED for Homes

LEED means Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design and it refers to residential properties that meet certain specific criteria relative to:

(1) the site itself on which the building is built;
(2) the location of the structure relative to shopping, schools, parks, and so forth (called linkages;
(3) water efficiency (both in the structure and on the site);
(4) energy and atmosphere;
(5) awareness and education;
(6) materials and resources (what the house is built of); and
(7) indoor environmental quality.

A Sustainable Site

One example of a sustainable site is one, for example, that does not require the destruction of wetlands or removal of threatened or endangered native animal and/or plant species from their habitat(s). In other words, a sustainable site is one that already exists, preferably in an area that already has a relatively dense land use zoning classification. This is in an attempt to prevent more urban sprawl. It also refers to sites that were, at one time, landfills and are now reclaimed for other uses. It also refers to razing older homes and, in effect, recycling the site. It also refers to sites that are as small as possible (see water efficiency, below.

Locations & Linkages

Developers construct LEED housing or green housing close to existing facilities such as schools, parks, houses of worship, entertainment, and so forth. In the real estate business these are called linkages. This, too, is thought to prevent urban sprawl and make more efficient use of existing urban and suburban infrastructure.

Water Efficiency

Other than to look pretty, lawns have no real purpose and suck up a great deal of water, which then cannot be put to another use. Thus an LEED house sits on a relatively small site and lawn is kept to a minimum. The landscaping present consists mainly of hardy plants, native to the local environment, preferably those that can survive with a minimum of water and husbandry. Then, the house’s grey water (i.e., the non-sewerage waste water) stays on site and functions to water the landscaping.

In the house itself, the toilets are low-flush meaning they use only about one to one and one-half quarts of water per flush, or about half of what older model toilets used. There are even houses with chemical toilets using no water at all. However, this requires what amounts to a storage tank to hold the liquid chemicals and waste, which must be pumped out periodically. Potable water coming in the house passes thru a filter (carbon or reverse-osmosis) to remove any organic contaminants.

Instead of one large hot water heater (60- to 80-gallons), there may be three or four smaller heaters, all of which are heavily insulated. They are very close to the appliance they serve to minimize heat loss in the pipes from the heater to the appliance. Even better, the hot water comes from a solar heating system and/or gets it heat from the the exhaust of the central-HVAC system.

The house’s grey water (see above) is part of the site’s irrigation system. The irrigation system itself does not relay on the wide-broadcast of a fine mist of water, since this can evaporate too quickly. Rather, its uses a drip system so that each plant receives a constant drip of this water directly at the plant’s stem where it comes out of the ground. The drip system does not work on lawn; but remember, there is no lawn in green construction.

Energy and Atmosphere

While wind-power is not really a viable option for most home owners, solar power and HVAC-exhaust are (see above). LEED houses will stay attached to the local electrical grid, but the these houses use the electricity more efficiently (for the above reasons). Use of solar power means all the house’s hot water comes from non-electrical sources, thus result in a decreased use of fossil-fuels. The same is true of using the HVAC’s exhaust to heat water. There will be net energy savings if builders and homeowners use this wasted resource as an alternative source of energy to heat water.

Awareness and Education

Architects and structural engineers now study green construction methods as part of their college training, both under-graduate and post-graduate. Many states are incorporating green construction methods into the classes applicants must take to be either residential- or general-contractors, and make it a part of the continuing education curriculum, as well. Real estate brokers and appraisers have been introduced to green construction concepts from a standpoint of how to use them to “sell” houses, as well as in the appraisal of houses and commercial buildings. More on this latter topic later, however.

Another area of >i>awareness and education is that of the use of recycled and recyclable building materials as part of green construction. As merely one example of this, consider bio-based spray foam insulation. Currently one of the more popular bio-based spray foam insulation is made from soy-bean oil. When the contractor sprays this material into place it looks and acts much like mousse for your hair. It significantly increases its volume by absorbing air. And air bubbles are great insulators.

Because the contractor applies it as a liquid, it flows into the tiniest crevasses and recesses in walls, around electrical outlets, window frames, etc (unlike fiberglass insulation). It then hardens as it expands, meaning it will stay in place (unlike blown rock-wool insulation). Since it is soy-based, it is from a renewable source, contains no noxious chemicals, is easy to install and requires no maintenance. Even though it comes from an organic source, bugs won’t eat it. It does not lose its insulating volume if it gets wet and, once dry after its initial insulation, is not water soluble.

Materials and Resources

One example of green building materials is the bio-based spray foam insulation. Another important construction material innovation that is an example of using recycled materials is that of roofing tiles. Traditionally these have been made of wood, concrete, or asbestos. However, green construction now has the ability to use shingles made from recycled car- and truck-tires, as well as all types of plastic bottles. Whereas traditional cedar-shake roof shingles were rated for 10- to 20-years (depending on climate and maintenance), those made of tires or plastic bottles have a 50-year rating and essentially no maintenance. When these are properly applied they will withstand sustained winds of up to 110 miles per hour (and can be made stronger where building codes demand higher wind ratings).

And Finally Indoor Environmental Quality

Remember that “new car” smell we all like so much? Or how about the smell of a freshly painted room? Well, they are about to be a thing of the past (in many – but not all – cases). These smells come from what those who study such phenomena call volatile organic compounds or VOCs. In these cases “volatile” refers to how easily they escape from their base compound(s) into the air. Since they are noxious to us, we human beings are best off not smelling them (despite the nostalgia with which we may hold the “new car smell”). If VOCs are present then the indoor environmental quality is poor. Green building materials are low-VOC, thus don’t smell “new” for very long.

Some green building materials, such as the soy-based insulation (above), while not specifically fungicidal, do not foment the growth of mold and mildew as can more traditional building materials. With a heavily insulated green home, in certain climates, it is possible to install more or larger windows to allow in more ambient light than otherwise would be the case. The theory is that this permits the green home to use less electricity since there will be less need to illuminate the house’s interior.

Is There a Downside to Any of This?

There surely is. In the past green construction was much more expensive, both from a standpoint of the labor involved as well as the materials themselves. However, costs have come down as more developers and builders have become more comfortable with the uses of green materials. Many builders, developers, and real estate brokers will swear that a green home has a higher resale value than a similar property more traditionally built. Unfortunately there are no properly assembled Country-wide statistical data to support this claim. Further, by making this claim, builders, developers, and real estate brokers are basically saying that any green-building savings that will accrue to second and subsequent homeowners is lost in the premium those buyers will pay for the green-built house. Therefore, the claim of cost savings not only currently lacks statistical support in the market, the logic behind the claim of savings is not logical.

Another downside is the use of the organic materials themselves. For example, the use of soy-based products. Those who grow soy beans do not care what the buyers of the beans do with them. However, if a portion of the beans are shifted from consumption as food to consumption as something else, then some fallow land must be shifted into production to make up for the soy beans that are going to insulate your house, not go on your plate. Now more land must be used to grow soy beans for food consumption than was necessary before. Since mass agriculture can’t yet take place organically, this land needs petroleum-based fertilizer and -pesticides to grow the soybeans that before it was not necessary to grow. As a result, the net benefit to the environment is questionable, at best.

Finally, green building is not any less expensive than are current building methods. The use of renewable building materials is not a new idea – trees are a renewable resource and we have been using trees as part of construction of literally hundreds of years.

Conclusions

While so-called green construction clearly has many benefits to those who build and those who consume homes, price savings is not yet one of them. The fact that many of these green building materials are organic in origin indeed makes them renewable. However, those renewable crops require petroleum-based fertilizers and pesticides to make growing them economically feasible. Therefore it appears that, on balance, green housing is not yet the panacea to the planet some would have us think.

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