Sealing travertine: when, how often, and how to test it
Travertine is one of the more porous stones we install, so sealing matters more here than on granite. Here's a simple schedule and a two-minute water test you can run yourself.
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Plain talk about your countertops.
Notes from the shop on picking stone, caring for it, and what we have learned templating and installing kitchens across the Midlands. No sales pitch, just the truth as we know it.
Sealing dolomite: when, how often, and the water test
Dolomite is porous like marble and granite, so it needs sealing and periodic resealing. Here's how to check if it's due and what a realistic schedule looks like.
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Sealing Taj Mahal quartzite: when, how often, and the water test
Taj Mahal quartzite is a real quartzite, and that means it's porous and needs sealing. Here's the walk-through on when to seal it, how to run the water test, and what a realistic reseal schedule looks like.
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Do you need to seal quartz countertops? here's the real answer
People ask us how often to reseal their quartz. Here's the short version: you don't, and here's what to do instead of the water test.
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Sealing soapstone: what actually needs doing, and how to tell
Soapstone doesn't play by the same sealing rules as granite or marble. Here's the real version of what it needs, the water test that tells you something, and a realistic oiling schedule.
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Sealing quartzite: when, how often, and the water test
Quartzite is porous like other natural stone, so it needs sealing. Here's how to tell if yours is due, how often to reseal, and how to run the water test yourself.
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Sealing granite: when, how often, and how to test it
Here's the real schedule for sealing granite countertops, plus a simple water test you can run yourself to see if it's due.
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Marble and heat, marble and scratches: what actually happens
Marble handles daily kitchen life well, but it's not heatproof or scratch-proof. Here's what actually happens when a hot pan or a knife meets marble, and how to keep it looking good.
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Heat, scratches, and travertine: what's actually true
Travertine handles daily kitchen life reasonably well, but it's not heatproof or scratch-proof. Here's the real word on trivets, cutting boards, and what this stone can and can't take.
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