The single biggest flaw that is
inherent to granite is it's porous. This single flaw
makes it, on a microscopic level, a germ sponge. Salmonella,
mold, mildew and all sorts of other germs thrive there.
Most of the shine and germ barrier you always see
on granite is the result of chemical sealers
that granite fabricators put on the surface to minimize
this inherent flaw
The key is that the kitchen countertop is not a piece
of art that is there, simply to be looked at and admired.
This is a place where gravy slops, the bread dough
is rolled, and tomato sauce gets spilled. Work, play
and lots of lives happen on and around this surface.
School projects, finger paint, and makeup...the list
goes on.
Granite as a kitchen countertop;
None of our 50 states allow the use of granite in
commercial food preparation areas. Stainless steal
and a few other materials, like corian, that is approved
for use in hospital operating rooms which cannot support
microbial growth.
Cleanliness;
This same porosity means that granite can stain and
stains don't come out. If you scrubbed granite with
Comet you'd ruin that polished sealer, but because
it's porous it wouldn't be really clean anyway.
Maintenance;
Granite is actually a high maintenance surface. Any
one of many things that happen on a kitchen countertop
can remove the gloss finish from the surface of granite.
Then the only thing to do is a re-application of that
sealer to restore that glossy finish.
