Granite: As Green As It Gets
The original “Green” countertop, granite gives homeowners a sturdy, long-lasting product that has no off gassing and can be re-purposed with no environmental downside.
When homeowners begin to look for ways to make their remodeling projects or new homes as environmentally friendly as they can, a good place to start is with granite countertops,” says Dustin Lofgren of The Granite Shop on Stoughton Road. “Let’s face it, granite is natural stone, quarried directly from the earth and has no processed or artificial component to it”, Lofgren continues. “The colors are not dyes, and the stone is not some composite materials that have to be manufactured and glued together.”
“Green” from Start To Finish
When looking at countertops, Lofgren feels the discriminating homeowner should consider the following:
? Because it is quarried and cut to fit, granite has no energy expended in a manufacturing as with other countertop options.
? Granite has no Volatile Organic Compounds (VOC) that will be off-gassed. Quartz is held together with resins that can off gas
VOC’s. Corian and laminates are manufactured with various types of processed materials and plastics that use petrochemicals
and glues.
? When the service life of your countertops is done, the stone can be used for table tops, benches or other ornamental uses. additionally, there are no disposal issues when granite is disposed of because it is completely natural, there are no chemicals to leach out and contaminate ground water.
More Affordable Than Ever
“What is really nice to report is that granite is now more affordable than ever,” says Lofgren, “once considered something only the most affluent homeowners could afford, a multitude of varieties of granite is available to most homeowners. We enjoy creating new living areas for our customers.”
