Granite Counter & Stains Followup

Heather had some questions on our previous post:

Thanks for the useful information on your blog. Can you please help me to decide whether or not I should choose to have my slabs leathered (it’s golden crystal)??? I love the matte look since I have kids and think it will show less fingerprints, etc. But, some sites say it’s more porous and will stain. Other sites say it’s better and less porous. Other sites say I should go with quartz. I am really confused! What I really need to know is—- in a home with several young children with a mom who likes to cook and adults who like to drink red wine, will leathered granite stand the test of time? Or, would you go with polished??? Thank you so much!

Here is Aaron’s response:

Hello Heather,

With leathered finishes, there are two “functional” concerns relating to the use and maintenance of the counters.

• One, as you have questioned, is its porosity and the potential for staining. My understanding has always been that honing slightly “opens” the pores at the surface (where polishing closes them or makes them smaller) making it more slightly prone to staining. But, as long as the stone (Golden Crystal) is properly sealed staining will not, or at least should not, be a problem.
• Two, what might be a bigger concern considering that you have small kids, is the ease with which you can wipe up apple juice spills, strawberry jelly, and dried cheese (of the macaroni variety). The texture creates…textures that require more elbow grease and attention to clean.

Now to answer your final questions directly – leathered granite will stand the test of time in terms of durability and stain resistance if sealed properly.

As to what I would put it in my home…that’s easy.

My wife stays home with our 3 kids, who by the way love apple juice, jelly, and macaroni and cheese. I know for a fact she’d fire me as her granite consultant if she had to clean leathered granite on daily basis…