It’s a Great Day here at Solid Rock! Our guys are in Pomfret, LaPlata, Mechanicsville and Hughesville today. If you are updating your kitchen or bathroom; give us a call at 301-375-8300.

For those who are looking for a creamy beige color for their bathroom vanity or tub deck; we are currently stocking Gascogne Beige. It is a french limestone that is characterized by the presence of small fossilized sea creatures that swam in shallow seas millions and millions of years ago. Like many limestone’s, Gascogne Beige does not take a high polish. It has more of a matte finish. It is an elegant stone as well as being just plain cool because it’s a window back in time. 🙂

Many homeowners and designers love the white marble look for their kitchen counter tops. If you are one of those people, here are some things to remember.

1. Polished white marble is more likely to show etching from acidic foods (lemons, limes, vinegar) than unpolished or honed marble. For that reason, we try to stock stones like white carrara in both honed and polished finishes.
2. There are several engineered quartz materials that emulate the look of marble but are much more resistant to staining, scratching and etching.
3. Some harder colored marbles don’t have the same issues as the softer white materials. An example is Fantasy Brown which can actually be more gray than brown. This material has movement and beautiful color variation. It is reasonably priced and every lot that we have seen is unique. We have done many jobs in this stone in the last couple of years. We have had zero call backs with complaints of etching. We still recommend the prompt wiping of spills and the use of cutting boards but Fantasy Brown counters appear to be holding up quite well. We currently stock it in polished or leathered (slightly textured) finish as well as other hard marbles.

Granite is one of the top choices by consumers due to it’s durability, stain resistance, and natural beauty. When choosing your granite, you also need to decide which finish works best for you. In the past, a Polished finish was pretty much standard, but recently we have seen a rise in peeople opting for a Honed or Leathered finish.

Polished– Is our most popular finish here at Solid Rock. It is a high gloss finish that enhances and intensifies the color and pattern of natural stone. A polished finish is easier to keep clean and free from staining because it seals more of the pores on the stone surface.

Honed– Honed finish is a non-reflective, satin-like, smooth finish that shows fewer scratches and imperfections. Honed finished stones are smooth with no bumps or ridges and is perfect for someone who is looking for a more natural look. Honed finished are much more muted than polished finishes.  Om marble, a honed finish is a much more forgiving finish than polished because it doesn’t show every tiny scratchor etch mark. Etching from acidic foods is an issue on soft polished marbles.

Leathered– Leather finish is a textured finsih that has become more popular in recent years. A leathered surface usually has a soft sheen to it but is not shiny like a polished surface. One of the benefit of leathered granite is it hides fingerprints, smudges and water spots. This makes for less daily maintenace for the consumer.

Not every finish is appropriate for every stone. We have a variety of marbles and granites with honed and leathered finishes with most of our inventory being polished. Some of our inventory is dual finished which means you can choose polished or unfinished polish.