Wednesday, July 15, 2009

Bathroom Counter, Kitchen Floors and Cat Urine

I have spent the past 90 minutes reading the questions and answers on your Web site, and I am still a bit confused. My understanding is that most granite, especially the darker colors, needs to be sealed. I don't want any maintenance apart from a quick wipe with a towel and a spray with Tilex or Windex. For that reason, I'm moving away from granite and toward Caesarstone, Charcoal for my bathroom. The stone will cover a vanity and be curved in a shape called a banjo across the toilet to the wall. On top of the vanity stone will sit a 16-inch Oceana Cobalt Copper vessel, serviced by a brushed-nickel, single-level faucet with extension. My thoughts are the orangeish color from the vessel will be offset by the sparkle from the charcoal quartz.

Do I need to seal the Caesarstone or will it discolor from the use of products such as hair spray or cleansers? Are bullnoses necessary or can I leave the edges square? What do most people do?

Also, when I'm finished with this project, I will start in my kitchen, and that will open another can o' worms. For example, is cat urine considered acidic? Once or twice a year, one of my cats will decide to select a spot on the kitchen floor to reflect his displeasure in life, presumably because he has not yet figured out how to make a martini. I am not going to give away the cat, so I need to find a stone solution for my kitchen floor that would not react to cat urine.

Elizabeth, Northern California

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