Dear Green Builder: I'm obsessed with granite countertops . . .

. . . but I'm also obsessed with green building. Do I need an attitude adjustment?

For some new ways of thinking about this, I consulted a green builder:

Question: My dilemma is that I love granite counter tops and yet I want to do a green remodel. I've heard that granite is out of style and that it's definitely not green at all. But I Iove having a natural material for my counters, one that came from the earth without a lot of processing. Is there any circumstance where granite can be considered a green material? Or another kind of natural stone like slate? What if it was quarried locally? Or recycled from another job? Or should I just give up my desires for granite counters if I want to consider myself a friend of the earth?

Answer: From Karen Feeney, green resources manager at Allen Associates in Santa Barbara:

Green countertops are a tough one. I have a hard time recommending one as they all have issues.

I assume that you are trying to find a countertop for a kitchen, where cutting with sharp utensils, placement of hot or cold containers, and presence of water are all important things to consider when selecting your surface. There are a few “green” countertop products (for instance. those made with paper fibers/resins or others made with concrete), however, we have found that they are shipped from across the country, are difficult to install, and just as expensive as traditional natural stone products. So we are not as enamored with those products as we had hoped we would be.

As far as other alternatives to traditional stone countertops, you might want to check out a couple of “composite” products such as Caesarstone or IceStone. Rather than quarrying large slabs of material, they are made from smaller, composite materials. IceStone, containing 75% recycled glass and concrete, is (according to the manufacturer) a highly durable surface that is as strong as granite, less porous than marble, has the heat resistance of stone, and is installed and maintained like natural stone. Caesarstone is made with crushed granite combined with polymer resin and pigments and is stain, crack, scratch, chemical and heat resistant. Both of these products come in a variety of colors and prices are comparable to granite.

When it comes to natural stone and specifically granite — your original question — finding a locally quarried or a recycled material would be the greenest option. This would offset the quarrying and transportation impacts that you mention. The good news about granite is that it is aesthetically pleasing, highly durable and will last for decades. You ask about slate countertops. Slate is very durable, both to mechanical and chemical abuse. Slate would be uniformly softer (relative to the major minerals in granite), but should still hold up well. Both products will chip if abused. Aesthetic taste would most likely be a determining factor between choosing granite versus slate. The transportation impacts may be reduced somewhat as there are slate countertops originating in Vermont as opposed to granite products that come from Russia, India, Brazil, Yugoslavia, and other faraway places.

Comments

[Rich]

I found this question and answer rather uninformative--first of all, why would natural stone countertops not be a "green" product? Transportation costs seem to be the only factor mentioned, but if that's the real problem, you need to put a whole lot more thought into just where ALL the materials used in your house come from. The cultured stone products are byproducts of other industrial quarrying and may not represent any smaller a carbon footprint or pollution profile than natural stone. It's like the people who want electric automobiles because they can't fathom that plugging it into a wall socket to charge it up just hides the energy source rather than changing it.

One of the unfortunate trends I see being fueled by the home improvement and house-buying programs on HGTV is the relentless promotion of current fads such as granite countertops at the expense of other economical, attractive alternatives. A shameful number of well-made tile countertops have been ripped out by renovators at the behest of the realtor show hosts insisting that only granite will sell. And textured ceilings, wrongly all labelled "popcorn" and unthinkingly scorned by the featured buyers, are actually a fundamental design choice that greatly improves the aesthetic of low-ceilinged rooms and were a favorite with Frank Lloyd Wright himself.

I predict in 10 years people will be chafing at their stodgy black stone countertops but will feel compelled to keep them, like those stone Victorian fireplace mantles that generations of homeowners dare not tear out because they know how expensive they were in their day...

[Teresa Fister]

Granite is green in many respects.

A) It is not highly processed,
B) Its highly available on every continent,
C) is recyclable
D) It has permanant shelf life
E) It never needs replacement
F) It contains no chemicals or manmade additives

It would be considered more green if it came from a local place as opposed from overseas, to reduce its carbon footprint. (fuel costs for transportation)

The company that supplies it should be socially responsible as well.

[Jenna Albrecht]

I am the PR/Media Coordinator for CaesarStone. CaesarStone is a quartz surface manufacturer, we are not made from granite.

CaesarStone is made from 93% quartz and 7% polymers and resins. Our surfaces are nonporous, stain, scratch and heat resistant. We have also offered a lifetime warranty for residential purchases as of February 15.

CaesarStone is eco-friendly though. We are GREENGUARD certified, have earned the ISO 14001 and ISO 9001, and is a member of the U.S. Green Building Council.

CaesarStone has been committed to the environment since it began 20 years ago. From recycling 97% of the water in our manufacturing process to shipping material in recycled boxes, we strive to keep our planet as beautiful as our products.

For more information please go to our website at www.CaesarStoneUS.com.

[replacementcounters]

Coming from a company that provides countertops we would love to say that granite is green friendly but unfortunately it is not. Yes companies that bring in granite can try to conduct green practices but as for the material itself, it is not like bamboo which when taken from the earth will grow back quickly. IceStone and PaperStone are two companies using recycled prodcuts in their countertops. Zodiaq just came out with 4 green quartz colors also made with recycled products. Another thing to consider is green enviroment. Some surfaces have obtained Greenguard certification which means they do not off gas and provide healthy living areas. Granite unfortunately is known to have small (most likely non harmful) traces of radon. This is another reason it could never be considered a truely green product.

[Kathleen Warren]

You have an excellent locally sourced alternative almost right in your backyard. It's Vetrazzo....a recycled glass countertop. More recycled content than icestone. It's gorgeous. Lots of color choices. Manufactured in the Bay Area with recycled glass from the Bay Area, so you don't have the transportation energy expenditure. Also other issues about quaried stone include worker health and safety. Much of the work is close to slave labor. Full disclosure here that my company used to represent Vetrazzo. We don't anymore but remain enamored. I just saw Vetrazzo in the show house at West Coast Green a couple of weeks ago. It's a great green alternative.

[Teresa Fister]

Quartz is a product quarried from the earth. Zodiaq is made by Dupont. All of the quartz products are manufactured with polyesters and chemicals. Several of the quartz companies have tried to create a false granite scare, allegedly to boost their own business. (Silestone and Cambria)

Vetrazzo is made with glass (a manufactured earth product) in a base of inert materials like sand and cement. It costs about a hundred dollars a square foot.

Granite is abundant. It can be recycled over and over and requires no chemicals or additives for processing.

All of these products can be considered 'green.' But nothing is perfectly green. The best thing to do is to work with a company that is transparent.

My company ranks all of its materials for 'greeness' so that the buyer can make an informed decision. I think they are all great.