Deep breaths. It's going to be wonderful. You'll get through this and laugh about the panic later. :)

I am not familar with that color granite. But I do like a honed finish I know what you mean about the reflection. Did you get a sample piece? I sure it will look beautiful.

Granite is a big investment so it's no wonder you're worried. You might want to consider using an enhancer before it's sealed - that may help get it back to it's deeper colors. Can't wait to see it.

IF he has hasnt honed it yet, he could do a sample and then you can lay it on the cabs to see how it looks.

I myself prefer highly polished granite and marble. The reason is that the beauty is revealed only when polished especially on darker granites. Honed dark granites look dull to me. Lighter granites and marbles dont look that different when honed or polished.

deck61: I had polished granite in my former kitchen and completely agree with your instinct to get it honed -- I hated, hated seeing every crumb and shadow on it. As I see it, it's a work surface, not a coffee table, and the mirror finish can really look out of place in a working kitchen.

All that said, I think pbrisar's suggestion is an excellent one: once it's in, have your honed surface sealed with an enhancing sealer, which will bring out the 'wet' depth and richness but without adding a slick shine. It sounds like that's the optimal look you've been aiming for the whole time in any case.

Deep breaths! :)

I would imagine that almost everyone on this board have second guessed our decisions! I 2nd guessed lots of stuff and in the long run I was happy with my choices.

I think once you get your stone installed - everything will be fine. Don't be sick!!!!

Circuspeanuts is right on the money: it IS a kitchen surface not the halls of Versailles. A honed matte silky surface is elegant and functional, and in a sea of hard reflective mirrors you will have the subtle and special surface that will make your kitchen unique and you.
It is easy to become hyper focused on one aspect of your remodel, once all the pieces are together you will have a more balanced view and you will be pleased you went with your original choice. Less IS more.

I can totally relate to second guessing every decision. I have changed some things last minute to my first choices. Go with your gut, if you know you don't like polished granite you'll regret it once it's in. I love the look of honed and I'm having my fabricator hone a piece of the costa esmerelda I picked.

If it makes you feel any better....I've panicked on so many things. Did I pick the right color cabs? Should I have gone with soapstone? Did I get the right shape sink? Faucet? The right range for DH since he is a chef, etc. I am really driving DH crazy with it all!

IT will be beautiful. What shade is your granite. Maybe we can find some pictures that will be similar to give you an idea.

Mamadadapaige honed her beautiful ocean grean granite. If she had left it polished it wouldn't have had the same affect.

Good luck and try to post a picture!

I am sure it is beautiful! I would enhance it and seal it. I can't wait to see pictures! Do you have a date for it to be installed?

I totally understand what you are going through. I am building a house and yesterday had to choose brick for chimneys. I woke up this morning with a sick feeling that I had chosen the wrong one. I have done this just about every decision so far and I have about million more to make! I think going with your first instinct is the way to go. Like someone said, if you had decided you weren't "polished people," and got polished, you would probably always regret it!

We recently replaced formica with a beautiful fully honed largly gold granit with splases of pink. It is an exceptional piece. It is almost impossible to see any soil on that granit. You literally have to run your hands across to top to find any spots to wipe off.

I am a man, a gormet cook, and I really like my highly reflective surface as does my wife.

Look into Tenax Ager stone sealer and enhancer. I was told this does wonders for honed and antiqued stones to bring out the color of the stone. I have a feeling in a few weeks you will be posting finished pics of a kitchen you just love.

(me again! :) )

I was looking through some older threads and by chance came across this recommendation by StoneGirl, one of the forum's members who is a granite fabricator. She highly recommends the product linked below for exactly the depth-without-high-gloss that you are hoping to achieve with your honed surface. It will be gorgeous!

Here is a link that might be useful: MB6 stone color enhancer

I think it will look good honed.

And I think Ron and Jim will make it look great for you.

You made a great choice with the Neptune!

James

if the sample lost "a little" of the look that hooked you, you should be fine. once you get the whole thing in your kitchen, the sheer size of it vs. the sample will restore the impact.

busy granites really fill up a space and command attention. honing them just tempers this impact a bit. i think going with your initial thought and honing was a good choice. you may have lived to regret not honing and being overwhelmed by the granite screaming "look at me!" every time you walked into your kitchen.

remember--we obsess over these details and attach huge amounts of significance to them, and then a week after the kitchen is done, it all starts to feel like that's how it's always been. it stops being a project and just becomes a part of your home.

It is such a personal decision. I have honed marble, and river washed granite- which is similiar to leathered except not.. it has a dull slightly textured surface. I love it; yet I know people for whom glossy is the only way to go. The enhancer may be what you are looking for. Just have your fabricator do a sample. I will encourage you not to obsess over every detail, (having done that) because frankly there are many "right" decisions and different looks that will be equally great (not that your granite surface isn't a BIG decision). If you can believe it I obsessed over switchplate covers until I went nuts(g).

James, I wondered if that was you!! I still love the Neptune, no doubt, and have been impressed with Ron's attention to detail so have no questions that he'll make it look good. I've had the honed piece on my counter overnight and believe that it really was the right choice for us. I miss coming down to look at the "artwork" in the warehouse, and may come down to look at backsplash ideas!

dick I feel like I was in something VERY close to your situation 2 years ago, & like many here have already said, the second-guessing is way more common than we think.

I installed a very busy granite (polished) that I was head over heels in love with when I saw the slab. I STILL love my granite, but honestly, when it's installed & being used & has everything else next to it, the busy-ness can be either overwhelming, or lost, or some odd combo of both.

I'm betting you'll love the honed - best of luck! :)

It's not a permanent decision - don't get too stressed out about it. If you start with the honed look and then decide you don't like it, it is not expensive to call the fabricator (or another firm) and have them come in and polish it up for you.

If you want to maintain a highly polished finish on a stone it has to be redone every couple of years or so anyway, so start with the honed and go from there.

As well - you might find that appplying a stone enhancer on the honed surface gives you exactly the amount of detail that you want without the high gloss.

:)

sailormann,

those are 2 completely false statements. I am wondering where you get your information?

James

This is almost for a separate thread, but seems on target with a reminder that it is easy to fixate on the granite as an isolated, empty slab and as a jewel in the room, whereas in most cases it will end up with a lot of "stuff" on and around it.

So far that's why I'm gravitating to quieter stones or quartzes with a more uniform appearance because I like to feature some wooden bowls or cutting boards, pottery or ironstone, or other items.

It's all personal choice but this thread and others are good reminders of how hard it is to picture everything together from the small samples and bits and Pieces.

"Strictly speaking, granite is called "honed" when the polishing process is halted just before a reflective shiny surface is achieved. This gives a softer, matte appearance to the stone. Cold Spring uses a special process called "Velvet" which enhances and deepens the colors as well. Some fabricators can hone polished granite if they have special equipment to remove the polished surface, but this can sometimes result in wheel marks from the polishing head."

"vrjames" I believe I agree with you: once honed: I don't know??? how???: besides grinders & polishing pads used by the fabricators: would they get the granite to look like "factory" polished with resin or epoxy finishes?
It's all pretty logical.
found this too:
"Epoxy
Epoxy is an excellent high strength adhesive and is one of the most valuable tools available. It is popular because of its cost, strength, and fast set time. It is used more for laminating because it is stronger then Polyester Resins. Epoxy must be mixed witha hardener and is available in flowing and knife grades. Tints are available. Standard shelf life is two years from the manufacturing date.
Polyester Resin
Polyester resin is used for laminating, seaming, and repairs. Polyester resin sets quicky and is easy to tint. Polyester resin uses an activator rather than a hardener and the activator must be measured properly to avoid a thermal reaction that will reduce the strength of the resin and can damage the stone. Standard shelf life is one year from the manufacturing date.
Acrylic Resin
Acrylic resin is a water clear adhesive and filler. Although Acrylic resin is not as strong as Polyester resin, Acrylic resin is popular for its water-clear appearance. Like polyester resin, Acrylic resin is available in both flowing and knife grade an it uses an activator rather than a hardener. The activator must be measured properly to avoid a thermal reaction that will reduce the strength of the resin and can damage the stone. Too much activator may also cause the Acrylic resin to yellow. Standard shelf life is one year from the manufacturing date"

My opinion: you could use a color enhanced sealer to bring out the colors in the stone: as much as you like: read bottle: or not. won't make shinny: will "deepen" the colors: I call it enriching the look of the stone. ***Once you put a color enhancer on the stone: there is no going back*** like dropping olive oil and letting it set for an hour or 2 or day or 2 on stone: it's staying there!

quotes: to explain Honed Granite:
"Strictly speaking, granite is called "honed" when the polishing process is halted just before a reflective shiny surface is achieved. This gives a softer, matte appearance to the stone. Cold Spring uses a special process called "Velvet" which enhances and deepens the colors as well. Some fabricators can hone polished granite if they have special equipment to remove the polished surface, but this can sometimes result in wheel marks from the polishing head."

"vrjames" I believe I agree with you: once honed: I don't know??? how???: besides grinders & polishing pads used by the fabricators: would they get the granite to look like "factory" polished with resin or epoxy finishes?
It's all pretty logical.
found this too:
"Epoxy
Epoxy is an excellent high strength adhesive and is one of the most valuable tools available. It is popular because of its cost, strength, and fast set time. It is used more for laminating because it is stronger then Polyester Resins. Epoxy must be mixed witha hardener and is available in flowing and knife grades. Tints are available. Standard shelf life is two years from the manufacturing date.
Polyester Resin
Polyester resin is used for laminating, seaming, and repairs. Polyester resin sets quicky and is easy to tint. Polyester resin uses an activator rather than a hardener and the activator must be measured properly to avoid a thermal reaction that will reduce the strength of the resin and can damage the stone. Standard shelf life is one year from the manufacturing date.
Acrylic Resin
Acrylic resin is a water clear adhesive and filler. Although Acrylic resin is not as strong as Polyester resin, Acrylic resin is popular for its water-clear appearance. Like polyester resin, Acrylic resin is available in both flowing and knife grade an it uses an activator rather than a hardener. The activator must be measured properly to avoid a thermal reaction that will reduce the strength of the resin and can damage the stone. Too much activator may also cause the Acrylic resin to yellow. Standard shelf life is one year from the manufacturing date"

The polyester resin has also the added value of fast drying time, making it a perfect solution for automatic line manufacturing.

Nowadays there are many different kinds of polyester resins, with different viscosity, color and hardening times. Some resins have even the capability of UV hardening, allowing a very fast curing time.

Generally, the systems commonly used in 'marble' processing are not satisfactory for 'granite' processing lines. The main reasons for this lie in the different chemical structures of the two materials. 'Granite' is much harder vs 'marble', with microscopic fissures and a different absorption rate. The very thin cracks represent an additional problem, since no polyester resin would have the capability to deeply penetrate in the stone, harden up and give a sufficient strength to the material.

About 20 years ago, after some unsuccessful trials with polyester and acrylic products, a new family of products was tested. Using materials with optimum adhesion (epoxy systems) on granite, the typical problems were resolved and a new technology was developed.

The epoxy resin has shown the capability to run into each of the cracks and fill all of the pits and micro-fissures present in the granite. Additionally, its long hardening time allows the glue to penetrate deeply into the stone before the complete curing will occur.

This very durable and extremely elastic family of glues can also follow the different thermal expansion of the granite, leaving the treated product capable of sustaining a wide array of temperatures, making it suitable for inside and outside usage. They also provide a solution when there is a need to glue the granite slab to another material (either aluminum honeycomb, glass or steel).

The extremely high strength of the glue helps to fix any structural defects, giving the slab a very strong and durable finish.

***I find this info interesting: if you all are spending sooo much money on the countertops: you should be informed: and most customers want granite because their neighbors have it. They are uninformed, but spend the money anyways. They clean it with vinegar! Seriously!
And money is an issue: Honed tend to be more expensive.
Everyone seems to be on a budget.
Honed I believe is keeping the stone more in it's 'natural' state. And putting the factor finishes adds more chemicals to the process and just causes more chemical reactions to acid liquids and food that might be spilled on the stone. (etching or staining)
Just though I would post the info: They try to keep it a mystery what goes on at the granite plants!
We installed 'Matrix Brushed' Granite this year! EXPENSIVE $35 sf for material only! Wow! I still have pieces of it! raw granite! so pretty in the light! (geologist told me it's almost like straight mica and lava) I did an test on a piece of it: soaked it in color enhancer sealer: turned whole piece black: 4 days later : went back to the way it looked before I soaked it! weird!

I second-guessed decisions in our kitchen remodel--more times than not, I'm sure.

However, 3+ years down the road, I can't remember any of the earth-shattering mistakes I thought I made. You won't either. All will be fine.

Your granite sounds wonderful- best of luck!

James/Petra Granite/ et. al. :

This is one of many companies engaged in the business of stone rejuvenation and polishing.

Every two years they come and polish the stone in our stores. They do this for a reasonable fee. When they leave - things look like new.

http://www.marbleclinic.ca/MarbleClinic_see.html

That is a cool service! I had predicted several years ago that stone repolishing would be a cool business idea considering how much stone we now use on surfaces. especially polished marble that needs a face lift from time to time.

With thousands of dollars spent on countertops, I think homeowners would be very interested in such a service..

Thanks for all the comments; I am feeling much more relaxed after a couple days. I have a large piece that the fabricator honed for me to compare, and it will be just right. I once again have been humbled because every now and then, I read a post where someone is agonizing over what seems to ME very minor. Boy, does the shoe ever fit TIGHTLY when it's on the other foot!! Anyway, I think that a lot of other stress factors came into play right around the time I had to make a decision and it just seemed too much at the time....Installation is scheduled for next week so hopefully will post pictures.

sailormann,
Thank you for your clarification. I am very familar with stone retoration companies. I make reference to finding them whenever tops or floors are damaged.

They CAN repolish stone in place. Where I took exception is you comment :

"If you want to maintain a highly polished finish on a stone it has to be redone every couple of years or so anyway, so start with the honed and go from there."

It does not need to be done every couple of years. What your company is doing is paying someone to rejuvinate the counters. I doubt they are being repolished every 3 years. Putting a glass polish back onto a honed top CAN be done, in place even, but it is not a simple matter.

Any way, back to the OP.

Your Neptune will look awesome.

James:

I don't want to belabour this but ...

I'll concede that what is cause for refinishing to me, in a public venue, may be something that is deemed perfectly acceptable by another person for their home.

I am unable to understand however, why anyone would suggest that stone does not have to be refinished regularly if an individual wants to mainatin a blemish-free surface.

Trust me, if there was some way to avoid paying for restoration, I would.

Whenever I hear people making claims that granite, marble, etc. are impervious to damage, I cannot help but think they are purveyors of the product with a vested interest in maintaining consumer ignorance.

I'm not suggesting that you fall into this category, but I curious about why you suggest that no maintenance is required.