Granite Countertops Affordable Granite Can Be an Affordable Option By Carrina Stanton For The Chronicle There are a lot of mistakes Larry Gallanger sees consumers make when it comes to installing granite countertops in their home.  One of the biggest is passing it up for what they perceive to be a more cost-effective product.  True, there are less costly materials for a countertop, he said, but when you consider their durability, to him it becomes a matter of priority.  “I think for so long the misconception has been you have to be rich to have it,” he said of granite. “But we went to Argentina and there they don’t have a lot of rich people, in fact a lot of them are poor. But they all had granite countertops because when they build things, they build to last.” Gallanger, his wife, Gail, and son, Dean, have owned The Granite Shoppe in Winlock for about four years now. They got started in the business after Larry and Gail gave up their excavating careers and took up road truck driving for about two years. Along the way, they would frequently pick up free scraps of tile and granite from building sites. They would bring the materials home and put them out in their yard for sale, but since they were rarely home, they made few transactions. Eventually Dean was headed home from Iraq and was interested in the materials business his parents had growing on their property off Meier Road. “We decided it was time to stay here and work on this and Dean thought he would get into the business with us,” Gail said. The Granite Shoppe sells both quartz stone and granite, though its primary business is granite. Quartz stone is solid surface product that is made by gluing together pieces of quartz whereas granite is an all natural product.  Gail explained many people believe materials such as quartz stone or other manmade solid surfaces such as Corian are less costly than granite. In her experience, the natural product is usually very competitively priced. What’s more, she said, granite is: one of the hardest natural materials on Earth; stain resistant, even against coffee, tea, wine and citric acid; antibacterial; and heat resistant to 1,700 degrees. “We really believe it is the superior product,” Gail said. “It’s the mother of all countertop materials.” Granite is also relatively easy to maintain, Gail added. When the stone is templated for installation, it is sealed. Cleanup is usually with simply soap and water. If a stain should occur, it can usually be removed by the homeowner. It is recommended the surface be resealed every three to five years. “It’s a simple process that anybody can do on their own probably in no more than 10 minutes,” Gail said of resealing. “And I’ve had granite in my home for three years now and I’ve never resealed mine.” The first step in choosing granite for a home is to decide on the surface to be covered and a general color palette in which they are interested. It is best if the consumer also bring at least general measurements. The next step, Larry said, is to visit a granite yard. The Gallangers said they have the only large selection of granite slabs between Portland and Seattle. Because granite is a natural material and one slice can vary widely from the next, it is important for a consumer to choose the exact piece of granite they want used for their project. Some shops carry small samples of a granite, which can give the consumer a false sense that their finished stone will have a very consistent pattern, Larry cautioned. Another pitfall of looking at a sample is that many different patterns and color palettes of stone may be labeled with the same name. Larry said he believes so strongly in the consumer choosing their actual piece of granite that he offers his yard and shop to his competitors and also sends shoppers to other yards if they don’t find what they want with him. “What people don’t realize is this is not a manmade product,” Larry said. “This comes from the ground and the veins can change.” Lastly, if granite is your choice, Larry said think longevity. He encourages consumers to walk around his yard and choose a piece of stone that speaks to them rather than choosing something that is a match with their wall or decoration colors.  “The biggest mistake I see people make is they try to match a granite to the colors of their walls,” Larry said. “Choose your granite first because it’s the thing you’re never going to change.” Granite Countertops Cost Estimate