I am in love with all the shows on HGTV & it seems like the thing that is in now is granite countertops. Hubby & I have been slowly remodeling our house & the kitchen is going to be the next room we tackle. Of course after viewing the shows & seeing samples at Lowe's, I was sold on it, but now not so sure. A friend just sent me this link about the possible dangers of granite.

I know these days at one time or another you will hear the dangers of everything, but this one surprised me. Has anyone heard of this before, & if you have granite were you aware or told of the possible dangers before installation?

http://www.snopes.com/medical/toxins/granite.asp

Hey! I didn't follow the link, but can tell you that granite is porous, and unless it is kept properly sealed and cleaned correctly, I'm sure it can harbor unhealthy things. It cannot be installed in commercial kitchens because of this. I, personally, think granite is beautiful, but wouldn't install it in my home. I know my level of diligence (in keeping it sealed well) would not be, um, diligent enough to keep the creepies away!

I'm surprised I have not heard about this! I know Lakeland in general has high radon levels due to all the phosphate mining. My home is on a reclaimed mine! I got a test kit from the health department when I lived in an apartment on Lakeland Highlands and the levels were very high. So I would imagine, my new home has very high levels, plus I have a lot of granite! I asked my builder about building a radon escape fan system into the foundation and attic, but he didn't know much about it. Apparently, some homes around here are built with these systems due to high radon levels. They say after rain the radon levels are high...that would be all the time in the summer! Scarey.