Understanding Granite
Granite is a lightly colored igneous rock which is composed of at least 20% and 60% quartz by volume and 35% feldspar having little amounts of mica and other minerals. Granite is used in buildings, monuments, bridges, and other outdoor projects.
It is also used to manufacture interior materials such as floor tiles, walls, and kitchen countertops.
Granite forms most of the core of the continental crust and has been in use for thousands of years to produce materials of poise and elegance.
This is why granites are on increased demand especially for the manufacturing of kitchen countertops because a lot of people have fallen in love with its beauty.
What colors is granite available in?
It is available in a variety of colors like white, green, red, brown, grey, pink, black, and blue granite depending on their mineralogy. This makes it a little difficult to choose a suitable granite stone color.
Granites are produced from quarries located almost all over the world. This is because the demand for granite is on a constant rise. In the dimension stone trade, it has proven to be very lucrative.
The increase in demand for granite has made contractors acquire expertise in cutting, shaping, and installing them for customers. Granite can be classified into several categories depending on its use.
They are suitable for the production of tiles for floors and walls. The type of granite stone color used for this purpose is black as it has been considered to be more desirable.
These stones are also used for large construction projects like roads, railways bridges, and other heavy constructions. Granite can also be crushed and used as a base to fill up foundations, thereby making it solid.
One might ask, why granite? If you have made the decision to use granite probably for your floors, walls, or kitchen countertops, then you will most likely want to learn about its features. These features include;
- Massive, Hard, and Tough: Granites are massive, hard, and tough. These properties make granite suitable for complex construction and even kitchen counterparts.
- Durability: The production of finished granite materials may take years, but one thing that is guaranteed is its durability. It has no harmful chemicals, so the demand is very high.
- Difficult to scratch: Unlike other surfaces, employing granite will guarantee that it is free from scratches because granite is hard to scratch or penetrate.
- Repair Limited to professionals: Granites do not wear out or scratch easily but in a case where it does, it is advisable to employ a professional with the expertise to run a check on it.
- Porosity to Water: If the liquid is left on the granite surface for a while, it may absorb the liquid. For this reason, it is advised that granite countertops are sealed to prevent the surface from easily absorbing liquid. However, if they absorb, they also evaporate eventually or with the use of chemicals but it is best to seal the countertops.
- Price: Granite slabs are generally presumed to be very expensive, but there are several affordable alternatives. However, one should not be blinded by cheap prices which will lead them to purchase substandard materials.
- Resistant to Chemicals: These granite countertops are resistant to chemicals. However, one should be careful to not allow constant spill of such chemicals on the countertops, else it will damage the sealing and require re-sealing.
- Colors: The varieties of colors available to granite stones have been mentioned above. It is best to select your preferred granite stone color before they are fabricated into tiles or countertops.
