When you think of granite, one phrase should spring to mind: hard as a rock. It takes millions of years for our planet to produce granite, from the molten rock that is compressed under the surface to the extremely hard and durable material that we now use for building.
Granite has very high heat resistance, so it does not blister or burn and it’s very unlikely to scratch or chip. As a kitchen countertop, granite is far superior to other synthetic and laminate material or marble. Plus, it is better looking and provides a luminous, dimensional quality when properly polished.
In most cases, granite is made up of interlocking mineral crystals like feldspar and quartz. But in the creation process, other minerals are incorporated, creating unique pieces of granite. For example, feldspar gives granite the white, quartz provides light gray veins and mica, the black.
As for the manufacturing process, granite is drilled, chiseled and blasted out of the quarries, in large blocks that are cut by special milling machines into workable slabs. A slab is around 1.2 meters to 1.5 meters wide and 2.1 meters to 2.7 meters long. After all this is completed, other machines are used to polish the slabs to achieve a uniform thickness, in most cases around 2 to 3 centimeters.
On the market, you can find precut and edged countertops to put in yourself, but also custom made ones and professionally installed are available. It all depends on your kitchen design, the shape and size of the needed countertop and the location. In some cases, precut material can be purchased, while in other, you may need the custom made service.
If you are still not convinced that granite is the best material for your kitchen countertop or for other remodeling project, check our other articles.