Countertops are the most important aspects to consider when planning a kitchen renovation. You’re spoiled for choice, from less expensive laminate models to inlaid custom tile, and really, the options are nearly endless. Most people are finding that granite countertops offer a unique look, but are actually not that expensive. When you think about the longevity you’ll get from a granite countertop, you can see that paying a little more now is well worth it for years to come.
Granite is a very hard and durable stone that forms under high pressures and extreme temperatures underground, such as at the base of a volcano. You will always be able to see the grain pattern in the granite and this is something that adds a lot to its beauty. You can assume that the longer the molten rock was underground, the greater the grain structure. Before finding their way to the surface, minerals can coalesce into large crystals over the years. It is not uncommon for granite to spend 10 million years cooling, which can provide pea-sized grain structures.
In addition to the variability of the grain, there is also a difference in color depending on where the granite is extracted. These colors range from jet black and deep maroon to light gray and even ivory, which is almost entirely white. No two pieces of granite are the same with different combinations of grain patterns and colors. For this reason, it is very important that you cut all the workpieces from the same block. After installing your granite countertops, there’s not much you can do if they don’t match, except remove them and start over.
An overhang is not very strong and this is the only drawback of granite. If something heavy is dropped in a corner, the top can crack and break. Other than that there is not much to reduce your use in the fitted kitchen. There is some maintenance in the form of polishing and sealing that needs to be done every few years, but other than that you should just keep them clean.
If you plan on putting the caps on yourself, ask a few friends to come over and help you out because the pieces are going to be pretty heavy. Make sure everything is ready when you bring the slab in for laying, as it’s not something you want to hold on to for long. Granite is beautiful, but it takes thought to install it safely.
