Granite Countertops and vanity tops are made from natural stone and are naturally beautiful. It is considered a substantial upgrade for your kitchen countertops, bathroom countertop and vanities when compared to products such as Cultured Marble and Corian.
Natural granite is over a billion years old and formed when the Earth was cooling from its hot molten state. It is harder than steel so you can not scratch it with a knife. It is the best choice for today’s home countertop surface because it is durable, naturally beautiful and the industry’s #1, first-class product.
There are granite imitations called Caesarstone, Zodiac, and Silestone that are NOT natural. These imitations use minerals mixed with resin to make custom colors and designs. These products are manmade and they do not possess the hardness and quality of granite. Refer to
Just as corian and plastic laminate have become 'desirables of the past', these synthetic look-a-likes are not 'naturally' beautiful and will not stand the test of time.
A granite countertop is virtually indestructible.
Granite countertops are scratch, stain and heat resistant making for a perfect kitchen countertop surface.
Marble is NOT recomended for kitchen countertops unless it is a dry kitchen.
Marble being a limestone can be stained easily by liquids such as sauces, wine, fruit juices.
Choice of granite
A kitchen is becoming a very important part of the house. A right choice of the granite colour is just as important as the choice of any furniture in other parts of the house.
The granite colour should match the wooden cabinets, the wall tiles and the kitchen floor.
You will not go wrong with neutral colours such as black, grey or a combination of white and black. Dark colours are preferred to prevent dirt or stains from being too obvious.
Granites such as "Black Galaxy", "Ocean Wave", "China Black" are ideal.
However, brown coloured granite can be used to match wooden cabinets or tiles. Granite such as "Yellow tiger skin granite", "Vietnam yellow granite" will be ideal.
If a strong colour is desired, "Imperial Red granite" gives a stark contrast to any coloured furniture.
Discuss this with us and we can help you to select the right colour.
It is a fallacy that granite is expensive. A granite top could cost a fraction of the kitchen cabinet.
What is the process of getting a kitchen countertop
A granite countertop can be installed on a concrete top or a wooden top with or without cabinets.
An measurement is always necessary to ensure that the granite top fits perfectly.
The length of the granite top determines the number of pieces required. Granite slabs are normally not more than 6 feet in length. A long piece of granite could also allow a possiblity of snapping into two during transportation and installation especially if a basin hole is cut out in that piece, as the strength is then compromised. However, once the piece is installed, a granite piece does not break under normal usage.
The granite top may be different edges. for the exposed sides. It is common for countertops to have a double bullnose or a double chamfered edge as this brings out the elegance of the top.
A backsplash is another piece of granite that sits on the granite countertop next to the wall.
A backsplash is used for functional as well as ecstatic purposes. The width of the backsplash is usually only 4 inches, however, it is common to find backsplash having width of 10 inches or more. A backsplash is not a necessity, if the wall tiles perform the same function and effect.
The top edge of the backsplash need to be polished.
A hole may be necessary for the basin or the cooking hobe.
If the basin sits below the granite top, (called under mount basin) the edges of the hole needs to be polished. However, if the basin rests on the granite, the hole is cut during the installation ad need not be polished.
A countertop can be in any shape. A template is used to display the exact shape and from this the granite is cut. The template is created by the installer during the final measurement.
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