When choosing countertops for your kitchen or bathroom, granite is a material that is likely to come up in search. While you may think granite is a beautiful material, you may be wondering what granite is. At Express Cabinet & Granites, we’ve put together a guide to granite to help you determine if it is a suitable material for your needs.
Granite is a stone that is naturally occurring and commonly used for home décors such as countertops due to its beauty and durability. Granite is intrusive, meaning that it is formed when silica-rich magma cools within the earth’s crust.
Since it is a natural stone, it is more limited in appearance, color, and pattern than man-made stone. Granite slabs can be found in black, pink, beige, and blue. This stone is typically mined in areas of Brazil, Italy, India, and China, with each area offering its own unique characteristics.
Granite, like most intrusive rocks, gets its pattern from obvious deposits of certain minerals. Each slab features its own unique mineral deposits, most commonly from feldspar and quartz.
For it to be considered true granite, the slab should be 20% to 60% quartz by volume. Quartz brings a milky white or colorless appearance to the granite. Feldspar is the second most common mineral in granite, offering a variety of colors such as pink, reddish, gray, white, and most commonly an off-white, opaque color.
Mica is also found in granite, in the form of muscovite. This is a colorless and shiny mineral that may be tinted with a brown, yellow, rose, or green color. Mica may also be found in granite in the form of biotite which is a shiny black stone commonly found in thin sheets that are stacked on top of each other. You may also find amphibole minerals like hornblende, which are usually dark green or black.
Granite is also available with a high-gloss finish or one that is honed with a matte or flat finish. The pattern of the granite will determine the best finish for the stone. For example, more intricate patterns tend to look best with a polished finish.
In addition to its sophisticated look, granite is a durable material for use in the home, making it one of the most popular countertop materials. It is stain, heat, and scratch-resistant. This material is also resistant to acidic household liquids such as citrus. It is also relatively low maintenance, requiring a daily cleaning with soap and water and a sealant applied every six months to a year to maintain the beauty and integrity of the stone.
To add luxury to your home with granite countertops, Pittsburgh homeowners can choose from a variety of granite at Express Cabinet & Granite. We have a wide selection of products to choose from. Additionally, we offer customized fabrication and expert installation for your new granite countertops.
Contact us today to learn more.
Check out this other article featuring a side-by-side comparison of Quartz and Granite countertops!
