Granite Countertops

Granite countertops are a timeless beauty.  You'll find they are as expensive as they are beautiful, rivaling natural quartz countertops in both cost and beauty.  They are sometimes preferred over quartz because of their variation in veining and color.  They also usually display more "depth" than quartz countertops.  Quartz is a natural stone, but it goes through processing that leaves it 7-10% resin and uniform in color and pattern.

Some folks simply love the idea of granite and want a completely natural stone for their kitchen or bath. 

GRANITE COUNTERTOPS:

• Are beautiful.
• Have a wide variation of color, veining, pattern and depth, even in the same piece.
• Are very durable and hard.
• Heat resistant.  Hot pots can be placed on the surface.
• Can be cut into any design or pattern, round or square.
• Although granite is one of the most expensive countertop materials, you can find deals if you are willing to look and do some research.
• Can be costly to install.
• Installation is not for the do-it-yourselfer.  Granite is heavy and may chip.
• Are wonderful to cook on, especially for kneading dough and making pastries (although, if you have granite that is pitted, you may not want to do this - the dough will get in the pits).
• A drawback of granite is that it can chip (although granite countertops can be repaired by a professional).
• Need to be sealed yearly, or more often, because granite stains easily.

THE PATH GRANITE TAKES TO GET TO YOUR KITCHEN

Granite is a natural stone, so it's quarried out of the earth, as it has been for thousands of years.  It comes from several different countries, many of which are in Asia and Africa.

Once the stone is quarried, it is shipped to a supplier, who may or may not also fabricate (cut to specific dimensions) the stone for you, the customer.

SOME WAYS YOU CAN LOWER THE COST OF GRANITE COUNTERTOPS

Granite is expensive, but you can lower your cost by getting involved in your granite selection.

Suppliers often have warehouses where you can go and pick out your own stone.  You may be able to find discounted pieces, or choose from lower grade stones, that may not necessarily be actually lower in quality.

Granite is priced by "tiers", with higher tiers being more expensive and lower tiers less expensive.  Lower tiers may be classified as lower, not because of a poorer quality, but because they are less popular colors, or perhaps they have a few more pits than the higher tiers.  Or, maybe their pits have been filled in more.

Ask your supplier to look at the lower graded tiers, then ask them why pieces you may like are in that tier.  You may find just what you're looking for, at much less cost but having little difference in quality.

Also, some fabricators are using thinly cut granite and placing it on a substrate (particle board core) for thickness.  This will make your granite more affordable, and no one will ever know it's not granite all way through (unless they look under your countertops - and then they're just snoopy!).

CARE FOR YOUR GRANITE KITCHEN COUNTERTOPS

Having a granite countertop does require some care and maintenance.  That's one of it's drawbacks vs. quartz.  Normal washing with soap and water is fine for everyday use, but yearly (or more often) you'll have too seal your granite.

Granite is susceptible to stains.  It is porous, and needs to be sealed so it isn't ruined by these stains.  Use a sealer that is recommended by your granite supplier on your granite countertops.

Enjoy your granite - and remember - Have a Happy Kitchen!!

Return to our Compare Kitchen Countertops page from our Granite Countertops page.

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