Granite 101: An Everything-You-Ever-Wanted-to-Know Guide

Remodeling your kitchen?

Thinking about overhauling your tired bathroom?

Need a polished finish on your fireplace?

There’s an overwhelming number of materials from which to select when replacing kitchen countertops, vanities and fireplaces, not to mention flooring and backsplashes. When it comes to remodeling, you can easily feel the pressure of making the right choices to enhance the room’s design and choosing materials that last.

Don’t give into the tension when it comes to bathroom or kitchen projects. Use this guide to everything granite to ensure you fully understand the advantages to installing granite countertops, backsplashes, vanities and tiles.

A guide to granite

Granite is a natural stone that’s been used for centuries in a variety of ways. The timeless material is second in hardness, coming in only after the very hard diamond stone. Formed under intense heat and pressure beneath the earth, once it cools, granite is like the Superman of natural stones: strong, hard and dense. As a result, it’s a great option to use in heavily trafficked and high-use areas, like the kitchen counter or fireplace.

Here are some other interesting facts about granite:

• Color.  The various colors of granite slabs can be attributed to the minerals that become trapped inside the stone during the cooling of the molten rock. The color of the stone will most often vary from slab to slab, featuring blues, grays, greens, yellows, whites and blacks. The quartz content in the natural stone is what gives the granite a speckled look with interesting patterns and shapes within each slab. It’s a good idea to get a look at the entire slab before purchasing so you can see the variation in color and shading that occurs.
• Uses. Granite is sophisticated enough to use in formal, luxurious settings; however, it’s also versatile and functional at the same time, giving a contemporary kitchen or modern fireplace a certain flair. It’s possible to use granite as a floor tile, on a backsplash, as a countertop or bathroom vanity, a fireplace – or nearly anywhere else.
• Advantages. Using granite in your home gives the space a professional, high-end look. It’s also an extremely durable material, with a hardness in the 7-8 range on the Mohs hardness scale (diamonds rate a 10). Because of its durability, you can confidently walk on granite flooring and go about your business as usual in the kitchen without fear of damaging the floor.
• Challenges. While granite’s hardness is an advantage, it also makes installation a challenge only professionals should take on. Cutting the slab without the right tools or expertise will result in disappointment. The material is also quite heavy, so your vanity, cabinets, fireplace or subfloor needs to be strong enough to accommodate it.

There’s nothing quite like granite to give your home’s aesthetic a big boost. Offering a luxurious look, granite countertops, flooring and backsplashes are just a few of the ways to incorporate the natural stone into your home. Work with a proven, local supplier like Classic Granite and Marble to source your granite slab and help you make the best selection to match your home’s design.