What to Know Before Buying a Granite Countertop

The kitchen is the communication hub of your family’s home. Whether your family is relaxed and laid back or follows a hectic schedule that keeps you hopping, your countertops have to hold up to food preparation and serving, not just for meals, but also snacks between meals, as well as providing space for small appliances and other kitchen gadgets.

Three Reasons to Choose Granite

Your new granite countertop must also complement your family’s style. With the variety and exciting choices of countertops available for today’s homeowner, how will you ever decide? Here are some things you should know before buying a granite countertop that can help you make that choice.

1. Functionality – There is no such thing as a “one size fits all” when it comes to kitchen countertops, even ones made from granite. You might be an aspiring chef who serves up gourmet meals several nights a week. Maybe you have an island bar where you serve appetizers to weekend guests. Or you might have a busy family who leaves the kitchen a mess after every meal. Granite counters can meet almost any need your family has.
2. Style – What do you find appealing about your home? Once you can answer this question, you will better know what style granite will bring you the most satisfaction once it is installed in your family’s kitchen. Do you want an integrated sink? A seamless appearance around the perimeter of your kitchen? A beveled edge? All these details should help create an end result that you will be pleased with for years to come.
3. Benefits – Granite offers so many benefits. It is easy to clean. It is heat resistant. You can cut right on the surface like you would a cutting board. You can use it as a surface to let bread rise. And it is easy to get a matching backsplash and tile floor to match your new granite countertop. The best part is that granite is eco-friendly, meaning it is one of the safest choices you can make both for your family and for the environment.

Other Benefits of Granite

Granite is a popular material for countertops. It is a natural stone material that comes from deep within the earth, and highly desirable for kitchen upgrade renovations. Because it was formed deep underneath several layers of soil and volcanic rock, it can hold up to a lot of damage. You can cut right on the surface, or put a hot pan from the stone straight onto the granite without damaging the stone.

These features are highly desirable. If you should ever put your home on the market, then you can be sure a granite countertop will be nothing less than a selling point that can help move your home faster than if you stick with an outdated counter in a lesser quality material. New home owners want granite, whether in a custom built home or an older home with a newly renovated kitchen.

Granite comes in a wide range of colors and textures. There are shades in every color of the rainbow that are smooth, speckled, or marbled in appearance. Each piece is more than a chunk of stone countertop material. Granite is a work of art, and when you add it to your kitchen then you are increasing the value of your home.

Maintaining Granite Counters

Once your granite countertop is installed, maintaining it is so easy. Talk to the retailer about having the stone sealed if it was not done during the fabrication and manufacturing process. A sealer for granite countertops will help it resist stains from spills, even in dark colored liquids like red wine or greasy substances such as olive oil.

Of course, you want to clean up any spill as soon as possible as part of general tidy habits. When a spill does occur, simply wipe it up with a damp rag and mild dish soap. Avoid using any kind of acidic cleaners as it might eat through the sealer and into the surface of the stone.  Now that you know all you need to know, you are ready to start shopping for a granite countertop.