Durability and beauty of granite

It is no wonder that granite has been used for thousands of years in every imaginable application where there has been a need for exposure to the elements.

There are not many materials that have more varied uses than granite. It can be a boring and uninteresting stone, or quite colorful and beautiful. The only endearing trait that makes it exceptional is its permanence. Before it was commonly used for kitchen countertops, it had a long history of use in many other places.

Due to its apparent invincibility, granite has long been the choice for tombstones. This is true in almost all countries where granite can be mined and used. In centuries past, granite was most often used in a very rough form, and many head stones did not have identifying letters.

The finely polished, three-dimensional headstones are made almost exclusively of granite, whether to commemorate a poor man or a king.

Definition of granite
A true definition of granite: a coarse-grained, crystal-shaped igneous rock containing feldspar and quartz. In practice, many similar materials can be called granite. When the definition is degraded to mean feldspar rock with interlocking crystals that can be seen with the naked eye, we have material that is of lower quality.

Some materials that are considered granites under the second meaning are gneiss, granodiorite, gabbro, anorthosite, monzonite, and syenite. While this might split the hairs a bit, in certain applications the material with the pure meaning is needed.

Uses of granite in construction
Many tall buildings have a granite base and are often used on building exteriors in commercial applications. Depending on the required effect, the granite can be rough, smooth or polished to suit the builder’s intentions. Granite cut stones are also very common in bridge construction.

Granite that has a rough textured surface will generally have smooth ends, tops, and bottoms for the stones to fit together well. Granite is used both as a structural material and as a cladding.

Whenever possible, engineers prefer the use of granite curbs over concrete. Granite is also much more attractive and resistant.

Granite in the home
One of the most popular uses for granite is for countertops. At one time these were very expensive because there were only a few facilities that had the machinery to cut and finish the material. However, the demand for these durable surfaces has led many shops to invest in equipment to make their own tops, and this in turn has produced more artisans who have the experience to work with granite.

The consumer is the winner as more cabinetmakers enter the field of granite countertops. It is now much faster to have cabinets equipped with stone countertops than it was a few years ago. If you have an existing kitchen to modernize with granite countertops, you may only have to wait two or three days, where previously it would have taken two weeks or more to ship and install the countertops.

Demand and availability have also produced a more competitive market, and granite countertops are more affordable than ever. Although they are by no means cheap, they are now more affordable for the average homeowner.

With the manufacture of more granite slabs, there is a much wider selection of colors available. Most consumers want to choose the slabs that their tops are made of, not just choose from a range of colors. This adds a more personal touch to the construction process.

Because each piece of granite is different from each other, each new homeowner has a completely unique countertop from all the others out there. The careful homeowner can expect to keep granite countertops for as long as he owns his home; not many other materials are as durable.

It is easy to see why so many satisfied customers choose granite as their countertop option and many find other uses for this material in their homes. The fact that granite is the most common rock found on the face of the earth does not detract from its appeal to the masses.

The next time you look at a picture of Mount Rushmore, remember that you can install that same ageless material in your own home.

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