Q. What is granite?
A. Granite is defined as any igneous rock suitable for cutting and polishing. Granite’s are mineralogical aggregates, which change composition from one variety to another. Granite’s main components are colored feldspar, quartz and ferromagnesian minerals. All of these minerals are of a different composition, density and hardness, therefore no two pieces of granite are identical.
Q. Why should I choose a granite countertop?
A. Of all the countertop materials, natural stone offers the most unique and striking colors and patterns available. Every other man made surface can only mimic the brilliance and beauty of natural stone. Current technology has eliminated worries about having to seal granite countertops as there are natural stone products available with anti stain warranties. Granite’s without antistain technology are sealed in our facility with a high quality sealer. It is recommended to reseal the granite countertops periodically every few years. This sealer does not make a granite countertop “stain proof” but penetrates into the pores of the stone allowing more time to clean spills. There is no guarantee that this process will prevent staining or etching the stone surface.
Q. How do I clean my granite countertop?
A. Granite is a very durable stone. It is also harder than marble. Use a mild phosphate-free, biodegradable liquid dish-soap, soap flakes or powder which contains no aromatics is recommended to clean the granite countertop, followed by a thorough rinsing and drying with cotton flannel or chamois.
Q. Can my granite top be damaged?
A. Like any natural stone surface, high impact blows can harm granite. Because of its crystalline structure, it can chip if subjected to sharp hard objects. Unsealed granite can absorb stains such as oil, which can ultimately cause dark spots or discoloration. Heat from pots and pans or burning liquids will likely have no negative effect to the granite surface under normal circumstances. Certain foods with citric, lactic, and vegetable acids such as oranges, milk, and tomatoes can strip the polish or etch the stone surface.
Q. Can I cut on my Granite countertop?
A. Granite is harder than your knife blades and will dull them very quickly, therefore it is recommended that you cut or chop on a cutting board.
Q. How much weight can I put on the granite countertop?
A. Due to the structure of cabinets, seam placements and overhangs it is not recommended that a person stand on the granite countertops. Generally, if the support structure is rigid and the granite countertops are supported correctly granite will withstand normal use. 3CM granite can overhang a maximum of 10” unsupported.
Q. Do granite seams show?
A. Because granite is a natural stone and is mined from the quarry in blocks usually no more than 10’ long, you will most likely end up with seams. The visibility of seams will depend on the granularity, color and pattern. Seams in a small, uniform grain stone will not be as apparent as a larger varied grain stone. Seams in a dark colored stone will be less apparent than a light colored stone. A dramatic pattern with swaths of color will show more seams than a uniform patterned stone . Most customers have found that the beauty of the natural granite outweighs the concern of seams.
Q. What determines where a seam in my granite will go?
A. Joints will be seen and felt. Slab dimensions and yield will be considered along with the location of the sink, dishwasher and cook top, grain pattern of the stone, access to the jobsite and the installation area, obstruction in the installation area. Joint placements or seams will be determined considering these parameters.
Q. Does granite stain or burn?
A. In general, no. all stone, however, is porous to some extent, but granite has very little porosity. Most colors will never show any moisture. A few colors may show some moisture if exposed for a period of time. For example, a puddle of water left on the counter for 30 minutes for some colors, may show a dark spot when the water is wiped away. This spot will then dry up and no evidence will show. Only a few colors demonstrate this trait. Also if granite cleaner with sealer is used periodically, there will be no need to reseal the countertops because some cleaners contains sealer and every time the countertops are cleaned they are also being sealed at the same time. You can’t burn granite with ordinary use.
Q. How are the edges of the granite finished?
A. Using the specific diamond router bit, the edges are cut. The edges are then polished using eight different diamond polishing discs.
Q. Will the granite used for my countertop be exactly the same as the sample that I saw?
A. It is very unlikely that the actual slab that your countertop will be cut from will exactly match the sample that you have made your purchase from. It is therefore recommended that the customer select their slabs from our inventory which will be used to fabricate the countertop. If the customer declines to select their slab, we will secure a waiver, indicating that the customer will not be provided any compensation as a result of dissatisfaction of the granite color or pattern.
Q. How does granite compare to other products as far as durability and hardness?
A. Since hardness is often a factor in how a product is suitable for a particular project, it becomes necessary to determine how hard a product actually is. The scale which is used is the Measurement of Hardness Scale (MOH) Scale. The object of the MOH Scale is to measure stone resistance to hardness. When sediment and grit are harder than the surface, they will scratch and harm the stone. The harder the stone, the more resistant it is to abrasion.
