Wednesday, March 12, 2014

Are Granite Rocks the Right Choice for Kitchen Countertops?


Kitchen countertops need some special qualities and it is always debatable whether granite or marble is the better choice for this purpose. Well, although granite rocks occur naturally; they cannot be used in their original form for countertops. This is because they are highly porous and need t be sealed with a special technique before use on kitchens. At times there also will be a need to reseal it. This article shall discuss the pros and cons of granite rocks as kitchen counter tops.
The Pros
  1. It is a highly durable material and strong. After all, it is a “rock”. Hot vessels can be easily placed on them.
  2. It looks beautiful. Its natural characteristics make color and design unique and thus two kitchen countertops will ever be the same even if being sold by the same company or quarry.
  3. If there are some chips; it can be easily repaired too. Experts can come and repair them in a jiffy. Scratches can be dealt with sanding and buffing. At times a circle or rectangle can be dried and lifted out from the area that was damaged; then the same size and color of granite can be put back into place without leaving any traces.
  4. Chips are a rare phenomenon because of its capacity to withstand quite a bit of bashing.
  5. Granite is also highly scratch resistant unlike its counterpart laminate.
  6. In case of moving or relocating; these countertops can be resold too! Now, it is obvious that the same cannot be said of concrete or other slabs.
  7. There was a time when such material was very expensive; however the price has gone down and a lot of kitchens can now boast of a working top made form rock.
  8. The amount of shine and gloss can be adjusted to one’s taste.
The Cons
  1. When granite was expensive it was manly because its transport costs would go high owing to high weigh. Now, with better transport facilities this cost has come down and as a result the price of rock too.
  2. It is definitely not a DIY as laminates can be. Only experts will have to be called to cut, fit and manipulate it to specific situations.
  3. Although it has a scratch resistant and heat resistant property; the same cannot be said of preventing stains. The rock stains easily thus ruining the look of the entire kitchen. Any acidic or oily substance can cause stains such as lime.
  4. Prices have come down form what it used to be but it is still expensive compared to other material or alternatives such as laminates.
  5. Resealing is needed year after year to keep it in top condition.
This article written for the reader to provide useful information about Granite Rocks. If still want to know more then click here and get more ideas.