The Pros And Cons Of Granite Countertops
One of the most fun parts of remodeling your kitchen is picking out new countertops. You can finally get rid of the ugly ones and replace them with whatever you want!
If you've been dreaming of upgrading to granite, it's crucial you know all of the pros and cons of this natural stone before visiting the granite countertop showroom.
The Pros of Granite Countertops
Affordable Sustainability
Granite is a sustainable building material. Granite is a common type of rock and is quarried all over the world. Besides basic cutting and polishing, granite doesn't require special treatment between the quarry and your home.
Since granite is a prevalent stone, granite has a reasonable price compared to quartz or specialty stone slabs such as labradorite. As long as you select a slab quarried close by, it will be affordable.
Strength and Damage Resistance
Granite stone is very hard and resistant to scratching. In fact, while it's not impossible to damage granite slabs, it is reasonably hard to. Granite countertops are nearly impervious to scratches, chipping, and cracking unless you drop something extremely hard on one, such as a cast iron frying pan.
Natural Heat Resistance
Another major bonus of granite as a countertop material is its natural heat resistance. You can finally throw away those ugly trivets and place pots and pans directly on the counters without damage.
Ideal for Undermount Sinks
Granite countertops are ideal for use with under-mount sinks. A hole will be cut into the slab with a special masonry saw equipped with a diamond blade. The sink's hole will be polished, and the sink mounted below. Undermount sinks are fantastic because they don't get gunked up around the rim, and you can easily wipe crumbs and water into the sink.
The Cons of Granite Countertops
Granite countertops have some minor cons, as with any other natural stone slab.
For example, granite countertops installed in a large kitchen will invariably have seams. Stone slabs have a limited length, and when your counters are excessively long, they will need to be made using more than one slab. The positive thing is that granite seams can be grouted with a specialized grout to blend in seamlessly.
The other minor con of a granite countertop is it can be chipped by heavy pans or dropping something heavy on it. The good news is more minor chips in granite can easily be repaired using a color-matching epoxy.
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