Are you thinking about installing kitchen countertops? Some of the best pieces that you should think about are granite countertops. To help you in making the decision as whether you should go for them, here are a few things you should know:
Are they durable?
You don’t want units that you will have to replace after a short time, do you? The good thing is that you don’t have to worry about durability. This is because as long as you take good care of your pieces, these will go a long way.
The countertops come with features that allow them to last for a long time. Granite is a hard material that is resistant to cuts and scratches. The material is so hard that it leaves the steel knives dull and damaged.
Granite is also resistant to heat; therefore, you can place your hot pans on it when you are cooking without worrying about damaging it.
While this is the case, it’s recommended that you use a trivet when you are placing hot substances on it for a long time. Since granite is dense, the heat tends to spread to the entire countertop which might scald you in the process. In some cases, when the heat is excessive, the countertop can crack.
Is it beautiful?
Being one of the most popular countertop materials in the world, you can bet that it’s beautiful. Some of the people that use it reckon that it’s one of the marvelous creations of mother nature. The countertop comes in many shades that are stunning and aesthetically pleasing to look at.
The countertop allows you to create any look you want in your kitchen. Do you want it shiny and polished? Do you want it honed and natural looking? It all depends on you. You only need to choose the look that you want.
What are the color options?
Since you are dealing with a natural stone, you are limited in the colors you can choose from. This means that you won’t find slabs with a lot of solid patterns or bright colors. This doesn’t mean that they don’t exist, they just aren’t many.
When you are buying the countertops, be on the lookout for a wide range of colors and patterns within the same color of the stone.
You should note that many exotic types of granite have huge flowing waves. This means that when you order a sample from the manufacturing company, you might not find the exact same pieces while the countertop might have been obtained from the same slab.
Do you need to seal the countertops?
Yes, you have to. This is because the countertops are porous thus you need to seal them to protect them from absorbing liquids. You might have the impression that being porous is a bad thing for a countertop, but this isn’t the case.
Unless the liquids are colored, when the countertops absorb them, the liquids eventually evaporate. Most of the countertop installers will seal the countertops before they install them. For you to get the most from the sealing, ensure that you invest in high-quality sealing products.
Do you need to repair the countertops?
When you take good care of your pieces, it’s rare that they will develop problems that require you to fix. However, in the event the pieces crack or chip, you have to fix the units as soon as possible.
All you need to do is to contact a fabricator who will inspect the units and fix the problematic areas. Most of the contractors will use color matched epoxies to fill the voids making the chips and cracks virtually invisible. If there aren’t any epoxies available, you should consider using superglue to fill a chip.
For you to avoid damaging your pieces you should be cautious when using heavy cast iron pans. As rule of thumb, never place them on the edges of the countertops as they are likely to chip off. You also risk damaging your pans when they fall to the ground. When cooking, always place your pans at the center.
How easy is it to maintain the countertops?
The countertops are considered as low maintenance pieces. After you have hired the right granite installers NC and sealed the pieces, you don’t need to do anything else to the pieces. Maybe all you need to do is to apply the sealing material once every 10 years.
