History of Granite
Granite is a stone formed from fire and consists of quartz, feldspar and mica. This stone was once a molten flowing mass much like lava, and as it cooled down it became very dense and hard. In fact, granite is second only to diamonds in its hardness. Because it is resistant to blistering, scratching, cracking and scorching, granite is the number one choice in natural stone for kitchen, bath, and commercial countertops. Polished granite, with its high gloss, reflects light beautifully, adding elegance to any room or space. The high gloss finish will never wear off. Granite is easy to clean with just warm water and soft cloth. Granites are quarried throughout the world in the form of huge blocks and then reduced into slabs. These slabs are then carefully crafted and fabricated by a fabricator to the form you desire. Granites have different patterns or veining. Many stones rarely change in their tight quartz-like appearance, while others have veins that swirl and change irregularly. Small samples cannot give a good overall picture of a high-movement stone, it is this reason that we recommend to view the slab prior to the selection or fabrication.
Granites come from all over the world: India, Egypt, Spain, Brazil, Norway and Africa to name a few. Canada and the United States also produce some very lovely granite as well. Where the stone originates has a high impact on the cost of the stone because of transportation and labor. Red granites and blue granites tend to be priced a bit higher than the other colors because they are more rare.
GRANITE CHARACTERISTICS
Granite is an igneous
rock formed by volcanic action and consists mainly of quartz, silica, mica
obsidian and feldspar with a blend of other natural minerals. The composition
varies from quarry to quarry. Granite is the only natural stone suitable for
kitchen countertops. This relates to its hardness, resistance to scratches and
its minimal absorption. It can also be used for fireplace surrounds and vanity
tops. Below are some general physical characteristics, which also vary by stone
type.
HARDNESS Based on the
MOH scale of one to ten with diamonds being ten ( 10 ), most granites fall
within the range of seven ( 7 ) or eight. ( 8 ) It is extremely scratch
resistant.. So, while a careless slip of the knife will scratch most
other countertops such as solid surfaces, it won‘t leave a mark on Granite.
Although Granite is durable it is not scratch-proof. But close.
NATURAL FISSURES Granite contains natural fissures,
which appear as cracks. These visible hairline cracks are formed during the
solidification process. Earthquakes or land movement can also cause fissures.
Fissures are random and will vary from one type of granite to the next.
SURFACE PITS Granite is polished to remove all scratches from the
surface. Due to the methods currently used for finishing – abrasives and
pressure in a circular motion – some small crystals will be removed leaving
small voids in the surface polish. The size and frequency of this varies from
stone to stone. Usually, granite with more movement in the stone.
COLOR VARIATION Samples represent the general color
and pattern of a color of granite only. Exact duplication cannot and will not
be guaranteed. This is why at Metro Marble & Granite we let you pick your own slab! Granite, being
a natural product, will have variation in color and shading. This is a unique
characteristic of natural stone and is to be expected. Click here for slab
importers.
CUTTING AND FITTING In most cases, granite is cut to
rectangular shapes with opposing edges parallel. Drywall will have to be
floated to correct any deficiencies, like bowing, cupping and walls being out
of square. Normally the backsplash material will cover any of these wall deficiencies
OVERHANGS Granite / Marble
has very little flexural or bending ability. 3cm granite will have no sub
decking and will rest directly on the cabinets or support walls. All overhang
or cantilever areas should be properly braced from below. This bracing should
allow loading of 250 pounds per square foot without any flexing of the
countertop. High bar overhangs more than 9” inches from the sheetrock outside
wall will be braced with flat steel support strips, evenly spaced, supplied and
installed by Metro Marble & Granite. Any overhangs over 15” inches
will need well supported corbels, to support the granite. Purchasing these are the
responsibilities of the buyer, homeowner or builder.
SEAMS Granite will have seams. Seams may be made in sink
areas and cook top cutouts. These seams will be established based on what we
can yield out of a slab size, aesthetic considerations, practicality of handling
and installation. We try to minimize
seams when possible. Slab sizes are random, making it impossible to locate
seams for any given plan. The horizontal stone to stone seams are filled with
an epoxy, which will be color coordinated. A 3/16” inch gap between pieces is
normal for seams. Vertical variation at the seam will be no more than
1/16”inch. The largest guaranteed size available for granite is 100” x 50” for
all colors. Some random tops may be slightly longer or wider, but cannot be
guaranteed from house to house.
EDGES Click here to select edge options.
3cm thick edge is approximately 1-1/4” inch thick and without a seam line. 2cm thick edge is approximately ¾” inch thick. All Granite / Marble can vary in thickness from slab to slab and sometime within a slab. When this occurs between slabs, the edges will be feathered to match at the seam.