While there are many materials available for use as countertops, there are none that compare to the natural beauty of Granite.
Granite counter tops will give a greater return on investment than just about anything you can do to your house. Unlike Granite. Carpet, paint, woodwork, appliances, hardwood floors, etc. will show the effects of time and wear.
Granite doesn't wear, scratch, or suffer the effects of UV rays, heat or cold like man made counter top materials will.
Granite tops will look as good in ten, twenty, thirty or forty years as they do the day they're installed.
There are over 250 common colors of Granite. If you can't find a color that fits your taste and design requirements chances are you're not going to find any other material you like.
Care and maintenance of Granite is minimal. Other than sealing, there is no other special care required. With today's technology, the sealing of the average kitchen tops takes about 20 – 30 minutes and will last up to 15 years.
When sealed, Granite provides a work surface as sanitary as any material used for countertops.
Industrial processing vats containing sulfuric acid, hydrochloric acid, nitric acid, and bromine are commonly lined with granite panels, taking advantage of the material's natural resistance to these caustic chemicals. This level of chemical resistance contributes to the ability of granite to resist attack from airborne pollutants associated with acid rain and/or snow-melting chemicals. Certainly there are chemicals that will attack granite, but exposure to them in a typical building environment would be extremely rare.
Granite material typically comes in 2cm (approximately _ inch) and 3cm (approximately 1 _ inch) thickness. Although Granite can be laminated to provide thicker tops, Granite by Design recommends 3cm material for countertops.
Granite slabs used for countertops are approximately 6' x 10'. Some slabs are larger, some smaller. This means you will probably have at least one seam in your countertop. Although seams cannot be made invisible, when done properly, the are barely noticeable. The material used to make seams is extremely durable and will last as long as the granite.
Granite is second only to diamonds in hardness. It is simply the best work surface available. Its polished finish won't wear off. Unlike marble, synthetic and laminate countertops, granite countertops will not blister, scratch or crack; and they are highly stain resistant. Granite countertops can take a hot pot without the use of a trivet. And its cool polished surface is ideal for rolling out pastry dough. Granite countertops are a beautiful, durable and cost competitive solution for kitchens, baths and other residential applications or commercial applications.
Granite is the material of choice for countertops in 90% of today's new home construction.
Granite has been available for thousands of years but only recently, due to advances in technology, has is been affordable. You can now have what, in the past, you could only dream of having.
Although some man-made tops can provide good service and ascetic qualities, they are still man made materials designed to simulate natural stone. When you can have the real thing for about the same price, why settle for an imitation?
Once you've experienced Granite, you won't ever settle for less and anything else is less.