 | Jason Huang began his career in the home remodeling industry fabricating and installing natural stone countertops after
being inspired by the beauty and elegance of granite and marble. His main goal at Wichita Granite and Cabinetry is the
satisfaction of the customer, excellent service, and sharing knowledge associated with natural stone. A member of the
Better Business Bureau,The Wichita Area Builders Association , and the National Association of Home Builders. Wichita granite
and cabinetry is family own and operated.
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Home Remodeling and Improvement
2012-10-02 14:25:36
Why are granite countertops so popular?
A- Great question, in a word granite is extremely durable. Granite is a naturally occurring stone and is one of the toughest rocks on the planet. One of the reasons why granite is so commonly chosen for kitchen countertops is because it is so durable. Of course, if you think about it, you realize that granite had better be durable. As one of the more expensive options for countertops, granite would be ineffectual if it couldn't last a long time or was easily damaged. Ultimately, granite makes an excellent countertop.
Why Granite is Good for Kitchens
Granite is composed of a combination of Feldspar and Quartz, which work together to make granite extremely scratch resistant. In fact, granite is so durable that in order to put a neat looking edge on a slab requires specialized training and a diamond cutting tool. Considering that's what it takes to put an edge on your countertop, there is nothing that your steak knife or even your butcher's knife can do to put a dent in it. Really, there is no reason in the world to spend so much on a custom granite countertop and then intentionally cause damage to it, so there's not a lot of cause for worry on that front.
On the negative side, this means that once you do somehow manage to put a scratch in your countertop it is potentially there forever. There is no way to fill in scratches on granite. So, you either have to live with the scratch, or you would have to get an entirely new countertop. Unless, of course, your granite countertop is comprised of tiles of granite rather than a slab. In that case, if you ever managed to put a scratch in a piece of granite, you could simply replace that piece and your countertop would be as good as new.
What Can Damage Granite?
Granite, like many minerals, can sustain damage from like materials. That means that you would not be well advised to slide a granite cutting board across your granite countertop. Doing so would definitely result in a big, ugly scratch across your beautiful granite slab. Again, if you have elected to go with a tiled granite countertop rather than a slab, the damage will be more easily dealt with. If you discover that one or more of the tiles have been scratched, you could remove those tiles and reset new ones in the empty spaces.
You should absolutely note that there is no way to remove a scratch from granite. Unlike wooden butcher block counters, where you can remove the wooden slab and sand it down to achieve like-new results, granite is the way it is forever. Once there is a scratch, you cannot sand down the granite to remove it. The good news here is that nothing short of another mineral is going to scratch your countertop. You can use it for a cutting board; you can work with steel pots and pans on it, and never have a worry. As long as you keep your granite cutting boards and pots from sliding against the countertop, your granite should remain in mint condition for years to come.
When you look at various materials you could potentially use for your kitchen or bathroom countertops, you should absolutely consider granite as a viable option. Granite is one of the toughest and most durable materials for countertops on the market. Granite countertops are scratch resistant and no matter how much cutting you do on it looks as beautiful in its tenth year with you as it did in its first.
