Granite Countertops – The Best Choice for Kitchen Countertops

It is important to visit a showroom to get a good impression of kitchen countertops, since falling in love with them usually starts right away. You will have the best experience from your journey if you comprehend some fundamental ideas and how countertops tie into your overall design. The renovation of a kitchen involves a lot of thought, such as picking the countertop material and shade, deciding on the kitchen cabinets, choosing a wall color, selecting a backsplash material, and selecting the right appliances.

It is typical to be anxious at this stage in the design procedure. Eventually, the day has come where you can have the kitchen that you have been wanting. Ensure that your selection will not have a destructive influence on items such as the worth of your house upon resale or your long-term satisfaction.

Thankfully, there is good news. You can plan ahead with your finances, and many different products are available in all ranges of prices. We are here to guide you through all the steps of your remodel to ensure you understand what you’re looking for when selecting your ideal kitchen countertop.

The Aesthetics – Overall Visual of Your Countertop

Every area is particular, and if you are working with stone such as granite compared to quartz, then you might discover that the look can be different even between separate pieces of the same slab. The qualities that make every countertop distinct are deeper than what meets the eye. Using your fingertips, explore each countertop in order to get a sense of how the material feels. Believe it or not, the sensation you have from one material can be totally different to the next.

You desire a countertop that not only meets all your requirements, but is also aesthetically pleasing. No matter what you are doing in the kitchen, be it preparing food, entertaining, or just finishing a project, it is likely that the countertops will be one of the most eye-catching components of the space.

To ensure that you purchase the best countertops for you, consider which surface appeals to you the most. When buying something, it is important to think about the visual aspects such as the design, hue, and consistency.

Here are some of the most important things to think about:

Whether you want a surface that is warm or cool to the touch
Rich colors, shades, and elegant veins
Overall fit and finish in comparison to other design elements such as the backsplash, paint colors, cabinet colors, hardware (pulls and knobs) finishes

It would be a good idea to consider further specifics, like width, border, and projection. Although they might be less obvious than the color, the smaller details can have a major effect on how your kitchen looks. We will examine these in detail below.

Take the waterfall design style, for example. This design is a common choice for upscale kitchens that contributes to a lavish atmosphere. You should build a barrier around your island so that the countertop goes all the way around the top and down both sides to the floor, with the front cabinets visible.

Different countertop materials will provide other aesthetic options. Man-made alternatives such as laminate and solid surfaces and natural ones such as wood and granite can have widely contrasting looks. Investing effort in examining every option exhaustively and contemplating how it gels with the cabinets, walls, and backsplash in your kitchen will guarantee you will be pleased with the ultimate results.

Why Granite for Kitchen Countertop?

Granite countertops are particularly sought after in elevated kitchens, making it one of the most popular materials for this purpose. Granite is a popular natural stone due to its distinctive color, tints, and markings. Its attractive appearance makes it a great addition to any kitchen.

Granite countertops are exceptionally long-lasting. Consequently, no matter how often you prepare meals, you have young kids, or you entertain guests, you will see that it is powerful enough to stand up to regular use while preserving a rich and exquisite exterior.

Pros/Advantages of Granite Countertops

Pros

Granite is a beautiful natural rock that can bring brightness and warmth to your cooking area. Granite countertops have the distinctive quality of never being completely alike, and this gives a special touch of diversity to any kitchen. It brings a unique flavor of richness and texture to the space that is exclusive to this surface. It can create an extravagance and loveliness that only exists in the natural world.
Granite is a tough stone with high durability. It is mostly scratch-proof. If correctly set up and taken care of, it has the potential to last you a lifetime. It is not indestructible, but it will be able to withstand the test of time if looked after properly.
There is a wide selection of colors and finishes to choose from, all of which showcase its naturally exquisite texture, giving the entire kitchen a gorgeous look. Edges can also be crafted in different shapes to create an aesthetically appealing look. Granite countertops can easily coordinate with any type of home style due to their Bullnose, Bevel, or other styles available.
Granite needs lesser effort to keep it clean. By wiping a moist cloth over the discolored area, you can effortlessly remove all the spots. Using a soft towel and warm water to clean the cooking surface should be sufficient to keep its luster. Granite is impermeable, thus it is not receptive to any sort of stains.
Granite can easily withstand the heat of almost anything it is exposed to. It is okay to put hot dishes on the surface of the object without the worry of it being destroyed right away.
They are highly water resistant. If you slosh liquid onto the countertop, there is no risk that it will seep through and cause harm or discoloration. If it hasn’t been too long, it should be effortless to wipe up the mess.
Granite kitchen countertops are nonporous and slick which helps keep bacteria and dirt away. It is likely one of the cleanest countertops you could depend on.

Cons/Disadvantages of Granite Countertops

Cons

Some brands are susceptible to discoloration under UV light
Excessive heat is a problem (unlikely in most residential kitchens)
Do not use harsh chemicals

Colours and Polish of Granite for Countertops

They are available in varieties of colours and patterns. You may found varieties of colours of granite including shades of grey, white, black, red, yellow, etc. Different types of finishes for granite countertops are found including, i.e. polished, honed, etc. Polished granite is more popular as it looks shiny and has a glossy finish. The honed finish gives a surface that is smooth but not overly gleaming. The countertops could have a straight, angled, or curved edge.

Selection and Installation of Granite for Kitchen Countertops

There are so many varied patterns and shades of natural granite that it is tough to make a selection. However, keep your focus on the below mentioned points:

Inspect the granite slabs for cracks and scratches before you purchase and make sure that it is of good quality granite
Slabs made from large blocks are usually 3/4-inch (20 mm) thick to 1 1/4-inch (30 mm) thick. The thicker granite slabs have more edge choices and don’t usually need a sub-top. The thinner granite slabs have to be placed over a concrete or plywood sub top of suitable thickness.
If your countertop is built with an overhang of 9 inches (23 cm) or more, you’ll need corbels to support it.
All granite slabs, which are used in kitchens, should have at least one seam. Seams should be made at the well-supported areas of the cabinetry wherever possible.
Since the thickness of two granite pieces may differ slightly, seams may be required to make sure that the tops are flushed.
The edges of the granite slab are made completely smoothed and designed with a maximum gap of 1/16 inch (1.5 mm) between them.
These gaps are usually filled with pigmented, two-part polyester resin.

Size of Granite for Kitchen Countertops

The dimensions of a granite kitchen countertop are determined by the size of the kitchen base and the amount of space available for the countertop. Granite slabs are available in a range of shapes and sizes. If countertops are longer than the standard size of the slab, a joint or overlapping area is necessary. Granite slabs usually measure between 4 feet by 2 feet, up to 9 feet by 4 feet. The thickness of a granite slab can vary anywhere between 18mm and 40mm, depending on its area in terms of length and width.

Price of Granite Countertops

The total expense of the granite countertops will include the price of the granite pieces and the labor required for putting them in place. Granite countertops must be installed by a skilled person. It costs approximately between Rs. 200 andRs.300/per sq.ft including the labour cost. Rates for the service range between 2000 and 3000 rupees per square meter, however depending on the location prices and labor costs may fluctuate slightly.

How To Clean Granite Countertops – Maintenance

Your kitchen countertops will inevitably suffer deterioration over time, just like any other item in your possession. Eventually, you will have to take action to keep your countertops in good shape. The frequency of this moment in time depends on what kind of material is selected for kitchen countertops.

It is necessary to take care of any kind of kitchen countertop, this includes everyday cleaning. Some, however, require an increased level of maintenance, for instance those manufactured from porous materials like granite. You should act quickly to get rid of stains from your countertops before the marks become set.

When you put money into granite countertops, you can enjoy their exceptional resilience and strength against harm. Nevertheless, since granite is absorbent, it won’t be able to accomplish this without assistance. Without having a sealant regularly applied, you’ll find that you will have to switch out your granite countertops quickly.

You may already have knowledge of the practice of sealing. You put a special substance over your item that provides protection and shields it from any harm that could be done to the original material. Since granite countertops are absorbent, the seal is able to seep into the pores, thus filling them and stopping any liquid or discoloration from causing harm to the natural stone.

Granite needs only a small amount of tending to keep it in good shape, like removing spills or spots, sealing it, and scrubbing the top of the granite.

Wipe the countertops with the soft cloth and warm water daily.
Mild household cleaners are suitable.
Avoid using cleaning products with any kind of acid or abrasive as they may cause discolouration or scratches.
Few granite slabs are more absorbent than others, and can develop stains if they are not sealed properly. Check with a few drops of lemon juice poured onto a small portion of granite. When you quickly see dark spots under the drops, the granite type is more absorbent than others, and might not be the best choice for kitchen countertops unless it is duly sealed.
Many granite countertops manufactures will suggest sealing the granite slab initially and repeat the job of resealing in every five years. Though, certain granite types are so dense that they do not require to be sealed at all. The second option is a better choice for kitchen countertops.

Conclusion

The countertops you select will have an immense impact on the vision and utility of your kitchen, making them a major factor in the design process.

Due to the abundance of possibilities and configurations, it is easy to become flustered. That’s why it’s best to break up your process for choosing the best kitchen cabinets into steps, such as this:

Consider what you want out of your countertops
Choose a material that best fits your needs
Visit a reputable stone fabricator or countertop provider
Draft up plan and begin the design process

This will give you the capacity to deal with each step of the procedure sequentially, so you don’t get confused along the way to accomplishing your ideal kitchen. Luckily, once you have started to prepare for your kitchen countertops, you should have acquired some knowledge on cupboards, advancing you one step closer to forming lovely memories in a kitchen you adore.