When it comes to kitchen countertops, there are many materials to choose from. But the charm of natural stones is unwavering. In all those, granite benchtops have been the top favourite of all. The interior design industry has tried for years to steer away from the homeowners’ preference from granite benchtops by introducing stainless steel, concrete, glass, wood, quartz, marble, and several such alternatives but none have succeeded to provide a luxurious look as good as that of granite benchtops. So, if you are looking for a new kitchen benchtop, granite is the best choice hands down. Now, with that fact already established, let me guide you through the process of granite shopping.
While looking for granite benchtops, you need to be a bit vigilant for details as there are many defective ones in the lot. Granite is extracted from mountains through the process of blasting. During the process of extraction, many small damaged and cracked blocks of granite are obtained as well along with the good quality ones.
As the extraction of granite is a costly process, these cracked blocks are sold to the industries at a lower cost than usual. The manufacturing industries utilise these cracked and broken pieces as well to make granite benchtops by camouflaging the defects using various techniques and then sell those countertops at a lower price. But, there is no way for the naked eye to spot the camouflaged defects. So, there are chances that some deceitful sellers sell off those defective pieces at the price of the flawless ones for their personal gain. You definitely do not want to be a victim of such schemes. Also, there are several design options in granite benchtops that usually people are unaware of. So, in order to get the best quality and the desired design of granite benchtops, you should go through the below-mentioned tips:
#3 Tips for Installing Granite Benchtops in your Kitchen
- Colour coordination: You need to see to it that the countertop colour pattern you choose does not end up mismatching the whole theme of the kitchen. A kitchen made with high-quality materials with designs that clash is not any homeowner would wish for. Rather, a kitchen with a well-coordinated design pattern is more preferable. This includes the granite benchtop as well. For instance, if you have white coloured cabinets, go for a dark grey or blue coloured granite benchtop, and for light or medium wood tones, choose the black coloured one.
- Granite grade: Choose the grade of the granite according to your budget. As explained before, granite quality is determined by the amount of defect and its acidic resistance. First-grade granite will have no defects and would have a consistent colour pattern. Second grade would have minor defects and a slightly inconsistent colour pattern and the commercial grade would have a various flaw and would need refinishing.
- Quality check: Visit the granite shop yourself and look at the different designs available. Ask for small samples of each and then perform quality checks to ensure that the granite benchtop you finalise on is of good quality. Test it for porosity by letting a few water drops sit in its surface for 15 minutes and then wiping it off with a towel. If there is any residue left, the granite is highly porous and is not suitable for a countertop. The next test is for acidity resistance. Leave a lemon wedge on its surface overnight and check later on if there are any white patches formed. If yes, then conclude that that granite benchtop is not suitable for long-term usage.
After these steps are complete, you can finalise on the quality benchtop that would eventually beautify your kitchen. Make sure you check whether the granite fabricator provides you with a warranty policy. Some fabricators provide a lifetime warranty on the workmanship. Also, after the kitchen benchtop is installed, do not neglect the requirement of regular care.
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Author Bio:
This post is written by Joseph Webb. Joseph is an excellent blogger and philosophers, His keen observation to provide useful information which helps readers to get more ideas. He can be found on Facebook and on Twitter as @aussiesmag.
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