Granite Countertops

Granite is the most popular countertop material that we use in our kitchen projects. There are thousands of different selections available, each with it's own unique style. Most of our customers select granite because they enjoy the movement found in natural stone. Every square inch of natural stone is unique and varied. This level of variation changes from slab to slab, but it certainly does bring an interesting look into your new kitchen or bath.

Granite is a primordial stone with naturally occurring variations in color and pattern,the word comes from the Italian "granito", meaning grained. Aside from the traditional sources, such as Italy, USA, and Canada, popular producing areas now include India, China, many African nations, much of mountainous South America, and the northern European countries.

Granite is drilled and blasted from the quarry in large blocks, cut into slabs by a gang saw, and polished to uniform thickness by automatic polishing machines. Due to quarry variances, slabs are sold in random sizes. Supply is the affected by the accessibility of the quarry, the uniformity of the stone within the quarry, and the stone's workability.

Consumers who are less acquainted with the material may expect the slabs ordered to be identical to the sample they were shown. Granite is crystalline in structure, so it always has tiny pits or spaces between the various mineral crystals. These minerals are what give it its various colors. Other minerals imbue the stone with a rainbow of colors, depending on their source, and these varieties are often given unique names.

Granite counters offer great visual appeal and are also very durable. Having been used as a building material since ancient times, natural stone will never be an outdated material choice. Countertop finishes include Honed, Brushed, or Polished. Unlike synthetics, polished stone presents a surface depth that seems almost three-dimensional, however harsh chemicals and abrasive cleaners will dull the surface over time. Regardless of its finish, granite creates an immediate impression of elegance, and is considered a definite plus on any real estate broker's checklist.

We should mention that all natural stone requires a good penetrating sealer to prevent stain penetration. There are several ways to seal your stone tops, from every day cleaner/sealers, to heavy duty impregnating sealers. Not sealing your granite or marble tops, can lead to more frequent staining.

You can view our granite and marble care and maintenance guide if you are having trouble removing a tough stain from your granite countertops.

Granite is mined from quarries such as this famous Vermont site shown above. It is important to remember granite is a natural stone and can vary from slab to slab.

Selecting Granite Countertops

We always recommend viewing fulls size slabs prior to making a final selection. Notice the green box in the image below, if you were to view a small sample you would never appreciate the true beauty of this slab.

A few of our favorite granite countertop selections:

Granite Countertop Estimate

If you are thinking of installing granite countertops in your kitchen, please contact us to schedule a free in home estimate. We provide complete granite countertop fabrication, delivery and installation, usually within 7 working days.

We also have several full size kitchen displays in our showroom, that showcase granite countertops, sinks and faucets. You are welcome to contact us to schedule a showroom visit prior to our in home consultation if you would like.

We can be reached at 847.296.5500 or you can view our contact page.