Top Considerations When Choosing a Granite Countertop

244 days ago

When it comes to kitchen countertops, granite is the heavyweight king and top choice of most homeowners who are considering a kitchen renovation of their home or property investment. Like it or not, most homeowners have been taught that a good kitchen fresh from a kitchen renovation will have a nice granite countertop. There is absolutely no doubt that granite is beautiful but is it safe and will it do a good job as a kitchen countertop?

First and foremost a kitchen countertop needs to be safe but a functional countertop also needs to be able to resists stains and scratches and it just, flat out, needs to be sturdy and durable. When most people think of these qualities, they almost always think of granite but this isn’t always the case.

A safe countertop will be non-porous and contain a minimal amount of volatile organic compounds. Volatile organic compounds, or VOCs, are not only harmful to the environment but they’re also harmful to any person breathing them in. A porous countertop can also be a problem because those pores are essentially small pockets which bacteria can collect in. Cleaning your food properly can be a challenge with a porous countertop because they can be much more difficult to clean.

With a granite countertop you also have to take into consideration if it contains radon or not. Radon is naturally occurring in the ground and since granite comes out of the ground, it is possible that the granite you choose may contain some radon. Generally speaking, the amount of radon found in granite is minor enough to be considered safe but it’s still something you should check into if you’re considering using granite in your kitchen.

A lot of homeowners make the mistake of thinking that granite does not require any maintenance. The fact of the matter is that granite is porous and will require ongoing maintenance. A granite countertop should be resealed about once a year in order to be safe for kitchen use. The entire process should take about an hour. A nice water-based sealer that’s designed to penetrate should do the trick. Unfortunately, even the sealant treatment won’t be enough to repel stubborn stains. If you plan on having a granite countertop, it’s imperative that you clean up all stubborn spills as quickly as possible.

Another thing that you have to consider with granite is obviously cost. Granite is expensive for several reasons, but mostly because it’s natural and there’s a finite supply. Being that granite is natural, there’s also a high likelihood that the slab of granite you get will not look the same consistently throughout the entire slab. If you were to pick up a sample of granite, there’s usually a disclaimer on there somewhere that the slab of granite you receive may not match the sample exactly.

If you do ultimately decide to go with granite, it’s best not to spare any expense. The more inexpensive pieces of granite slab are also typically thinner slabs of granite. And while that may save you some money, you’re also going to have a much weaker slab of granite that will be more susceptible to damage.

The great thing about granite and the reason so many homeowners opt to use granite for their countertops is the fact that it is beautiful. And there’s absolutely no reason not to use it so long as you have an experienced professional install it and seal it for you. To find the right contractor to assist you in your renovation, please visit: http://www.handycanadian.com/.