Cheap granite worksurfaces

Granite Hard Features for your Kitchen Work Top

Have you ever heard of the expression “granite hard”? Most people when building new homes or remodeling their old kitchen use granite worktops because it is hard and lasts long. What people want is a kitchen that looks neat, clean and tidy. Homemakers love to receive comments on their housekeeping skills especially in the matters of kitchen maintenance. Homeowners have started to realize the compliments gained with clean and blemish free worktops in their kitchen. Of all the places where diseases can spread in the kitchen, badly maintained worktops are at the forefront. The majority of work done in your kitchen requires a worktop. You cut and clean vegetables, fish and meat on worktops. You place hot pots and pans from the stove or oven on worktops. Even without a trivet, you can place these pots on granite worktops. Granite is a good option for using as the material for worktops because it will not melt, chip, crack, blister, burn or break. It is also very easy to care for and can withstand a lot of pressure. Unless you plan to use a sledgehammer on it, its pristine quality will last forever. This is because granite is the hardest stone on earth after diamond.

Granite is the solid state of liquid magma, which comes out of the earth in a real hot state and later cools off. The minerals that are contained in granite are quartz, mica, feldspar and plagioclase feldspar. These minerals make granite hard. The formation of granite requires high pressure and then slow cooling. Since the molten lava comes out of rocks, traces of rock are stuck to the liquid magma. Once it becomes cool this feature makes granite one of the hardest rocks ever found. This feature also makes each granite worktop unique from one another because so many elements are involved in the process of granite formation. The other minerals found within granite are garnet, pyrite and zircon.

The feldspar in the granite makes it impossible to scratch with a knife, but a windowpane can easily scratch it. The presence of quartz makes the granite very beautiful. Since the hardness in granite is due to the quartz in it, the piece of granite with less quartz will be softer than the piece of granite with a higher amount of quartz. Thus, there are different types of granites based on the quantity of quartz present.

So if you are planning to remodel your kitchen with a new worktop, choose granite. They make the most beautiful worktops and your guests would applaud you on your selection. They are priceless, timeless and durable. These are not the only reasons why people love granite. They remain one of the most practical options for a kitchen worktop. Granite is nearly scratch-resistant making it perfect for a kitchen worktop as this is the most highly trafficked area in the kitchen. It cleans easily and after many years go by it will retain its striking beauty. Granite worktops stand as one of the most hygienic options because they have absolutely no joints. What a relief for people who do not have much time to thoroughly clean their worktops after heavy use. Since bacteria and germs hide in joints, they make jointed worktops one of the most dangerous places on earth. However, with granite worktops you have no such worries. Since granite is stain resistant, you can easily maintain its sterilized look by quickly wiping it with disinfectant and use it for preparing food repeatedly. Besides using granite as a worktop, you can also use it around the sink, near the draining grooves in the sink and near the tap unit.

Ever wondered how granite worktops are manufactured?

Companies began manufacturing worktops made of granite with the intention of making something that maintained the same quality for many years. Its strength, beauty and durability incomparable with anything else make it useful in many fields. You will be very amazed by its elegance and versatility because it comes in many colors. These worktops cut from large blocks are actually stones extracted from the earth in their respective quarries. The price of granite depends on supply and demand. Generally, red and blue toned granite are more expensive because they are rarer to find.

How to maintain these worktops.

Granite worktops respond well to the use of common household detergents. Use peroxide and mild detergents, sprinkle Bio-OX Citrus Concentrate, baking soda, etc. You can clean with these products using warm water. For hard tough stains, apply a cleaning solution and leave it over night, then wet it and scrub it down with a soft scrubbing pad. Wipe off stains as they happen so they do not stick. You can apply a sealant once or twice a year depending on usage. This maintains the quality of the stone surface and works as a barrier to protect the natural properties of the stone. Do not use it more than twice a year because it can give a cloudy appearance to the stone. There is a special silicon impregnating system used for sealing so that you do not have to seal the granite often; it is widely available in the market