Title: Why Are Granite Countertops Better
1Why Are Granite Countertops Better
- By
- GraniteCountertops411.com
2Why Are Granite Countertops Better
- Over the last decade granite countertops have
exploded in popularity, becoming the de-facto
choice for home remodelers looking for a high
class, extremely attractive, and solidly durable
kitchen countertop solution. - While kitchen decorating fads have come and gone,
its clear to everyone in the know that granite
countertops are here to stay.
Unlike many other popular materials and
redecorating choices to come and go over the
years, granite countertops offer a whole slew of
practical benefits that have nothing to do with
fashion or temporary taste.
Granite Countertops
3Why Are Granite Countertops Better
- The first, and most obvious, practical reason why
granite makes a great material to make
countertops out of is the materials durability. - As a powerful, heavy-duty stone, granite is
highly resistant to a wide range of different
stressors and environmental dangers common within
kitchens and any other room you may place granite
countertops within. Granite is particularly good
at resisting heat.
Like nearly all stones, granite is able to come
into direct contact, for an extended period of
time, with a high degree of heat without warping,
distorting, or suffering any sort of damage-
either long term or short term.
Kitchen Countertops
4Why Are Granite Countertops Better
- In most kitchens you will need to place some sort
of coaster or other heat-redirecting item beneath
pots and pans that youve pulled directly from
the over or the stovetop. - With granite countertops you will be able to
place all of your pots, pans, and other heated
cooking implements right on your countertops
without a second thought.
This single feature provides so many cost-savings
and efficiency granting moments during the
preparation of the average meal you will
immediately understand why granite countertops
have become so popular, so quickly.
Granite Countertops
5Why Are Granite Countertops Better
- In addition to its heat-resistant properties,
granite is also a very tough material. - Granite is so tough, in fact, it can handle the
daily abuse brought by a regular stream of heavy
and sharp kitchen tools without dinging or
damaging.
While cutting boards are generally preferable for
a wide variety of reasons, you dont need to
worry too much about knife strikes or slashes
carving gullies or ditches into your granite
countertops.
Kitchen Countertops
6Why Are Granite Countertops Better
- Likewise, you dont need to worry about dropped
pans, meat hammers, or other large, heavy, blunt
metal instruments taking dings and chunks out of
your countertops when theyre made from granite. - Combined with the materials natural
heat-resistant properties, granites ability to
deflect metal abrasion makes it clear why this
material makes an incredibly practical choice for
a countertop.
Granite Countertops
7Why Are Granite Countertops Better
- A big reason why granite is so effective at
reflecting damage from metal is the fact this
stone is incredible dense. - Granite isnt the only stone that can be used for
countertops but it is among the densest. - And granites density provides benefits that go
well beyond simply being able to stand up to the
dings and crashes of daily kitchen life.
Granite Countertops
8Why Are Granite Countertops Better
- Granites density makes it ideal for deflecting
another common problem plaguing countertops made
from less sturdy material- staining. - The density of granite allows it to be largely
stain resistant, especially in the short term.
Granite does need to be sealed to provide the
maximum amount of stain resistance possible,
however this sealant is little more than an added
level of protection for a material that is
already exceptionally good at resisting staining
and retaining its natural coloring and surface
texture.
Granite Countertops
9Why Are Granite Countertops Better
- Now, no one is going to recommend you get granite
countertops so you can leave highly colorful,
stain-prone cooking materials on your countertops
all day long. - Even with granite countertops its a really good
idea to continue to clean up your messes as
quickly and as effectively as possible.
The main difference lies in the fact cleaning is
a much less urgent matter when you have granite
countertops than countertops made from a variety
of other materials.
Kitchen Countertops
10Why Are Granite Countertops Better
- Many other common countertop materials stain very
easily, either due to their poor quality
construction or their porous nature (or both). - With these stain-prone materials you will need to
clean off your countertop almost as soon as any
sort of cooking ingredient finds its way off your
stove or cutting board. - As you can imagine, this is extremely
inconvenient.
Granite Countertops
11Why Are Granite Countertops Better
- Cooking takes focus and the more complicated the
recipe the more focus it will take. - If youre working on many different recipes at
one time, for example if youre working on a meal
for more than just a couple people, then the last
thing you want to have to worry about is a stain
on your countertop because you left those sliced
strawberries out for more than 2 seconds.
With granite countertops you should still clean
as quickly as you can whenever you cook, however
you wont need to rush over with the cleaning
cloth every 2 seconds, freeing your time to focus
on what really matters- the meal youre preparing.
Granite Countertops
12Why Are Granite Countertops Better
- Now, granite may be an exceptionally beneficial
material to make your countertops from and it
does carry with it a couple of downsides that
need to be mentioned, if only briefly. - Granite, as you can imagine from a stone this
strong and this durable, is very heavy,
especially compared with the average countertop
material, which tends to be very lightweight and
even a little flimsy. - Because granite is very heavy there are a few
important notes you need to keep in mind when
using this material for your countertops.
Kitchen Countertops
13Why Are Granite Countertops Better
- First, granite countertops are often more
difficult to install than other forms of
countertop because they are more difficult to
lift and to maneuver. - This isnt a serious problem, and it isnt much
of a problem at all if you arent the one doing
the installing, however it is worth making note
of when selecting your countertop material if you
are installing these fixtures yourself.
Granite Countertops
14Why Are Granite Countertops Better
- Next, because granite countertops are very heavy
you need to make sure they are installed on a
strong and sturdy base. - The lightweight of conventional kitchen
countertops allows all sorts of weak materials to
be used for any stands or cabinets sitting below
them.
By contrast granite countertops require a base,
whether a stand or a cabinet, made from materials
that are strong enough to support a thick slab of
stone.
Granite Countertops
15Why Are Granite Countertops Better
- Once again, this isnt a significant problem as
the sturdier wood you will need to use for your
countertops base will increase the
functionality, the beauty, and the resale value
of your home. - Which leads to the second problem some people
have with granite countertops- due to the high
quality of this material granite is more
expensive to purchase than some other materials
you might make your countertops out of.
Granite Countertops
16Why Are Granite Countertops Better
- Yet granite countertops represent an investment
whereas other materials represent far more of a
short term solution to a long-term problem. - Granite countertops will last longer than their
less expensive and lower quality counterparts,
and granite countertops will retain their
practical and economic value for far longer.
Because granite countertops are both popular and
highly functional, installing them will
immediately increase the resale value of your
home dramatically, and its not hard to see how
granite countertops can recoup their initial
investment over the life of your kitchen.
Granite Countertops
17Why Are Granite Countertops Better
- Overall, the benefits of granite countertops are
extremely clear, especially in contrast to the
downside of cheaper and less beneficial
countertop materials. - While its easy at first glance to write granite
countertops off as another fad, a closer look
demonstrates why these fixtures are in such high
demand and why they will remain popular much
longer than a mere fad ever would.
Granite Countertops
18Why Are Granite Countertops Better
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