WHAT IS GRANITE?
Granite is a beautiful natural igneous stone, that comes in a variety of colours and patterns. It brings class and elegance to any space. It is commonly used in Uganda for domestic settings in kitchen and bathroom counter-tops, stairs, and floors.
GRANITE PROPERTIES
Granite’s are strong and durable stones. Their properties are best suited for the kitchen countertops as they do not react to heat and acidic liquids. They are very difficult to scratch or chip and there is no habitable environment for bacteria to live and grow. Granite is also easy to clean and maintain.
Granite properties differ depending on where it has been extracted from, example granite’s from Norway have a uniform texture with silver crystals and granite’s from Brazil have a wide range of colors and patterns. The dominating mineral, feldspar is the one to decide its colour.
The American Geological Institute defines granite as an intrusive igneous rock composed of 25% – 35% quartz and over 50% potassium and sodium-rich feldspar’s, with a common accessory mineral of less than 20%, usually Muscovite, biotite, or hornblende.
Granite is not only durable, cost-effective and the most practical natural stone to use in areas like the kitchen but also its beauty is brilliant. The beauty of the stone contributes to the ambiance of even the most modest kitchen. Granite is cheaper than marble and as demand for it increases, price reductions follow.
TYPES OF GRANITE FINISHES
- The polished finish which is very shiny used commonly on counter tops or granite furniture example coffee tables.
- The Matte finish, which is like the polished one in terms of flatness and smoothness though it lacks the shiny feature. It is commonly used in bathrooms.
- The flamed finish which is flat and textured used commonly for sidewalks.
- The brushed finish which is a coarsely textured one called the brushed finish which is also common for sidewalks and other outdoor structures.
HOW IS GRANITE INSTALLED AND MAINTAINED?
Granite’s are normally bonded using a soft paste that sets hardly called putty. In some cases especially with granite tiles, mortar is used. They are also cases when high-quality adhesive glue is used.
Maintenance of granite requires to be done once a year; a re-application of a penetrating sealer should be performed, that only takes about 15 minutes.
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