For decades, granite has been popularly known as the best material for kitchen countertops. Coming in different styles and shades, granite countertops will serve as an interesting focal point in your cooking area.
If you want to follow the crowd by choosing granite for the kitchen countertop, let’s review some basic and important points regarding this natural stone.
A. Some Popular Colors of Granite Countertops
There are various color types of granite that you can choose for the countertop. From the neutral and earthy tones to dark and deeper shades—you can find them all within an easy reach.
Here are three popular color options of granite countertops for your consideration.
- New Venecian Gold, a color variety that resembles marble countertop. It consists of the white or creamy surface as well as grayish or tan veins.
- Black Pearl, a dark and dramatic shade of granite that can increase your countertop character while catching more light in the kitchen area.
- Santa Cecelia, featuring some neutral tones, such as cream and beige. This color variation is a good choice for a stylish modern kitchen.
In addition to some popular color varieties above, there are some other attractive shades that you can consider. One of them is the iridescent hue.
It features subtle streaks of green, blue, and purple on the neutral surface. The combination of those colors will surely brighten up your cooking station in the kitchen.
B. Pros and Cons of Granite Countertops
As one of the most popular material for countertops, granite has a great number of strong points. However, it doesn’t mean that this hard rock is free from weaknesses.
That’s why you need to consider both sides to decide whether a granite countertop is the best option for your kitchen.
1. Pros
Granite offers a wide range of styles and shades
Opting for granite countertops means that you will never be out of style. This stone comes in a wide variety of shades and patterns, so you can easily choose one to match the whole design of your kitchen.
You can always find the shades of granite which blend with the wall, cabinets, and flooring.
Granite is resistant to heat, scratch, and stain
Due to its hard and strong substance, the durability of granite is extremely high. Granite will not scratch easily, even when you use it as the center of the cooking station.
This stone is also resistant to heat, so putting hot pots and other cooking tools on the countertop will not cause any damage.
Moreover, perfectly sealed granite countertops can increase the level of its durability. With proper sealing, granite can resist common kinds of stain, from oil to juice and wine.
Granite is environmentally friendly
Compared to other types of stone countertops, granite is claimed as the eco-friendliest option. This stone is not composed of additional substances and chemical elements. As a result, granite is safe to be used anywhere, including in your kitchen area.
2. Cons
To improve its durability, granite countertops should always be sealed
Granite is hard and durable, but it is also a porous substance. This structure makes granite absorb some kinds of liquids, leaving marks or stains that are difficult to remove.
Therefore, when it is built into a kitchen countertop, you still need to seal granite properly to increase its durability. While this seems to be a fair solution, keep in mind that sealing granite countertops means that you must pay the additional cost.
The corner of granite counters is less resistant than the top
Although it rarely happens, some granite countertops might suffer damage to their corner parts. This occurrence is usually caused when you let heavy objects bump into the corner many times.
The corner can crack and make your countertop less attractive. For this reason, you need to pay more attention to protect the corner instead of the top.
C. How much are Granite Countertops?
When you decide to install granite countertops, one of the most important things to consider is how much they will cost. Considering its excellent quality and popularity, granite is classified as a high-price stone.
Despite this, granite is less expensive than some other popular stones, such as quartz and marble.
In general, the cost of granite slabs ranges between $75 to $200, depending on the type and quality. With that price in mind, the average cost of granite countertops can reach up to a total of $3,000-$4,000 for a single, mid-range kitchen.
If your budget is low, you can go for a cheaper alternative by choosing a granite overlay or remnants instead of granite slabs. Granite overlay is a great option to remodel your countertop without having to demolish the old surface.
Meanwhile, granite remnants can be used in small kitchen design with a smaller size of countertops.
D. Granite Countertops Maintenance
Thanks to its hard and sturdy features, caring for granite countertops will not cost you a lot of time and effort. After you seal it properly at the first installation, the maintenance of this countertop will be easier for a later time.
You only need to wipe the counter with soapy water to keep it spotless daily.
Please note that you must never use abrasive cleaning agents to clean granite countertops.
If you want to use chemical cleaners for advance maintenance, you can find several brands that are specifically intended for cleaning natural stones like granite. Such cleaning agents can sanitize the countertops while making the color and pattern look brighter.
E. Corian vs Granite
Although it is considered the most popular option, granite is still up for comparison with other natural stones. In this case, corian can serve as an equal match for granite countertops.
Look at the brief comparison between corian and granite as countertop materials.
- Granite is composed naturally, while corian is manufactured by blending resins, dyes, and various minerals.
- Both granite and corian offer a wide range of colors, textures, and patterns.
- Corian is slightly cheaper than granite. You can buy the best quality of corian in less than $150 per square foot.
- Corian doesn’t need sealing, but it is less durable than granite and can be susceptible to stain or scratch.
That’s all that you need to know about granite countertops, including their color choices, cost, maintenance, as well as the upsides and downsides. Now, you can consider those points before deciding to choose granite for the kitchen countertops.
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