Granite is beautiful, durable, and lasts forever. Because of these positive qualities (and many more), it’s no wonder that so many homeowners across the nation make granite their choice for countertops.
There are a lot of things that you might not know and might not even expect about this unique natural stone, and we want to share those facts with you.
Granite is an igneous rock.
Granite does not appear naturally in the earth in the form of a slab. Instead, the slab that you see is cut from rock that originates beneath the earth’s surface—an igneous rock, to be specific. Granite is an igneous rock that’s formed when magma cools and solidifies.
Granite is one of the oldest rocks in the world.
Geologists estimate that granite has been around for up to 300 million years, and that makes it one of the oldest rocks left on earth. It was around even before the dinosaurs roamed!
The name “granite” is derived from Latin.
It’s derived from the Latin word granum, which refers to coarse grain. Granite was given this name because of its coarse-grained structure.
Granite is composed of many minerals.
There are a lot of “ingredients” inside granite, including quartz and feldspar—to name a couple.
Granite is a plutonic rock.
A plutonic rock is a rock that forms when magma cools under the earth’s surface, and given that this is how granite is formed, it qualifies as a plutonic rock.
Granite is one of the hardest materials in the world.
The Mohs scale is used to measure mineral hardness, with 10 being the hardest and 1 being the softest. On this scale, granite scores an 8.
Granite was used in a variety of famous structures.
This natural material has been used as a building block for construction since the ancient Egyptians were around. A few examples of projects with granite include Mount Rushmore and the base of the Statue of Liberty, two of the most notable landmarks in the United States.
Granite had something to do with the United States’ first commercial railroads.
Granite is a building material that’s on demand, and because of this it helped the United States create one of the first US commercial railroad systems. The railroad was referred to as “Granite Railway,” and it connected Quincy, Massachusetts, with a dock. On that dock, granite was loaded onto boats and taken to Charlestown.
It’s possible for granite to have fissures.
Many homeowners make the mistake of thinking that fissures are cracks in their granite, but this is not true. Fissures are natural occurrences, and they are simply separations in the stone. They don’t compromise the structural integrity of granite.
Granite can damage knives.
As we stated before, granite is extremely hard. It’s so hard that it has the potential to damage any kitchen knife that’s used on its surface without a cutting board to shoulder the blow.
Granite can handle heat.
We always recommend using trivets and hot pads in order to exercise caution with your granite countertop, but if you forget a few times, the heat will not damage your granite countertop. It’s known for heat resistance.
Granite is available in all sorts of colors and styles.
Basic colors might be all that comes to mind when you think of granite—but while shades like white, black, and gray are common, that’s not all that’s available. There are plenty of other colors that include pink, green, blue, and red. There are also numerous styles of granite, including all different patterns of speckles and veining.
It’s easy to care for granite.
Granite doesn’t involve much maintenance at all. In fact, it’s one of the most low-maintenance natural stones there is. All you have to worry about doing is resealing the countertop when it needs it and following through with everyday cleanup.
Granite can add value to your home.
We’ve mentioned that granite is extremely popular. Because so many people want it in their homes, it will add value to yours should you decide to sell.
Granite is a naturally porous material.
Granite is a natural stone, which means that it’s inherently porous. A porous material allows liquids and stains to pass through the pores and work their way into the stone, and this can cause damage and discoloration eventually. If you want to avoid something like this happening, we recommend sealing your countertops and keeping up with your resealing schedule.
The Facts on Granite
As you can see, granite is about much more than meets the eye. There are plenty of interesting things to be learned about the stone, and we’re just getting started. If you want to hear more about granite and how it can elevate your remodel, give Sanford Granite a call at (321) 578-9329.
