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Mar

Is Granite Good for Kitchen Countertops?

Granite countertops are one of the most popular countertop materials, and every homeowner wants to install them. The countertops are loved for their beauty and the fact that they give a kitchen a premium look. While this is the case, the big question is, is granite good for kitchen countertops?

Yes, granite is an excellent material for your kitchen countertops. Here are some of the reasons why:

It’s heat resistant

Granite counters won’t melt or blister when exposed to heat. This means you can take a hot pan and place it directly on the countertops without worrying about the surfaces getting damaged. While this is the case, you should note that regular countertop exposure to extreme temperatures can damage them.

This is because, while the countertop is heat resistant, it’s not heatproof.  To protect your surfaces, always have a trivet in place so that when you remove a hot pot or pan from the fire, you don’t place it directly on the countertops. Rather, you place it on the trivet.

It’s scratch-resistant

Granite scores a seven on Moh’s scale of hardness. This means the material is tough and able to resist scratches from different materials. Due to its tough nature, many homeowners cut fruits and vegetables on it. While you can do this without any issue, you should limit it. This is because the vegetables and fruits might be having harmful acids that might etch the surfaces.

Other foods such as meat might be harboring bacteria that you transfer to the surfaces when you place them directly on the countertops. When you place other foods on the counters, you transfer these bacteria to the foods. You don’t want this, do you?

Even if the countertops can take the beating, don’t cut the food directly on the countertops. Instead, always have a cutting board in place at all times.

You can easily hide seams.

If you have a large kitchen, you have to use two or more granite slabs. The biggest worry with most homeowners is that the countertops will show seams that give the surfaces an ugly appeal. When you hire the right contractors to install the countertops, you don’t have to worry about this. Most experienced installers mix custom color epoxy to adhere to the seams, which comes in handy at disguising them.

And as a result, you have a smooth, beautiful surface.

You can repair the countertops.

Most countertop materials need to be replaced when they get damaged. This isn’t the case with granite. When you have a crack or chip on your granite, you need to contact the contractor that installed them and explain the issue. In most cases, the contractor will use a color-matched epoxy to fill the void, and when properly done, it’s invisible. In fact, you can’t tell you have a defect there.

If you have a small chip, you can use superglue to seal the chip.

While the countertops are repairable, you should note that it’s your responsibility to protect them from damage. Of major importance, don’t place heavy cast-iron pans directly into your under-mounted sink. This is because the cutout edges are prone to chips that give your surfaces an ugly appeal.

There are plenty of countertop options to choose from

If you ask many homeowners, they will tell you that granite is white, but this isn’t the case at all. Granite comes in a variety of colors and patterns to choose from. And the beauty is that since the stone is natural, every slab is unique so that you can be sure that when you install the countertop, you can’t find anyone else with an exactly similar one.

If you want your kitchen to have an exotic look, you should install exotic granite colors such as red. While the slabs will be slightly more expensive than the other slabs in the market, you will give your guests something to talk about when they visit you.

They are easy to maintain

Granite countertops are one of the easiest materials to maintain. Once you have had them professionally installed by granite installers Rockville, the only thing you need to do is to clean them once a day. You also should make it a habit to clean any spills as soon as they happen. Also, once a year, seal the countertops to keep off stains.