Granite Kitchen Worktops & Countertops

What Is Granite?

Granite is a naturally occurring stone that was formed over millions of years in the earth’s crust. It has a densely packed crystalline structure, this make it an incredibly durable and heatproof material. Did you know that granite is the second hardest natural material after diamond? Once sealed, granite delivers a water resistant and stain-resistant surface that is almost impossible to scratch, so the diamond polish shine is maintained for many years. Granite is naturally porous and will require sealing yearly to keep its finish. Lighter granite options can absorb some colour pigment, so it is always best to wipes surfaces down as soon as possible when in kitchen environments.

Granite offers outstanding colours and unique patterns, adding a luxurious and stylish design statement to your kitchen or bathroom. The exclusivity of natural stone can’t help but add value to your home while providing the most beautiful and elegant finishing touch to your kitchen worktops in Sussex.

Why Choose a Granite Worktop?

Granite is one of the most popular kitchen worktop materials available and it’s not hard to see why this natural stone surface makes such an excellent choice. Key benefits of using granite in your home include:

• Naturally beautiful, unique surface
• High shine polish due to slow crystallisation
• Tough material that’s nearly impossible to damage
• Stain-resistant when sealed
• Highly heat resistant
• Naturally cool, hygienic food preparation surface
• Easy to keep clean with warm, soapy water
• Long-term value for 30+ years

Are there different grades of granite?

Granite is a natural stone with consistent strength and quality throughout, regardless of variations in price. The quality of the stone can be classified in three grades:

• First Grade – premium quality granite with virtually no visible imperfections. Distinct symmetrical designs and rare colours keep market demand and values high.
• Commercial Grade – natural imperfections are visible through veining, clouding or slight cracking while the polish is not as glossy as first-grade qualities.
• Second Grade – most affordable prices but no less durable. Natural defects are commonplace while greater time for fabrication and processing is needed.

How to look after your granite work top

The stone for your worktop has been carefully selected from premium quality stone slabs from the same block or batch to be free from defects and has been machined, prepared, polished, treated and approved by our craftsmen to ensure your worktop is a quality item to be proud of for many years to come with the right care and attention to maintenance.

Stone products will include natural imperfections. These imperfections are not defects in the material. Colours and patterns will vary from one piece of stone to another. No two pieces will be exactly the same. So we cannot guarantee the colour or character of stone delivered and/or fitting will be an exact match to any sample previously offered.

The surface of the stone is not totally smooth – there are pits, fissures, eyes, chips and gaps. These cannot be polished out, as it is the natural state of the stone. We reserve the right to use chemical or resinous fillers, some of which may already be present in the stone worktop to affect any repairs.

Stone worktops do sometimes incur slight variations in thickness so a 2mm tolerance either side of the ordered thickness of the worktop is required. This tolerance is industry standard and is usually not noticeable in the final product.

Hardwearing Stone
Granites differ in their texture but they all have similar properties such as their resistance to the invasive action of most substances found in the house.  Unlike marble and limestone, granite is the least affected by acids or alcohol.  It shouldn’t be damaged from standing hot utensils on it but you should always use a stand for hot pans as there is always a risk of thermoshock occurring in the case of large temperature variations.

Stones Are Porous
All stones, due to their granular construction, are porous to a greater or lesser extent and most granites fall into the latter category.  To reduce the slight ability of granite to absorb liquids we treat the surface with a proprietary sealer that penetrates the surface and fills the microscopic voids between the crystals.  We provide a stone care kit for every customer. Be sure to reseal your worktops when water fails to bead up when splashed on the surface.

This sealing process will help prevent staining and damage to the stone.

You should be aware that with the lighter coloured granites and marbles, you may experience slight darkening of the stone in areas where water has been allowed to stand, but this should fade away as it dries out.

Beetroot, wine and cooking oil, particularly when hot may cause a stain on your marble or granite work top, you should always clean this up immediately with kitchen roll.

Acids and Alcohol
Marble and Limestone are susceptible to the aggressive action of acids and alcohol.  Care should be taken to remove spillages of fruit juice, particularly lemon, wine and vinegar, beetroot etc. e.g. the residue of red wine on the base of wineglasses will leave its mark. Nail varnish and any other solvent or oil based products will stain if not wiped up immediately.

Use abrasive cleaning agents with care, particularly on polished (high sheen) materials.

Avoid contact with extremely aggressive cleaning agents, such as metal polish and plughole un-blockers, and do not use cleaning products with a PH value >10.

Everyday Cleaning
On a day-to-day basis natural granite and marble worktops simply require a wipe down with a soft cloth soaked in soap (or neutral detergent) and warm water to maintain its natural beauty and shine. We recommend then buffing dry using a soft, clean ‘E’ Cloth or kitchen roll. Due to the popularity of stone worktops, many supermarkets now sell dedicated worktop wipes/sprays for everyday cleaning.

For a more extensive gallery of granite images, please follow the following links to our stone suppliers:

www.stoneworld.uk.com
www.levantina.com