Granite For Kitchen Benchtops: 3 Frequently Asked Questions
Choosing a material for the making of kitchen benchtops involves more than comparing the visual appeal offered by different types of material. Indeed, the material used to make a kitchen benchtop should give aesthetically pleasing results. However, this should not come at the expense of functionality with regards to the various materials.
Granite passes the test of aesthetics as a benchtop material. But what more is there to a kitchen countertop made of granite? Here are some answers to some frequently asked questions.
How Difficult Is It For Granite Benchtops To Scratch?
Scratch resistance is among the most important factors to consider when choosing between different materials for kitchen benchtops.
Kitchen benchtops made of granite are not entirely scratch-resistant. However, it takes a considerable amount of effort to scratch one such benchtop. Examples of materials that can scratch a granite benchtop include hardened steel, diamonds and granite itself. Thus, it is highly unlikely that a kitchen knife will scratch a benchtop made of granite during normal use.
As a matter of fact, the rigid nature of granite benchtop can easily blunt an otherwise sharp kitchen knife. For this reason, homeowners are advised to use chopping boards when working with knives on a granite benchtop.
The scratch resistance of granite benchtops cannot be compared to that of other benchtop materials such as wood and synthetic solid surfaces.
How Does The Quality Of Granite Relate With Its Cost?
Under normal circumstances, the quality of a kitchen benchtop material is directly proportional to its cost. However, this is not always true for granite. Various external factors (that have no bearing on quality) affect the final price of granite benchtops. These include economic dynamics in the benchtop's country of origin (e.g. labour costs and the cost of shipping the countertops to the destination country).
Consequently, two granite benchtops of an equal grade but with a different country of origin may have a significant difference in their pricing.
What Is Involved In The Care And Maintenance Of Granite Benchtops?
To enjoy the benefits associated with the use of granite as a kitchen benchtop material, a homeowner needs to ensure that the benchtop is maintained and cared for as it should.
Under normal circumstances, caring for a granite benchtop involves the application of a sealing material on the benchtop surface. Sealing granite benchtops helps to improve the stain resistance of this benchtop material.
Application of the sealing component helps to "fill up" the naturally-occurring pores on surface of the granite. As such, it will take a considerably longer duration for a coffee spill (for example) to penetrate through a sealed granite surface so as to stain it.
