Can I cut on my Granite countertop?
Only if you want to ruin your good knives. Granite is harder than your knife blades and will dull them very quickly, if you use the countertop as a cutting surface. Always cut and chop on a wooden or plastic cutting board.
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How do I clean
my granite tops?
Granite itself is approximately 95-98% stain resistant but, we use a silicone impregnator on all our natural stone products. This will insure lasting life and beauty. Polished granite should be cleaned a mild phosphate-free, biodegradable liquid dish-soap, soap flakes or powder which contain no aromatics. Followed by a through rinsing and drying with cotton-flannel or chamois.
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Can my granite top be damaged?
POLISHED GRANITE is a very durable stone. Like any solid surface, high impact blows can harm granite. Because of its crystalline structure, it can chip if subjected to sharp hard objects. Unsealed, granite can absorb stains such as oil, which can ultimately cause dark spots or discoloration. Heat from pots and pans or burning liquids will not affect granite under normal circumstances.
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Can I set hot pots on to my kitchen
countertop?
Granite is formed by extreme heat and pressure combined beneath the earths crust. It can not be affected by heat from a cook top or frying pan. A lit flame placed under the granite will have no melting effect and will not leave any burned or scarred marks.
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Does granite stain or burn?
No, you can’t burn it with ordinary use. Granite does stain. The only caveat is that a few colors may absorb some moisture with prolonged contact. Usually, no evidence remains when the liquid is removed and the granite dries, but could be a problem with dark pigmented liquids. Although granite has a sealer applied at the fabricator, a stone sealer is recommended for all granite after installation.
All stone, however, is porous to some extent, but Granite has very little porosity. A few colors may show some moisture if exposed for a period of time. For example, a puddle of water left on the counter for 30 minutes for some colors, may show a dark spot when the water is wiped away. This spot will then dry up and no evidence will show. Only a few colors demonstrate this trait. Our granite has a sealer applied by the fabricator, however some customers prefer to apply a stone sealer (available at tile and granite shops) after the granite is installed.
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Can granite chip?
In only cases of sever abuse with a hammer or impact tool. A chip can be filled with a granite dust and epoxy mixture.
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Can granite crack?
No with the ordinary use. Granite is most susceptible to cracks during shipping and installation. Normal use will not overstress this durable material.
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Can granite
be repaired?
It is very hard to damage granite. If any damage occurs it can be sealed with a mixture of epoxy and ground up chips of granite.
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Can granite cantilever?
You can cantilever granite up to 14" with sufficient support on the fixed end and with a large enough piece. Never cantilever unsupported granite where it might receive excessive stress like someone sitting on a counter or stepping on a counter to change a light bulb. You must have support underneath for these situations.
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My little sample of granite has pits on
the surface.
Will I have these on my kitchen
counters?
Granite, which is crystalline in structure, always has tiny pits – spaces between the various mineral crystals. You don’t see them on a larger piece because the overall appearance is polished and mirror-like. Granite sometimes has natural fissures as well, which may look like cracks, but are not structural defects and are a naturally occurring result of the immense heat and pressure which formed the granite eons ago. These characteristics are part of the natural beauty of stone and will not impair the function or durability of the material. A product of nature cannot be expected to look manmade.
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Will my granite look like the online
sample?
The samples you see on "Granite colors" pages have been scanned and saved as digital images. The color tones may not be absolutely correct due to variations in computer systems, monitors and compression algorithms. Also, granite is a natural material with naturally occurring variations in color, tone, granularity, pattern, etc. These variations are expected and are the source of its natural beauty.
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Can granite seams show?
Because granite is a natural material and is mined from the quarry in blocks usually no more than 10’ long, you will end up with seams. Also, because granite is sold in rectangular pieces, you may want to use seams to reduce your costs, such as in an ’L’ shaped corner. The visibility of seams will depend on the granularity, color and pattern. A small, uniform grain (such as Regal Grey) will not be as apparent as a larger varied grain (such as Deer Island). A dark color (Spring Green) will be less apparent than a light color (Pine Green). A dramatic pattern with swaths of color (Kinawa, Paradiso) will show more seams than a uniform pattern (Dakota Mahogany). Most customers have found that the beauty of natural granite outweighs the concern of seams.
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How are seams made?
Seams are done where the granite joins with a smooth, straight cut during installation, a small bead of silicone is placed along the seam to seal it. Occasionally, in areas of stress or without sufficient support, the seams will be joined with epoxy, which must be supported temporarily until the epoxy cures.
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How thick
are granite countertops?
Standard thickness for a kitchen countertop is one inch and a quarter. You may also hear it referred to as 3cm (3 centimeters).
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What do I need to consider when buying a
granite countertop?
Granite is a natural stone. It is very hard and durable, heat and scratch resistant as well as easy to maintain; in all sense it’s the material of the future. Aside from the practical aspect, granite is very versatile in the design field. It comes in various colors and structural compositions, our yard stocks some colors to choose from on site, and we import any color. All stones are not exactly the same, each lot will have unique characteristics attributed to the specific granite.
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Can you
describe to me the process involving an order with
your company?
See our "Getting Granite" page.
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Do I have to buy the whole
sheet/slab?
Slabs are always sold intact. Buying random slabs is similar to buying fabric. Like a seamstress or tailor, your fabricator buys the raw material and sells you a completed installation. In the price is included the cost of transporting the material, making field measurements and templates, cutting, polishing, bringing the pieces to your job site and fitting them into place. How much material he needs is determined by the layout and the amount of waste. The fabricator will lay out your job in a way that will minimize the amount of waste material while maximizing the natural beauty of veining and pattern.
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Where do you operate?
Superior Granite installs custom slab granite countertops in Idaho, Oregon, Utah, Nevada and Washington.
How do I contact you?
Please call our office at 208-376-2383, or
email Superior Granite