Granite is seemingly one of the oldest forms of rocks that have been used since ancient times to construct monuments and important architectural wonders of the world. Use of granite can clearly be seen in The Red Pyramid of Egypt, which is constructed of a mixture of constructed of limestone and granite block, as well as in the temples of south India built as early as the 11th century AD.
Even today, granite is one of the most popular stones that is used while constructing all kinds of buildings. From homes to offices to religious places and community centers, different forms of granite finds itself being widely used at all places because of its beauty, durability and ease of availability. Today, a consumer looking for granite can choose from hundreds of different kinds of granite to suit every room.
One of the main uses of granite is flooring tiles. Their incredible natural density ensures that they will stand the test of time. Many ancient roman and Greek temples made from granite are still standing today. Used in both commercial and residential buildings there is no denying the popularity of this incredible stone. It provides the same feel of authority and luxuriousness as marble – but with a quarter of the price tag.
Many people say that because granite is easy to clean and maintain, and is a lifelong investment that is worth the extra costs that come with it (compared to other materials).
Granite flooring tiles (and worktops) are usually polished – which is part of what makes them last so long. If over the course of 10 years or so the granite becomes scratched, faded or damaged in any way – its almost a trivial task to rejuvenate the stone. Simply hire a stonemason to come out to your building and repair it.
All that the stonemason will do is sand of the top layer of granite bringing a new fresh layer to the top – then re polish it. It will literally look identical to the day you had it installed. It is such a remarkable material.
It is the ease of refinishing and repairing granite that makes it so popular in the kitchen too..
Granite kitchen countertops are commonly said to be the best material you can use for worktops bar none. It is non porous so harbors less bacteria, it is resistant to spills and stains, it is non slip, and best of all – any accidental knocks or cuts into the granite can easily be repaired with the exact same method mentioned above.
Many people in fact have both granite countertops and flooring tiles in a kitchen, as the actual cost of getting matching countertops to match the granite being installed on the floor is negligible (due to the low amount of square footage of a countertop compared to a floor).
The best part about using granite in the home is the wide variety of colors and types available – each with super exotic names.. From the amazing earth like tones in almond gold, and the blue swirls from Amadeus, to the exotic greens of verde fantastico there is literally a color of granite that will go with any room. And then there is even more variation within the cuts of granite, different concentrations of minerals in different areas of the same quarry can produce very different looking granite (even if it is of the same type).
That’s why we created this section of Pats Color – there is a huge amount of choice out there and we want to make sure that our readers are able to make an informed decision about the granite they have in their home.
So please feel free to email us any questions, and leave any comments you may have – we welcome user submitted pictures of any granite in their home and will do our best to publish them.