Elegance is defined with kitchen granite countertops. It is the material of choice for today¡¯s most sought after kitchen designs. It¡¯s hard to go wrong with granite when you want to know that you have used one of the best kitchen counter tops that are money can buy.

Prices of natural stone tops have come down some due to its widespread use, and it will probably continue to fall in the coming years.

Kitchen granite countertops are made from stone that is mined in large slabs directly from mountains that contain this material. Granite is made from some of the hardest minerals on earth, quartz and feldspar, kitchen cabinets.

This is the reason for the outstanding, long-lasting value of these countertops. Hardness of material is one of the primary reasons that granite lasts as long as it does.

One of The Best Surfaces

Because granite tops are 90% quartz and feldspar, they rate highly on the Mohs scale of mineral hardness, a scale developed in 1812 by Friedrich Mohs.

Because granite ranks at six and seven on the scale, only topaz, ruby, sapphire and diamonds are harder.

Man-made materials cannot offer the clarity and uniqueness of granite, nor can they bring forth the same depth.

There are hundreds of colors available for kitchen granite countertops, and these come in thousands of variations. Some granite colors are solid throughout, but many have unique veining and patterns that many people prefer.

It is not unusual for homeowners to go to a granite fabricators warehouse and hand-select the granite that will be used for their kitchen counter tops.

See Your Kitchen Granite Countertops in Advance

Fabricators with advanced equipment can move a slab into position and shoot a laser onto the top to show the you exactly how your Cuff Links counter will be laid out within the granite slab.

This service helps you know how the patterns in the material will appear on your top. It will also place the seams, if necessary, and eliminate any surprises when installed.

It is unlikely to happen, but if your kitchen granite countertops are scratched, chipped, or stained, a stone fabricator can repair them like new. Not only are these tops resistant to scratching, but they can also withstand heat.

Because the granite surface is so hard, staining is usually not a problem, but anything that might bleed into the surface should be removed as soon as possible.

Removing Stains

On the rare occasion of a granite stain, a molding plaster mixed with bleach to produce a toothpaste consistency may remove many of the stains. Leave the mixture on the stain for about thirty minutes, then wipe it off and clean up any remaining residue. This will remove tough stains such as red wine.

A felt tip marker on the other hand, presents a different kind of stain, and you should use acetone to remove it.

Always clean any residue off after removing the stain, and never use harsh abrasives on your tops. It is a good idea to have granite cleaner on hand for minor problems.

Because kitchen granite countertops are used for food preparation, they should be sealed once per year with a non-toxic sealer. This also helps to keep the tops from staining easily.

The natural look of this kind of top goes well with any kind of wood, whether you use knotty pine cabinets or cherry cabinets, for instance.

Overall, granite provides a great surface and is versatile. Whether you like Tuscan kitchens, country kitchen design, modern kitchen designs or any other kitchen styles, granite fits in well and will give you a dependable surface that will last you a lifetime.