Know about Granite Slabs and Its Uses

If you’re planning to build a house, the word ‘granite’ will almost always crop up from the conversations you will have with your architect or the engineer. You see, nowadays, granite is one of the most popular construction materials and is almost always used in building houses, monuments, and other structures.

What are Granite Slabs?

But what exactly is granite? Granite is an igneous rock that is highly durable and highly dense. It is this durability that makes it popular among builders. It has a grainy texture and has varying colors, ranging from a dull gray to a peachy pink. To use as construction materials, people cut slabs out of the granite blocks. They are usually cut into 3/4 or 1-1/4 sheets.

Once they’re quarried, they are then sent to the processing plants in different parts of Europe where they are transformed into the four major types of granite finishes. These four types of finishes are:

• polished Surface – The polished surface, as the name implies, is the shiniest type of finish. In fact, most people call it the ‘shiny’ finish rather than ‘polished.’ This type of finish is best for decorative uses only. If you insist on using it as flooring, make sure that there’s not too much traffic in the place you choose.
• Honed Surface – Honed surfaces are flat and smooth and are also called ‘matte.’ However, unlike the polished finish, the honed finish can withstand high traffic so it can be used in sidewalks and bath rooms.
• Flamed Surface – The flamed surface is flat and textured and can also be used for outdoor structures such as benches and sidewalks.
• Brushed Surface – The brushed surface is coarsely textured and reflects the least amount of light. It can also be used for sidewalks, benches, and other outdoor structures.

What You Need to Know

granite slabs are popular materials for kitchen countertops because of their durability. They do not get scratched easily, so if you accidentally strike it with your knife, you won’t have to worry much. However, you have to keep in mind that granite is a relatively porous rock. This means that stains from various ingredients would be hard to remove. But fear not because there is a way to get around this problem. You only have to seal the surface using a ‘sealer,’ preferably water based.

Some people say that using granite slabs are actually quite impractical because you can always use granite tiles instead. However, you should note that granite slabs allow for more options in terms of design because you can have them cut to your own preference.