You should definitely take guidance from some professional granite contractors whenever you are planning to install any in your house. It is because there are some pros and cons of these countertops which you should be aware of before getting them installed.
Below are a few pros and cons of granite countertops shared by many experienced professionals.
Pros of Granite Countertops
Every Granite Countertop is Unique
The best part of granite countertops is obviously their uniqueness as you can never find the same slab anywhere else. Granite follows its own features, colors, lines and patterns that may give a beautifully different look to your house. In fact, granite is considered as an absolutely marvelous creation of mother nature. Their uniqueness adds a very good value in the overall aesthetics which is too pleasing for anyone to opt for them.
High Durability
Granite countertops are usually considered as unbreakable and said to last for more than a decade at least. In fact, industries producing granite countertops also claim that granite is a lifetime material to add beauty in your home. The good thing is that granite is a scratch resistant substance so you can be sure about its quality as well. And since it is purely a natural stone so it is considered as environment friendly too as it does not contain any harsh chemicals in its manufacturing.
Granite is Heat Resistant
This is yet another useful advantage of granite countertops as most of the countertops are used in kitchen where you cook and keep hot dishes and pans. Mostly kitchen countertops get damaged due to this same reason when you mistakenly put some hot pan over the surface or you have your gas stove very near to the countertop. This is where granite countertops win hearts of many people as it is highly resistant to heat so it will never melt or get blisters when exposed to heat.
Granite is Stain Resistant
Well, what else do you need in your kitchen when you have a granite countertop there? You don’t have to worry about the splashes of food or other spills as you know it can easily be wiped off. This is the most attractive advantage of granite countertops as it does not absorb liquids when sealing is done properly. However, you just need to make sure that these countertops are properly sealed in order to maintain the beautiful aesthetics.
Cons of Granite Countertops
Porosity
Since granite is a natural stone, it also contains the properties of other natural stones and that is porosity. There are numerous pores in granite surface which has to be sealed properly as mentioned above in order to prevent liquids from absorbing. Even if a single pore is left to get sealed, it will start absorbing liquids which will ultimately leave stains on the surface. These stains will be very difficult to remove then or sometimes you can never get rid of those stains.
Not Good Variety of Available Colors
Although granite makes a most unique slab due to its natural properties but you cannot ignore the fact that it comes in limited colors. You cannot have bright colors or solid patterns if your kitchen theme requires them. On the contrary, you can have a variety of color options available in laminate, marble and quartz which are considered as a good competitor for granite in the market.
Granite Countertops Have Seams for Complete Installation
This is yet another very bad con of granite countertops that you cannot have one single slab for installation due to the size of typical slabs. Usually for large kitchens, you might require more than one slab for complete installation which will be connected through seams. Although professionals make these seams look almost invisible but still seams are there and may cause issue if one slab requires repair at any point of time.
High Price
The most disliked con of granite countertops is that the prices are very high and usually range from $100 to $250 per square foot. Also, the thicker you select the countertop, the more it will cost you in price. Apart from this initial investment, you have to pay quite a good amount to granite countertop installers Rockville while any repair would also require a professional to perform this job.