What Are the Applications for Granite?
From kitchen counters to the pyramids and Mount Rushmore, granite is a stone with nearly infinite possibilities. It's characteristics make it a rare combination of being sculptable into almost any kind of shape and resilient enough to stay that way for up to several decades. The enduring elegance of granite agrees well with many of the things we tend to want to last. For example, most gravestones are carved from granite, ensuring they'll withstand the elements for a long while. You can find it used in countertops, curbing, paving stones, building stones, sculptures, and much more. As such a practical and distinguished variety of stone, it's no surprise that you can find granite almost anywhere.
What Makes Granite A Unique Surface?
Part of what makes granite so enduring is the intense conditions needed for it to form. It takes millions of years of heat and pressure before the process of granite forming can even begin to take place. After so much time spent in such intense conditions, mineral grains such as quartz and feldspar grow tighter together over a long cooling period. These minerals are harder than steel on their own, and their resilience is not much diminished by being mixed in with other minerals. As a result, fully-formed granite is nearly as durable and long-lasting as the steel beams of a skyscraper.
What Makes Granite So Consistently Popular?
Ever since it's been within the reach of the average homeowner, granite fixtures have never quite gone out of style. Today, it's a top choice for countertops and tiles, as well as plenty of other construction projects. Because it's a naturally-forming material, it offers a greener, more eco-friendly alternative to other materials that require chemicals and other additives. This, combined with the abundant style choices and the assurance that it will last a long while ensure that granite will remain an attractive stone material for projects of all sorts for quite a long time to come.