Granite Countertops

What Are The Benefits Of Using Granite For My Kitchen Countertops?

What can I say, granite countertops are beautiful and timeless. It has been used for surface applications since the beginning of time.

I personally love using granite because the color options are unlimited. Granite comes from all over the world but, my two favorite places to get granite from are India and Brazil.

When you decide on a granite countertop color that you would like to use on your kitchen countertop, there are a couple of things to keep in mind. First, ask your local fabricator for granite countertop pricing (this is a great page about granite countertop prices!)

The biggest mistake that people make when choosing their countertop material is not requesting a sample...and it goes even further than that. Granite, being a natural stone, has many variations in it. Therefore, once you choose your granite countertop colors, please make sure to either go and look at the slab, or request a picture of the slab.

Here's an example of the variations that exist in granite...

The picture above depicts what you would typically see when you order a sample of Blue Bahia. See the different widths of the veining and the color variation?

You've decided to go ahead and use Blue Bahia for your kitchen countertop. Now what? Ask for a picture of the actual slab that is going to be used from your local fabricator who will perform your granite countertop fabrication (great information on fabrication!)

Here's the type of picture you should get...

WOW! What a difference! It's like looking at two different granite countertop colors! This is why it is important to get a sample first, then request to either view the slab itself or a picture of the slab.

It is very important to note that when you order a granite sample, I recommend staying with that one company to order the final slab from. It will save you a lot of time in the long run of having to search for the exact color you are looking for!

Below are some examples of granite countertop photos. The pictures I am showing here are of the actual slabs. As I stated above, there are so many variations in each slab of granite that in order to really see what you are going to get for your kitchen counter, you need to pick the slab, and the section of the slab you like!

Do you like the above colors for granite countertops? Great! Do you understand now what I mean about the variations in natural stone and how what you see in a sample is not always what you get? It is extremely important to have an expert in stone, such as myself, to help guide you through the stone selection process.