Granite is one of a number of natural stones commonly used as a building material and for exterior/interior design. Quarried directly from the ground and cut to size for use in your home or building, granite comes in a number of styles and colours.
While granite is a common material of choice by builders and renovators today, it’s by no means a modern invention. Many ancient civilisations, including the Egyptians, used granite which is testament to how effective, practical and easy to use granite can be.
What is granite?
Like the other natural stones, granite is a hard naturally-occurring stone. It incorporates a number of minerals including mica, feldspar and quartz, which is the hardest mineral naturally found on Earth.
The structure of granite is unique because of its granular makeup. This elegant spotted and crystalline aesthetic makes granite a popular design choice. When cut to size and polished to a shine, a slab of granite can transform a home or office.
The Benefits of Granite
There are a ton of benefits of granite, which all add to its ever-increasing popularity.
- Hardiness: Granite is one hardy material. With an ability to withstand high pressure and abrasion, including wear and tear, granite is a durable stone that always offers value for its investment.
- Aesthetic: Not only does granite provide a sophisticated design with its deep detail and unique granular make-up, but it also comes in many colours, including grey, pink and white. This stylistic versatility makes granite an easy option for even the pickiest of designers.
- Easy-to-repair: If your piece of granite does get damaged, it’s easy to get fixed! Professionals can repair granite slabs in most contexts.
- Easy-to-clean: Got a granite benchtop? There’s no need to stress about spillages and staining because with granite all you need is regular cleaning with soap and a warm, damp, clean cloth!
- Resistant: Granite is more than just a tough stone, it’s also chemical, heat, UV and pressure resistant so you can use it in just about any application.
- Price Range: Granite comes at a variety of price points depending on the specific stone slab. While darker granites are more expensive, there are plenty of affordable granite options for those working under tight budgets.
The Applications of Granite
Granite is used for a whole variety of applications, many of them construction or design-based but a few others as well. Thanks to its versatility in style, colour and price, hardiness and striking visual appeal, there’s almost no limit on what granite can be used to achieve!
Kitchen Benchtops & Splashbacks
Granite’s resistance and durability even when scratched and spilled on, makes it an optimal option for kitchen benchtops. It’s an elegant option for long-lasting quality. Plus, you can even incorporate granite seamlessly with different types of wood as well.
Bathroom Benchtops, Vanities & Basins
Bathrooms tend to get wet. A lot. Often. And everywhere. So everything needs to be made of a material that won’t disintegrate or get ruined by being exposed to liquid. Granite is the perfect choice for your bathroom benchtop for exactly that reason.
Construction Tiles
Granite can be cut and applied in large slabs but its functional versatility means it can also be sliced down into smaller tiles and pavers for use in construction. Slabs, tiles, pavers… it’s all possible with granite.
Wall Tile Veneers
Granite tiles are often used for wall veneers. Both smooth and rough tiles–depending on the preferred aesthetic–can be used for wall cladding in buildings, houses, offices and other constructions.
Floor Tiles
Lots of people don’t think about granite as a material option for floors. But granite is used regularly by builders in the form of tiles. All of its hardiness and resistance qualities make it a wonderful stone to incorporate in interior flooring, and its elegant crystalline make-up means it looks stunning as well.
Building Columns
Much like their ancient predecessors, modern builders use this hardy and strong natural stone to not only clad their buildings but create the central columns and support structure to bear weight and provide strength.
Landscaping
Crushed granite is commonly applied in landscaping contexts. Larger scale building projects, such as highways and even sewage systems, often use granite as well.
Paving
Driveways, garden paths, patios… Granite paving stones are often used for its variety of benefits, including its unique temperature and UV resistance. Cut into unique sizes and styles, granite paving can be designed in sophisticated and intricate patterns.
Gravestones/Memorials
For similar reasons to the application as external paving, gravestones and memorial markers are commonly made out of granite to ensure their long-lasting durability.
Interior Constructions
Thanks to its heat resistance granite is a popular choice for fireplace mantles. Thanks to its strength, it’s also popular for use in staircases. There’s simply a ton of benefits to thank granite for and tons of interior construction applications.
Jewellery
Rare and beautiful pieces of granite can be cut and polished into exquisite gemstones for use in jewellery. Diamonds may be a girl’s best friend, but granite can be customised to suit anyone!
Building Blocks
Left rough and natural or refined to a smooth and polished look, granite blocks are often used as a building stone. While it’s a strong, durable option of course, some buildings simply use it just for external cladding because of its visual appeal as well.
Conclusion
Ready to find out more about what granite is used for and how the Euro Marble team can help you? Contact us today on (02) 8585 2999 or at sales@euromarble.com.au.
