Why people choose granite
Granite forms from cooled molten rock, which makes it dense, hard and slow to show wear. It shrugs off the knocks of daily cooking and copes with heat better than most surfaces. Its other appeal is that it is genuinely one of a kind: speckles, flecks and the occasional mineral vein make every kitchen slightly different.
Seeing the actual stone
A sample tile tells you the colour. It cannot tell you how the pattern drifts across a three-metre slab, and in some granites it drifts a long way. With a lively pattern, ask for photos of your actual slabs, or go and see them at the stone yard. It is the best way to avoid surprises at the corners and joins.
Finishes
- Polished: glossy, deepens the colour and is the easiest to wipe clean.
- Honed: smooth and matt. It looks softer, but light-coloured honed granite can show oil marks until it is well sealed.
- Leathered or brushed: a gentle texture you can feel, good at hiding fingerprints and water spots.
Sealing and everyday care
Granites vary in how porous they are. Some barely absorb anything; others will darken where water or oil sits. To check, put a few drops of water on the surface and wait. If they soak in within a few minutes, the stone needs sealing. We tell you what your particular granite needs when we hand over the kitchen.
Day to day, warm water and a pH-neutral stone cleaner are all it takes. Cambridge's hard water tempts people towards acid descalers. Avoid them: they weaken the sealer, and some granites contain minerals that react with acid.
Heavy stone and older units
Granite is heavy. If the granite is going onto existing units, we check first that they are solid, level and screwed to the wall. Most modern units are fine. Older units, or ones with water-damaged bases under the sink, may need repairs or extra support first.
Silica and granite
Granite contains some crystalline silica: SafeWork NSW gives a typical figure of about 30%. That is well below engineered quartz, but it still has to be cut wet with proper dust control in the workshop. Once installed, a granite worktop gives off no dust.
Questions we are asked
Does granite need sealing?
Some do and some barely do. Do the water-drop test: darkening within minutes means it is time to seal. Sealers are wiped on and buffed off, and we tell you how often for your stone.
Will my worktop look like the sample?
In colour, yes. In pattern, not exactly, because the sample is a few centimetres of a slab that may be three metres long. Seeing the slab, or photos of it, is the way to be sure.
Can hot pans go on granite?
Granite tolerates heat far better than quartz. Even so, a very hot pan in one spot can stress the stone or the sealer, so a trivet is a good habit.
Sources
- Natural Stone Institute: caring for natural stone (opens in a new tab)
- SafeWork NSW: crystalline silica in common materials (opens in a new tab)
We are not connected with the organisations linked here; they are listed for reference.