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What are some benefits of the granite tile countertop?
Post Date: 24 Apr 2009 Viewed: 1343
Granite tile countertops are a compromise between a ceramic tile countertop and a solid granite countertop. Granite tile comes with some of the disadvantages of ceramic, yet some of the benefits of granite. Granite tile is also easier to install and much less expensive than a solid stone counter surface.
A solid granite countertop carries some pretty hefty labor bills with it. During original quarrying, extra care has to be taken to get slab large enough to be used for counters. Then the desired shape needs to be cut and ground by specialized tools, and due to the variety of cabinet sizes out there each cut needs direct human supervision. The installation of the countertop itself is also labor intensive and a bit tricky,counters which can weigh as much as 500 pounds need to be carried into your kitchen, set on reinforced cabinets, and carefully glued into place. Granite itself, while very strong as a countertop, is brittle and relatively weak before installation. Careful procedure needs to be followed to assure that the vibrations of the truck, a bump against something hard, or placement on an uneven surface don't snap the piece in two. Granite tile removes many of these issues. The tile comes from the scraps left while creating countertops or from smaller rock chunks, making it more abundant than large countertops. Tiles are still brittle and slightly fragile, but can be boxed for protection and easy carrying,and when one does break, the monetary loss is much lower than that when an entire countertop breaks. Through all of these factors, granite tile countertops are much cheaper than solid granite countertops yet still carry many of the benefits. Michael Bryan, fabricator and installer with Marble and Granite, lists some of these benefits, "The granite tile countertop has less grout joints than a ceramic tile countertop. It doesn't etch and it holds up to the heat better. That will be important in the kitchen area where you can be using a lot of heat. Then in the bathroom, granite tile is just easier to clean." This means that you can set a hot pot directly on the counter in a granite tile kitchen, and run a sponge along it without food catching in dips. Of course, granite still needs maintenance whether a tile or a solid countertop. The granite needs to be sealed periodically to prevent staining (usually every 1 to 3 years). Without that seal, every food you worked with would seep into the counter and leave stains. Granite tile countertops usually have much larger tiles than ceramic countertops, but still have grout seams to deal with. These grout seams can mildew and also soak up stains that the sealed granite otherwise wouldn't. One advantage of granite tiles that many homeowners are quickly catching onto is the ability to combine ceramic and granite together in one countertop. Just a few well-placed granite tiles can be used for making confectionary and pastry. The cost, however, is more in line with that of a ceramic tile countertop,anyone can enjoy the benefits of granite without breaking their budget.
