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How Does Granite Get Made Into Countertops?
Post Date: 27 Apr 2009 Viewed: 762
Introduction to Granite
Granite is one of the hardest rocks that there is. There are only a few things that can cut granite, one being another piece of granite, and the other a diamond-edged saw. A current trend right now is to have granite countertops. This makes homes look much more expensive than they are, and granite is also loved because of its high durability. If you have never investigated granite countertops, it will interest you to lean how the granite is made into the countertops. This article explains the process from finding the rock all the way to installing it in kitchens.
Finding Granite
Geological prospecting is used to find places where granite exists. There are granite mines all over the world. The United States has a large number of granite mines, many of which are in the eastern part of the United States. Granite is one of the hardest rocks in the world, and because of that it did not come in to widespread use until power equipment began to be used.
Getting the Granite Out of the Earth
When the granite has been found in the earth, a quarry is made around it to help extract it from the earth. The main ways that granite is removed from the earth is through sawing and drilling. The blocks of granite are tried to be extracted in a uniform shape so that each block is roughly the same size. This is best for cutting later on and for transportation.
Moving the Granite
The granite is sorted for color at the quarry before it is moved to a processing plant. If any rock has large cracks or impurities, such as a large chuck of a different kind of rock, then they are set aside and not used. Granite is transported to the processing site by truck. Some quarries are placed near the processing plants but not all are.
Cutting the Granite
Since granite is one of the hardest rocks, the only thing that can cut granite is either a diamond-edged cutter or a saw made of granite itself. This makes it extremely difficult to form and shape. This is one of the factors that makes granite counters so expensive. The granite is cut into slabs, usually somewhere around 54 feet square and about 2 to 3 inches thick. Granite slabs are prone to breaking at this point, so extra care has to be taken.
Making the Counter Surfaces
When someone wants to put granite countertops in their home, they need to measure how many feet of granite they will need. Then the company installing the countertops will give them a list of colors that they have in that size. The customer picks the color, and then the company installs it. A sealant is applied to the top of the counters so that the rock is no longer porous and reflects light with a high-gloss shine. The counters are cut to fit the specification of the customer and installed.
