Granite tile basics
Post Date: 19 Mar 2011 Viewed: 557
Granite is a natural stone that looks extremely beautiful and provides great materials for interior and exterior decoration. The natural stone in general is elegant in appearance and practical to use. People love to install it due to its durability and classy look.
In terms of granite origin, you would be surprised to know that granite is formed deep inside the earth due to the extremely high heat and pressure. Granite is defined as an igneous rock formed due to the pressure applied to liquid magma between other layers of rock. Thereafter it cools and forms a layer of its own.
The rock is amalgamated with different elements such as feldspar, mica and quartz. The cooling process in the formation of granite is very slow. The suspended mineral elements inside the magma resulted in the crystalline of granite. Granite is hard in nature due to the harsh origins and lengthy process that suspends several stabilizing elements within it. You can vouch for the durability of this stone.
As soon as the raw granite is removed from its bed, the first stage of granite processing starts and the stage is known as cutting. Here, the large portions of granite into manageable Thereafter, these blocks of granite are cut to size so as to utilize them as slabs and tiles with the help of wire saws treated with different types of durable abrasives such as sand, diamond and aluminum oxide.
High pressure water jets are also used to cut the granite in tandem with traditional wire saws. As soon as the process of cutting the stone undergoes three more processes that make them look like tile flooring or countertop slabs. The stone is polished on one side, calibrated and gauged.
Once the processes are finished, the granite stones are ready to be used as tiles and slabs. Most commonly these tiles are used as kitchen installation and outdoor installation. The leftover granite tiles are used as cutting boards, coasters and fireplace surrounds.
If you want to care the granite tile flooring and countertops, the process is very simple. The stone is heat-resistant and works as worry-free countertop solution. You can use hot pots and plates on the surface of this stone directly. The granite tile is durable. However, it still requires your attention. You should consider the application of an appropriate sealant seriously. Consult a specialist to determine the variety tile you want to install. The sealant acts as a protective coat for your granite tile. It protects the tile from moisture. You can purchase different types of cleaners and polishes to keep your granite tile free of dirt and scratch.
As soon as the raw granite is removed from its bed in a quarry, the first step of granite processing would be cutting. At this stage, the large portions of granite is cut into the manageable granite blocks. After initial cutting, the blocks of granite are further fabricated to size so as to utilize them as slabs and tiles with the help of wire saws treated with different types of durable abrasives such as sand, diamond and aluminum oxide.
High pressure water jets can also be used to cut the granite in tandem with traditional wire saws, although waterjet cutting is very costly. As soon as the process of cutting the stone undergoes three more processes that make them look like tile flooring or countertop slabs. The stone is polished on one side, calibrated and gauged.
Once all the processes are completed, the stones are ready to be used as tiles or slabs. Most commonly, granite tiles are used for kitchen flooring and outdoor paving. The granite tiles leftover after main application can be used to make cutting boards, coasters and fireplace surrounds.
Care for granite tile flooring and countertops is fairly simple. The granite stone is heat-resistant and works as worry-free countertop solution. You can use hot pots and plates on the surface of this stone directly. The granite tile is durable. However, it still requires your attention. You should consider the application of an appropriate sealant seriously. Consult a specialist to determine the variety tile you want to install. The sealant acts as a protective coat for your granite tile. It protects the tile from moisture. You can purchase different types of cleaners and polishes to keep your granite tile free of dirt and scratch.