Granite is a go-to surface for kitchen and bathroom countertops, thanks to its durability and easy maintenance. This natural stone comes in many shades, including black, gray, pink, and white.
But, how are granite countertops made? How does a rough rock turn into a modern-looking counter?
Let’s look into the process of making granite countertops.
GRANITE MINING
Every granite countertop starts its journey as raw granite rock in one of the many quarries around the globe. Brazil, India, China, and Canada are among the world’s biggest granite sources.
Granite is an igneous rock and forms when magma, underground molten rock, cools and solidifies. The main components of granite are quartz and feldspar. Granite mining is a complex and sometimes dangerous process involving explosives and powerful machinery.
CUTTING AND POLISHING
Once miners extract granite blocks from the quarry, the blocks are transported and cut into slabs with the help of giant, powerful saws.
Advanced technology, such as diamond wire cutting saws, has been a game-changer for granite production. Today, cutting granite is a lot faster, easier, and more accurate than a few decades ago. This has reduced the price of the finished product and allowed more homeowners to add granite countertops to their kitchens.
POLISHING
It takes a good amount of polishing to turn rough granite slabs into silky-smooth surfaces. To achieve this, granite facilities use slab polishing machines with diamond pads. With each stage of polishing, a finer diamond polishing pad is used until the slab has a smooth finish.
This step only polishes the top surface and doesn’t touch the rough edges of the granite slab.
SHIPPING AND FABRICATION
Once they are polished, the slabs are transferred to shipping containers and travel to their destination by boat. After off-loading in ports, the slabs will pass into the hands of wholesale granite suppliers all over the country.
Wholesale suppliers sell granite slabs to fabricators – companies that use granite for home projects like countertops.
A good fabricator will handpick granite slabs with an eye for quality and aesthetically pleasing patterns. After that, the slabs will travel to warehouses and showrooms where homeowners come to browse through the selection and choose their countertop materials.
MEASURING AND CUTTING
Once the homeowner makes a choice, how are granite countertops made to fit their kitchen?
To start, the granite fabricator will take precise measurements for the project. Then they use modern diamond blades and the waterjet cutting technique to cut the stone with high precision, creating intricate custom shapes and unique edgings.
FINISHING TOUCHES
After the machines have done their job, the fabrication technicians will inspect each project and add finishing touches such as hand-polishing.
Finally, the granite fabricator will carefully transport the finished pieces to your home and install them. The installation team will drill faucet holes, attach sinks, and add sealant. Then the granite is ready to go.
BELLA CASA COUNTERTOPS & STONE: QUALITY GRANITE COUNTERTOPS IN LITTLETON, COLORADO
Bring the natural beauty of granite into your home with premium quality countertops from Bella Casa Countertops & Stone. Our family-run business has been serving Littleton for 20 years. Call us at 720-702-4991 or fill out our website form to get a quote.