GRANITE - NATURAL MATERIAL
Granite has a natural beauty that quite surpasses most other flooring materials and can give your home an aura of richness. Granite flooring doesn’t easily scratch and is stain-resistant – making it ideally suited for residential flooring. However, Granite is used sparingly in commercial buildings due to its high cost.
Here, I have described the characteristics of Granite floors along with my rating. The overall rating will help you compare Granite with other floor options.
CHARACTERISTICS OF GRANITE:
Composition: Granite is a mixture of quartz and feldspar which is not adversely affected by alkalis and acidic substances.
Physical Characteristics: Granite is hard, smooth, heavy and durable. Due to it's weight it is advisable to check the strength of the sub-floor before laying. *10
Occurrence: Granite is a natural stone product obtained from quarries. *10
Seamless flooring: Paper thin joints gives the appearance of a seamless flooring. * 8
Porosity: Granite being less porous than Marble is water and stain resistant to a large extent. *8
Stains: Granite is stain resistant. * 8
Scratches: Being very hard, scratches on Granite are less likely to show. *9
Choices: Granite is available in a wide choice of colours, textures, and shapes though, light shades are not so common. *7
Cost: Granite is very expensive. * 5
Maintenance: Granite flooring is very easy to maintain because of it’s highly shiny surface. With regular sweeping and mopping, granite can remain shiny and last a lifetime. *9
Green rating: Granite is completely bio-degradable and eco-friendly. * 10
OVERALL RATING FOR GRANITE: * 8.4
ADVANTAGES OF GRANITE
Durable: Granite flooring is very hard, durable and virtually indestructible– It lasts a lifetime with good care and will always look as elegant as the day it was installed.
Very beautiful: Granite flooring is beautiful, with unique grain movement and colours that adds a natural beauty and elegance to a room.
Natural: Granite is a natural stone unlike man-made material like terrazzo, ceramic/vitrified tiles etc.
Non-porous: Unlike Marble, Granite is not porous and so does not have to be sealed.
Hygienic: Granite is hypoallergenic, allergen and bacteria resistant and highly resistant to water/moisture making it a hygienic choice for flooring.
Easy to maintain: Granite flooring is very easy to maintain because of it’s highly shiny surface. With regular sweeping and mopping, granite can remain shiny and last a lifetime.
Cool: Granite has an inherent ability to reflect heat and so Granite flooring is always cool and comfortable underfoot.
Seamless flooring: Granite slabs are available in sizes 4′x2′ to 9′x4′ and can be laid with paper thin joints. This gives the appearance of a seamless floor.
Paper thin joints: The paper thin joints in granite flooring prevent dust accumulation and fungal formations and ensures easy maintenance.
Wide range: Granite is available in a wide range of colours, styles and patterns such as rich browns, vibrant golds, warm creams and cooler blues, greens, grays and decadent black, to suit any purpose and to the delight of architects and interior designers.
DISADVANTAGES OF GRANITE
Expensive: Granite flooring is very expensive - much more expensive than other flooring types because it has to be obtained from quarries, polished and installed by experts.
Time consuming laying: Granite needs professional installation and is very cumbersome and time consuming. It is advisable not to attempt installation of granite flooring by yourself since Granite is very heavy and requires extreme precision and know-how to install.
Very cold: Granite flooring can be quite cold under feet in the winter, though not as cold as Marble.
Very hard: Fragile items dropped on the surface probably will break because of its hardness.
Slippery: Highly polished (glossy) granite tiles can be slippery when wet.
Difficult to repair: Restoration of badly scratched granite may turn out to be an expensive affair, with a possibility of alteration in the granite colour as well. Also, cracked or broken Granite requires a professional to repair it.
Quality: Since it is naturally occurring, one cannot guarantee the quality and good quality is just a matter of chance. Low-quality tiles may chip
Care in cleaning: Grout lines can be hard to clean. For it to last and retain it's shine, Granite needs regular cleaning.
SUITABILITY OF GRANITE:
Since Kitchen floors are subjected to spills, dropped objects and require regular cleaning and maintenance, Granite floors are best suited in kitchens. Granite is acid and alkali resistant; therefore oil, boiling water, tea, coffee, fizzy sugary drinks or sauces will not discolour the flooring. Granite being very hard, will not get scratched or dented by falling cutlery or splintering crockery. But it is very expensive and a cheaper alternative is Terrazzo floor.
