 Granite is an igneous rock that is manufactured inside the earth crust under high pressure and temperature. Initially, the rock lies deep inside the earth surface but eventually it gets transported to locations above the ground surface due to plate tectonics. Hence, the material is available in bulk near the ground surface.
Granite tile is made up of quartz and feldspar. If you take a close look at its surface, then you can find some pink, white and black crystals on its surface. These small crystals add on to the beauty of this natural stone. Hence, these tiles have become a popular building material for household and commercial applications.
The tiles have several positive aspects that make them all the more suitable for kitchen and bathroom decorations. Firstly, the rock is very hard and highly durable which make it ideal for places that are prone to high temperature and pressure. Hence, they can withstand high foot traffic witnessed by the kitchens and bathrooms.
These tiles also have low maintenance cost due to their non-abrasive nature. They have high resistance against stains and dirt; hence they are an ideal tiling material for your kitchen walls and slabs. Therefore, it will be highly convenient for you to maintain cleanliness and hygiene in your bathrooms and kitchen. Moreover, these tiles are slip resistant; hence there'll be lesser probability of fatal accidents due to slippery surface.
Where Can One Use Granite Tiles?
Granite tiles can be used in a variety of residential and commercial applications, such as in kitchen walls and flooring, bathroom walls and flooring, as well as for backsplashes, countertops, countertop edge trim , and entrance flooring. One can use granite tiles with a trim piece such as a bull nose or edge piece to create an inexpensive and practical countertop (instead of paying a fortune to a local fabricator). Granite is the preferred choice for commercial applications such as hotel flooring, hotel bathroom tiling, and hotel bathroom stone countertops, and granite flooring can be used even in the most demanding applications as long as proper stone flooring material is selected and applied.
What Should One Look for When Buying Granite Tiles?
When buying granite tiles, one should look for an even distribution of mica, feldspar and quartz, as well as a uniform and even polishing (which is similar to a fine sanding process). One should also look for uniformity in veining (where veining exists) and a consistency in background color.
What Should One Look for in Quality Granite Tiles?
Granite tile and granite flooring should have the following characteristics:
- A good uniform color selection of granite flooring material should be used. It is important to dry lay the whole shipment to achieve a uniform consistency and blend of colors throughout the entire floor prior to installation. This will prevent unattractive or unwanted pieces although less desirable pieces can be used for cuts and in less visible areas of the application.
- Pieces should be free of visual defects such as pits (except in some stones where pitting is considered natural and must be properly filled), major cracks, and major open veins (i.e. a natural vein that is not filled).
- One should make sure that granite tiles are free of iron deposits, which may cause rusting.
- Granite tiles must have a uniform, even surface as a result of professional polishing (which is similar to machine sanding), and all tiles must have the same thickness and sizing. All of the stone tiles we carry are manufactured at first grade factories with proper processing machinery.
- Professional packing should be used so that pieces are stacked with polished face to polished face to prevent scratching. The pieces should not be laid flat. In general, all stone flooring shipments must be prepared so that the natural stone tiles and granite flooring stand up on a pallet. The shipping pallet must be of good quality, and the granite flooring must be securely strapped to the pallet in a perpendicular fashion.
|
