Granite Mining and Choosing Granite Countertops
Picking out new countertops can be one of the most complex decisions homeowners, remodelers, and builders make. The type of material, color, veining, and cost all factor in when selecting options for a project. What also makes this a complex decision is that homeowners will be seeing their countertops every day, so it’s essential to pick out something that will be enjoyed well into the future. Let’s briefly discuss the processes involved in granite mining and choosing granite countertops.
Granite Mining
Granite is one of the most distinct materials that countertops are made from today. The formation of granite happens naturally during the heating and cooling of magma. Granite shows the extensive beauty of the Earth that homeowners everywhere can enjoy in their very own homes.
Granite mining occurs all over the world, but a large majority happens in China, Australia, the United States, and Indonesia. It’s excavated from the ground, usually in a quarry, where chunks (bundles) are cut out and sliced into slabs. We purchase these bundles and slabs from other wholesalers in the area to give customers endless possibilities when choosing granite countertops.
Quartz is another material that is commonly used for countertops. It’s a manufactured product, which can allow quartz to look identical from slab to slab. Because granite forms naturally within the earth, each bundle and slab can look completely different from the next. Two bundles of granite can be excavated from the same mountain, even right next to each other, but they can look drastically different.
We compare granite to fingerprints—each slab is completely organic and 100% unique. Slabs can look similar, but they aren’t identical to any other slab in the world. For example, the pictures below are granite slabs called Nevasca. Even though they all have the same name, they can look completely different from each other.
Once granite mining is finished in any quarry, that unique material may never be found again on this planet. Similarly, once we run out of a bundle in our showroom, we may not be able to get it again. This is why choosing granite countertops can sometimes be tough for us, homeowners, remodelers, and builders. This is also why at Zeng Granite, you get to choose the exact slabs you will be using for your home. When you choose a slab in our warehouse, that slab becomes a part of your project. Not every stone fabricator runs their business in this way. Some have customers choose a slab by name or small sample and the large countertop pieces look completely different once in the home. This is because the customer didn’t choose the slab, they chose a name/color sample.
Choosing Granite Countertops
Each of our granite bundles has different shades of colors and veins that flow in various directions. Slabs can also be assorted sizes even if they come from the same wholesaler. That’s why finding the right countertop material for your unique needs requires a keen attention to detail.
Stones that are directional, which refers to the veining and the flow of the stone, are a little more difficult to work with. A kitchen that uses directional stones looks best when all countertops flow in the same direction. This gives a natural look as compared to one countertop flowing from side to side and another countertop flowing up and down. Because of this, a job may have to use an extra slab so that we’re able to keep that natural flow.
If we only have two slabs left and a customer needs three slabs for a job, then unfortunately we may not be able to proceed with that choice of stone. We will never use one slab from one bundle and another slab from a different bundle on the same job due to how many distinct characteristics there can be in each of them.
Granite features some of the most beautiful designs that can end up being in your home. Straight from a mountain to your countertop, granite highlights the natural beauty we see all around our planet. In this way, its rarity can make any kitchen, bathroom, or laundry room look like no other in the world. If you’re seeking a one-of-a-kind granite slab for your next project in Lincoln, Omaha, or surrounding Nebraska communities, then we hope you’ll contact us today or visit our showroom. We offer a wide variety of exclusive selections sure to suit your needs.
