[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]If you’re interested in natural stone countertops, then you’re probably familiar with granite; more often than not, clients come to our stone-yard looking for granite and end up feeling overwhelmed by the sheer selection that we offer. Even within a stone family like granite, there’s enormous room for variation in aesthetic, texture, and price, and we strive to cover the entire natural stone spectrum. Before you visit our showroom, we invite you to read on to learn more about the specific subsets of granite that we offer, the general expectations that you should have when it comes to a granite countertop, and the fine details that other fabricators won’t tell you.

Granite is a natural stone quarried directly from the ground, processed into a slab by specialized machinery, and shipped to a stone-yard for sale and fabrication; naturally resistant to chipping, scratching, heat, and bacteria, granite is an excellent choice for use as a countertop. In fact, granite countertops generally can resist all but the most sever settling or excessive abuse; it’s very rare that a granite countertop sustains damage that can’t be repaired in-home by a stone renovator. Granite does generally have some degree of “pitting”, or the accumulation of very small craters over time; rest assured that pitting poses no maintenance concerns, and won’t speed up the wear of your countertops.

Like most other natural stones, granite is available in a variety of textures; very often, these textures are drawn out during the polishing phase of processing, and add an extra tactile element to your counters.

• Polished granite is the standard surface texture that you’re probably used to; smooth, shiny, and devoid of imperfections, almost all varieties of stone are available as a polished surface.
• Honed granite is an alternate take on the more traditional polished variety; the honing process foregoes the complete polishing of the stone in favor of leaving behind a lighter, matte surface that can be enriched with a color-enhancing sealant.
• Antiquated granite flips the traditional processing formula on its head, with the polishing stones being replaced with an abrasive brush that leaves behind a satin textured finish.

If you’ve shopped around for a while, you may have heard of “exotic” varieties of granite from far-off locales or hard-to-reach quarries; these exotic stones often carry unique or highly sought-after traits that command a higher price than a more standard stone. Between the strenuous shipping process and the stress that stone undergoes during the fabrication and installation phases, we elect to reinforce many of our exotic or fragile stones with a backing mesh; this mesh is totally concealed after installation is complete, and helps to guarantee the longevity or your countertops. Speaking of far-flung quarries, we do business with suppliers all over the globe; our stock includes domestic and globally sourced varieties of granite for you to choose from, and is curated by natural stone experts with decades in the field. To get a guided tour of our stock, or to schedule a free countertop design consultation, call us at (770) 872-4066, email us at info@andrewsassociates.net, or fill out our Quick Contact Form to get started.[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row]