Granites have long been used as construction material in buildings and homes since ancient times. Take a look at how ancient structures such as the Egyptian pyramids and Roman Pantheon have withstood the test of time. It’s because of the granite used to construct them. This natural stone is popular for its strength, durability, and beauty. Now that granite price has become affordable to homeowners, it has become their favorite material for countertops, flooring, and, most significantly, fireplace surround.
A granite fireplace surround is an excellent option because of its heat resistance, durability, strength, and unique beauty. Also, fireplace surround made from granite is low maintenance, scratch-resistant, and naturally resistant to bacteria.
Heat Resistance
The heat resistance property of granite is mainly because of its igneous rock materials. Igneous rocks are formed when magma cools and crystallizes. It’s no wonder granite can withstand high temperatures because high-temperature areas are its natural habitat. Granite fireplace surround can withstand temperatures ranging up to 250oC or 480oF, and it won’t be damaged even if it comes in contact with 1200oF heat.
Longevity
Granite is best known for its longevity. It can withstand wear, pressure, or damage. Notice how ancient structures made from granite are still in great condition now. According to the National Association of Home Builders (NAHB), structures made from natural stones like granite can last a lifetime, over 100 years. After all, granites have been living deep in the earth for already millions of years. The longevity of the granite fireplace surround really is commendable, making homeowners save money from replacement and fixing.
Strength
One reason why granite is costly in earlier times is due to difficulties in fabrication. Granites are so strong, they needed machinery and abrasive technology to cut them. That is how strong granite is. But thanks to advancements in technology, affordable machinery is now available. Granite is rated seven on the Mohs hardness scale, with one as softest and ten as hardest (diamond). This means that granite is harder than marble but softer than quartzite. Cracking and scratching are less likely or even impossible in the granite fireplace surround.
Beauty
Granite is often associated with luxury because of how it brings elegance and class to every structure it’s made of. This natural stone is another beautiful product of stress and pressure, just like the diamond. The granite fireplace surround is uniquely beautiful because it’s a combination of different minerals and rocks such as quartz, feldspar, and muscovite. This is also the reason why granite is available in different colors such as Agatha Black, White Supreme, Blue Bahia, Del Mare, and Bordeaux.
Low Maintenance
Granite is resistant to almost everything, even spills, and dirt. Granite is also known for being low maintenance because it only needs a cloth and water for cleaning. To maintain a granite fireplace surround, a microfiber cloth is only needed to dust off the surface. However, stains are inevitable. To remove tough stains and make maintenance of granite fireplace surround easy, check out our Easy Oxy Multi Surface Cleaner.
Scratch Resistance
Because granite is strong and hard, it is scratch-proof. Even if it has small scratches, the scratch would be unnoticeable because of the depth of its colors and patterns.
Granites can only be scratched with another piece of granite or specially sharpened tools designed to cut them or something made out of stone harder than granites, quartz, for example. Even a knife cannot create just a small scratch when it comes in contact with granite. In fact, granite is so strong it can dull a knife when it attempts to cut into the granite’s surface.
This only means that the granite fireplace surround will remain elegant, classy, shiny, and glossy all the time because of the granite’s scratch resistance property.
Bacteria Resistance
The fireplace surround is another surface where germs can build up once it comes in contact with them. But granite fireplace surround is not a friendly environment for viruses to thrive, making it sanitary and even more sanitary when sealed.
The absorption rate of granite is between 0.05% to 0.40% which means that granite fireplace surround won’t absorb much liquid, hence making it less likely for viruses to build up on its surfaces.
If you want to know more about why granite is the best construction material for your home, you can visit Natural Stone Institute at naturalstoneinstitute.org/consumers/varieties/granite.