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How to spot defects in granite before buying a Stone Benchtop in Keysborough

11 Apr 2018

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Granite is a natural stone and amongst the most preferred materials for making a Stone Benchtop in Keysborough. The stone looks modish, sleek and very eye-catching. Besides, it has laudable strength and resistance against severe temperature variations. This means that the counter top does not develop cracks if you place a steaming utensil on it. It also doesn’t undergo any damage, if you place a bag of ice on it.

Good quality granite is extremely strong and hard-wearing. However, not all granites are similar. There is a broad difference in their quality rising out of the process through which they are cut & polished into the finished product. For case in point, a long crack could build up in a stone block when it’s blasted out of the mountain. Accordingly, most of the slabs which are cut out of the damaged block of stone contain cracks. Thus, any Stone Benchtop in Keysborough made out of such slabs can be defective. Since extracting stone blocks from the mountain is a costly process, quarry owners don’t discard damaged blocks, but sell them off at lower costs to the factory owners who then make use of different techniques to camouflage the defects. Moreover, there is a chance that the granite slabs can be damaged during transportation or storage too.

So, while selecting granite for a Stone Benchtop in Keysborough is a fantastic idea, you could end up doing a poor bargain if you do not pay attention to the stone’s quality. The problem here is that it’s very difficult to make out defects in polished stone as manufacturers make use of several tricks like the application of ‘epoxy adhesives’ to cover up the cracks. For a layman, it is next to impossible to find out whether the stone is of good quality unless you are aware of exactly what to look for!

Read on below for being able to spot defects in granite before buying a Stone Benchtop in Keysborough –

• Cracks – During the process of polishing, cracks that are present in the stone are covered up. Thus, it is tough to make out cracks on the polished side. In order to spot cracks, the trick is to verify the ‘unpolished reverse side’ of the stone slab. If you observe closely, you can spot cracks on the reverse side. This is amongst the basic checks that you have to do when shopping for a Stone Benchtop in Keysborough.

• Pattern defects – Good quality granite has uniform colours and patterns. However, colours and patterns are not always even. This occurs because of the uneven concentration of particular minerals in the stone. For case in point, the presence of excess quartz content displays in the form of ‘white patches’ on the slab. Such stones are of poor quality as quartz makes the stone brittle & it breaks easily. Therefore, these stones are rejected by good quality slab manufacturers. The process of polishing does not entirely cover up the fault. So, when you shop for a Stone Benchtop in Keysborough, study the surface in order to make sure that the colour & patterns on it are even.

• Uniformity in thickness – You can easily make out the unevenness in the thickness of the slab. Make a study of the side of the slab & look closely all along the edge to observe, if the thickness is uniform. You should not pay money for an uneven slab as the slimmer portions turn out to be the weak links in the slab & break easily.

A Stone Benchtop in Keysborough has a major impact on a kitchen’s overall appearance and look. A bench top can be the kitchen’s centerpiece, particularly if you are planning to install ‘an island’ in your design. The material you will pick for your bench top along with the colour and style is what will provide your kitchen a classy, elegant look.

The properties and the kind of material you pick for your brand new kitchen Stone Benchtop in Keysborough should also be a top priority in making your pick. If you have infants and children in the house, materials such as granite are not advisable, as granite might smash and might be very dangerous. If you are the kind of cook who over and over again whips up delicious meals & desserts for your family, you are better off selecting a family-safe bench top that is heat & scratch resistant. The ‘bottom line’ is to search for the materials that have the sturdiness to endure heavy usage but are useful enough to suit your lifestyle.

A Stone Benchtop in Keysborough more often than not comes with a lifetime warranty. Stone bench tops are another wise option, being stain, heat & scratch resistant – an ideal option for all tastes & lifestyles. Stone as a material has an extraordinary toughness, long-lasting durability, and comes in an extensive variety of colours and a range of patterns.

Maintenance and cleaning bench tops are also very important. A reliable Stone Cleaner in Melbourne will do the job for you. The selection of the cleaner has to be done under the guidance of an expert as it might spoil the bench top if it is too harsh for the surface. For assistance, get in touch with the famous supplier and installer of bench tops – Istonz!