GRANITE

Granite is an extremely hard, durable igneous rock that is found in various forms throughout the earth. Its durability and variety of colors make it the perfect material for many applications including indoor/outdoor kitchens, bathrooms, fireplaces, and walls.

WHAT YOU SHOULD KNOW ABOUT GRANITE

With over 200+ granite choices in our inventory, we take pride in our purchasing expertise to curate a collection with the most desired slabs for each color. We travel the world to make these selections for our customers.

Available in a striking array of colors, granite’s durability, longevity, and affordability make it ideal for kitchen countertops and other heavily used surfaces. It provides excellent scratch resistance since the hardness of the minerals in most granites is stronger than the utensils used on it. Each stone carries their unique properties. When it comes to hardness, black granites are not true granites, they are classified geologically as gabbro. As a result, they have a lower resistance to scratching. Granite is one of the most heat-resistant countertop materials available today. It’s also superior in its resistance to bacteria retention and is food safe. The penetrating sealer that we use on Granite countertops adds a level of protection against staining and harboring bacteria.

In summary:

  • Over 200 Color Choices
  • Affordability
  • Excellent Durability
  • Non-etching
  • High Scratch Resistance for most granites
  • Heat Resistance
  • Food Safe

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

The Natural Stone Institute states that most granite does not need sealing. However, we seal all granites to ensure that you have the safest possible surface.

Granite is naturally resistant to bacteria. Records maintained by The Center for Disease Control confirm that there is absolutely no evidence of granite harboring bacteria or of anyone getting sick from bacteria in granite. Dr. O. Peter Snyder of the Hospitality Institute of Technology and Management, using e-coli bacteria as its contaminating agent, found significant clean-ability advantages of natural, unsealed, non-resin coated granite over all other commonly found countertop surfaces. Granite actually ranked #1 in clean-ability when washed with a soap and water solution.

(*Source: “The Reduction of E.coli on Various countertop Surfaces”, by Dr.O.Peter Snyder, Jr., PH.D., of the Hospitality Institute of Technology and Management, March 1999)

Not unless you subject it to a high heat source for a long period of time. If you take a casserole dish out of the oven, feel free to set it on your granite countertops. It will cool long before it will have any effect. If a frying pan gets too hot, you can set it on your granite tops without fear of damage. To get a little on the technical side, it takes an 80 to 90-degree difference within your granite countertops to cause enough thermal stress to cause a crack. Something like a heat lamp left on may do it. But, it will have to be left on for several hours to cause a problem. If you heat a piece of granite uniformly, it will take many hundreds of degrees before any problems arise. Please note granite tops will draw the heat from food dishes or a delivered pizza very quickly.

To clean granite, use warm water and a dish soap mixture.  Scrub gently with a soft cloth and rinse thoroughly. Dry the countertop with a soft towel or microfiber cloth. Avoid cleaning with an abrasive scrub pad as they sometimes carry materials that can scratch the granite. If using commercial cleaners, make sure it says, “for natural stone counters”. Stay away from non-pH neutral cleaning products as they may reduce the effectiveness of the sealer.

While knives will not scratch the stone, cutting directly on the countertop is generally not recommended. It’s always recommended to use a cutting board because the granite will dull your knife.

There are multiple factors that will affect the number and location of seams on your granite countertops. Our sales team will guide you through the preliminary process of identifying the need for and location of seams keeping in mind the balance of aesthetic versus functionality. The final determination of your seams will be provided in the form of a “cut ticket” that the client will review and approve. Our Slabsmith technology allows for us to optimize the use of the selected slabs for color balance and vein matching, and for the customer to see and approve what their counters will look like prior to fabrication.

NEED TO KNOW MORE?

Get in touch with one of our stone experts to have all your questions about this material answered.

MATERIAL CONSIDERATIONS

ABRASION RESISTANCE

High

Granite has a very high abrasion resistance. The hardness of granite is due to the minerals that make up the stone. In most granites, the primary minerals are quartz and feldspars which are rated with hardness of 6 and 7 by Moh’s Scale of Relative Hardness, and are the minerals that give granite its exceptional abrasion resistance.

ABSORPTION/STAINING

Low

Although granite is generally considered to have good resistance to absorption and staining, some mid-tone colors (e.g. light grey) tend to highlight oil and water stains by becoming darker.  This effect is less evident on light colored or very dark colored stone and it can be reduced by the application of a good quality impregnating sealer.

ACID SENSITIVITY

Minimal

While granite resists most types of harm, it is not completely immune to etching. Don’t allow acids to stay in contact with the stone. Clean granite with a pH-neutral cleaner such as a mild dish-washing liquid mixed with water, and use a cutting board when preparing acidic foods such as tomatoes or citrus fruits.

HEAT RESISTANCE

High

A hot pan up to 500 degrees Fahrenheit will not damage granite, so normal kitchen tasks that involve baking in the oven and cooking on the stovetop will not produce pots or pans that are hot enough to damage granite, however long term exposure (several hours or longer) to even medium heat (250°) can cause thermal stress, resulting in cracks.

What Our Customers Say

Delta Granite and Marble, Inc. are so professional. They worked very meticulously to cut and place a very difficult piece of granite for me. They worked and worked on that piece until they got it absolutely right! The whole thing turned out perfectly wonderful! Very professional and the work ethic was beyond compare!
Jan H., San Antonio , TX
Delta Granite and Marble, Inc. did our kitchen and butler’s pantry and both jobs turned out wonderfully! They’re a lovely company to work with, and they have the best selection of granite in all of San Antonio. They were very knowledgeable and organized, and the installers were definitely very good. Their customer service is excellent, and I really appreciated how well they communicated with us so I wouldn’t hesitate to recommend them to others. Thank you, Delta Granite and Marble! Five stars!
Monty B., San Antonio, TX
Very happy with the work of this company. I was very pleased with every person who assisted me at Delta Granite. They installed the granite in my kitchen a few years ago and just installed the granite in a utility room to match. Both installations were handled with excellent service and quality of work. I would highly recommend them to anyone.
Debbie S., Pleasanton, TX

GRANITE GALLERY

Here are a few of our favorite granite installations, click the images to learn more about each project. For our full gallery of projects click the button.