Tuesday, December 14, 2010

Granite Tile Countertops

The beauty and warmth of granite makes it an ideal material for aesthetic appeal in home design. Granite has been a popular choice of designers for decades. Adding solid granite countertops to a kitchen can be quite costly, with prices starting at $60 a foot installed. Although granite countertops are very popular, solid granite countertops may not be for everyone. A homeowner may not be willing or able to invest in granite, or a home is in an area subject to limitations on resale values. In cases like this, it may be best to consider granite tile countertops as an acceptable alternative to the solid stone installations.

Granite tile countertops are fashioned from the same desirable stone as the solid granite countertops. All the desirable elements of the granite remain the same in the tiles. Not all blocks taken from the quarry are large enough for the slabs for the solid countertops. Smaller blocks and broken slabs will be cut into square tiles measuring 12, 24 or 36 inches in diameter. Granite tiles have a variety of uses that include premium flooring and shower installations. Hundreds of color choices are available to fit with most any design scheme.

Granite tile countertops can withstand a hot pot without a trivet, and serve as an excellent surface for handling dough and confectionery. The natural beauty of granite tile countertops complement most any type of wood or style of cabinetry. The versatility of granite tiles creates a wide range of options for installations. Entire sections of kitchen countertops and backsplashes can be crafted from granite tiles, just as ceramic tiles would be used. To lessen the labor of installing tiles in a large kitchen, only add granite tiles to the island for a focal point, setting it apart from ordinary material choices on the other countertops.

Granite tiles provide a grand solution for the homeowner on a budget, allowing the home chef to enjoy all the benefits of granite countertops. Twenty-four or thirty-six inch tiles can be inlaid or set into any other material, such as laminated countertops or solid wood. Strategically placed twenty-four inch granite tiles inlaid near the range or oven will protect ordinary countertops from searing hot pans. A thirty-six inch granite tile set into the counter at a work area serves as an excellent surface for rolling dough and working with confectionery.
The practical and aesthetic choice of granite tile countertops has proven to be a wise investment for homeowners. Clever design plans allow homeowners to enjoy the benefits of granite without great expense. Granite tile countertops offer matchless appeal.

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Article Source: [http://EzineArticles.com/?Granite-Tile-Countertops&id=66328] Granite Tile Countertops

Saturday, January 23, 2010

Choosing The Right Granite Countertop For Your Home


Author: AnaNevada

There are many different options in granite kitchen countertops today which are created by numerous manufacturers located all over the country. Choosing the right granite countertop for your home sometimes make a decision more difficult because of many options that are available to choose, but if you are aware of what options are available, you will make the experience of shopping for a countertop much less complicated and time consuming. There are several decisions to make that will need to be taken into consideration when trying to find the right granite countertop for your home.

Granite Countertop Colors

Granite countertops are available in many different colors and each color may have several different shades to choose from. Black, gray, brown, and tan are some of the most popular colors chosen by some individuals for their granite countertops, although more adventurous individuals want to consider pink, blue, red, or green shades as their countertop color. Each of these colors come in hues ranging from very dark to very light, so it is important to see the exact shade or the color scheme that you are thinking about implementing and compare it to the existing décor to make sure that the colors that will be installed in the home are complement to each other.

Granite Countertop Materials

There are two different types of granite countertop materials to choose from in creating granite countertop for your home. The first material is a natural granite slab, which can come in different thicknesses and colors depending on where the granite came from. The beauty of the natural granite slabs is breathtaking, but the color and pattern of the slab are often unique, making it very difficult to add additional pieces or find replacement pieces later that match the stone of the countertop perfectly.

Another option is a countertop that is made of granite tiles. The granite tiles are stick firmly to a countertop foundation using a high strength epoxy and then sealed with a thick layer of clear sealant that brings out the beauty of a stone used. Using granite tiles gives the countertop the desirable properties of a granite slab.

Granite Countertop Styles

There are a number of different styles and edges that can be used to further customize a granite countertop for your home. The fanciful edging styles can be chosen for home decoration to create a dramatic effect in a simplest way. The most common edging styles used for granite countertops include rounded edges, slanting edges, bullnose edges, and ogee edges. Many manufacturers of custom granite countertops have a variety of different edging styles. From there, you can choose and create the right granite countertop style for your home.

Article Source: http://www.articlesbase.com/kitchens-articles/choosing-the-right-granite-countertop-for-your-home--789708.html

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