Kitchen Work Surfaces and Bathroom Worktops
The word granite comes from the Latin 'granum' meaning a grain because of its usually medium to coarse grain structure. Granites come in a wide range of colours, from pink to grey, and consequently offers the opportunity to match the decor of a room with the physical qualities that granite contains as a material.
Originally used for large-scale building works, more recently granite has found a use within the home for work surfaces both as granite kitchen worktops and as bathroom worktops. Granite is known so far to only exist on Earth where is forms a large part of the continental crust and derives from magma, that is, molten rocks. It is composed of feldspar, quartz, mica, amongst a number of the earths minerals. Granite is formed under a massive amount of pressure and heat beneath the surface of the earth, which combines to create the beautiful variations available and results in the rock becoming very hard and dense.
Because granite is such a hard and dense stone it provides extra durability in heavily used areas of properties such as kitchens, floors, tiled areas and bathrooms, and with its variety of colours and ability to retain a high polish, it makes for an ideal work surface. In buildings and for worktops, the term "granite" is often applied to all igneous rocks with large crystals, and not specifically to those with a granitic composition.
Beyond granite there is a wide array of other materials available to choose from which are all suited to use as a kitchen work surface or as bathroom worktops. The choice of materials often just comes down to personal choice and the type of residence within which it is to be accommodated. For example, in the country cottage home, solid wood worktops are often the preference as they are very much in keeping with their surroundings being such a natural and tactile material. But quartz and glass worktops and many man-made materials, which can be easier to shape and use in more elaborate settings, offer tremendous choice and potentially enhanced suitability.
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