Whenever there is a house being built, or a kitchen or bath is being remodeled, chances are there is going to be some talk about granite countertops. Granite countertops are a very popular choice among interior designers, architects, and homeowners alike. This is because granite possesses several sought-after characteristics that are essential for building the ultimate countertop.

Granite is a coarse-grained igneous rock made of feldspar, mica, and more than 20 percent quartz. This excellent combination of minerals makes for its tough and durable quality. Granite countertops are very hard and durable. In fact, they cannot be scratched by anything, except by some other piece of granite, or of course, diamond, which is the hardest mineral on earth.

Countertops made from other materials are very susceptible to the elements, and even slight temperature changes can cause them to crack and split. But the mica component of granite countertops makes them very resistant to temperature. It doesn¡¯t matter if you put down a container of ice cream on your granite countertops, or a pot of steaming soup ¨C the granite countertops will endure the temperature admirably, and not a single crack will appear on the surface.

These characteristics of granite countertops alone are enough to convince a homeowner to replace their own wooden or tile countertops with granite. But you would be delighted to know that there is more to granite than just their functionality. As&nbs