Types of Granite and their Formation

Granite is an igneous rock made up of primarily quartz, feldspar, micas, amphiboles, and a mixture of additional trace minerals. It is formed through the cooling and solidification of magma or lava. Granite forms from the slow crystallization of magma below Earth’s surface. The two major types of igneous rock are extrusive and invasive. Extrusive rocks are formed from lava on the surface of the Earth, which is a magma that has erupted from the crust. Intrusive rocks are formed from magma, which cools and solidifies within the crust of the earth.

 

Gneiss is a high grade metamorphic rock, meaning that it has been subjected to higher temperatures and pressures than schist. It is formed by the metamorphosis of granite, or sedimentary rock. Gneiss displays distinct foliation, representing alternating layers composed of different minerals. Mineralogy, gneiss appears to contain quartz, feldspar, mica, chlorite and other minerals of clay. Some also contain larger crystals embedded in the rock matrix, most commonly garnet, topaz and beryl minerals.

Reason and Advantages of Granite

The applications of granite are as expansive as its properties. Granite can be used both in interior and exterior projects with equal dynamisms. While interior projects may include countertops for bathroom or kitchen, exterior projects encompass constructions and building monuments or pavements. Below we have discussed a few reasons and advantages of granite for which people use it a lot.

 

Highly resistant to stains, heat and scratches

 It ranks 7 on MOH’s hardness scale and is hard to scratch. Granite is stain resistant which means you can easily clean it with a piece of cloth if coffee or wine spills over it. It is also heat resistant as it is formed due to lava heat melting earth’s crust. Granite is also non porous which means less water resistant and stain resistant.

Hardest countertop material which is easy to maintain

 Among the many options you have for natural stone countertops, granite is one of the easiest to maintain. It does not require any chemical washing and you just need simple sealer to maintain it. It is among the hardest countertop materials available and is not easily damaged. Warm water, mild dishwashing liquid and soft clean cloth is generally all that’s needed to maintain your granite countertop surface.

Granite maintenance and care

You might also want to ponder upon certain limitations of Granite, which are very few when compared with the positives:

Granite needs to be sealed regularly: The most common disadvantage of granite is that it needs to be periodically resealed in order to keep it properly protected. Properly sealing protects granite from stains and bacterial growth. Sealing is required once or twice a year to keep the stone looking and performing its best for a lifetime.

Porosity: Granite is less porous when compared to marble. Granite easily absorbs acidic substances, liquids and cosmetics, which can bring stains to its surface.

Suggested Applications for Granite

Granite, in particular, is very strong because it formed under extreme pressure and heat. It is also heat resistant and virtually scratch-resistant, which makes it the ideal material .  Granite is also best for bathroom walls as advanced tools and techniques make it possible to cut granite into just about any shape you can imagine. Being a hard material, granite walls are very resistant to cracks and chips.

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