It's hard to top granite for beauty, durability

Ancient building block gains new popularity for floors, counters

Rosemary Sadez Friedmann, Scripps Howard News Service

Published September 9, 2006 at midnight

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Granite is the hardest building stone in existence (only diamonds and some other gemstones are harder). And it is this little fact that makes granite a prime choice for many interior design applications.

Besides being tough stuff, granite also is beautiful, adding a hint of luxury to a home even as it adds utilitarian touches.

As a kitchen tabletop, for instance, granite will wear well. Other practical applications include vanity tops, kitchen counters, consoles, cocktail tables, floors and backsplashes, just to name a few.

The word granite comes from the Latin "granum," meaning grain, in reference to the coarse-grained structure found in the crystalline rock.

By definition, granite is a composite of several minerals, including quartz and feldspar, which form into crystalline patterns. It is the patterns and colors that give granite its beauty and cause no two slabs of granite to look exactly the same.

The composite is formed within the earth's mantle, where intense heat makes rocks plastic. When this molten rock intrudes upward into the earth's crust, it cools and solidifies into a hard igneous rock, and granite is the result.

Granite has been used for millennia as a building material.

Today, technology allows us to cut the granite into much more complex shapes than was possible in the past.

There are various grades of granite and, though all are strong, durable and beautiful, the pricing and color range can differ widely. Many granite dealers grade their supplies. Generally there are three grades: 1, 2 and 3. Grade 1 is the most expensive and can range in price from $40 to $50 per square foot.

Grade 2 comes in at about $10 a square foot less than grade 1. Grade 3 can cost as little as $10 to $20 a square foot and in some cases even less. These general prices are for slabs. Granite tiles are available for as little as $2 per square foot.

The colors generally are purer and more robust as the price increases. There are emeralds, blue pearls, blacks, reds and pinks. Reds and pinks are available in all three grades, while the emeralds, blues and blacks are in the more expensive price bracket.

One of the main reasons people select granite is because of its natural beauty. The coloration will never change; it will always be as bright and vibrant as when it is first installed.

And it takes another piece of granite or diamonds to cut granite, helping assure a homeowner it won't scratch with normal use.

In addition, it's heat-resistant so items from the oven can be placed right on the counter without a problem.

Since there are so many choices of color in granite, a word about selection might be appropriate here. When choosing something as significant as flooring or countertops, consider the entire space, not just the slab of granite. Think of the space, not in terms of what it currently is, but of what the space could be. You will be investing a lot when buying granite. It is a small thing to repaint the walls or change the handles on the cabinet doors.

Reinventing your space, instead of retrofitting it, may be intimidating at first, but with a little patience and a lot of planning, you will end up with a much more professional look.

With the durability and beauty of granite, it is certainly a worthwhile investment. And maybe, just as diamonds are a girl's best friend, granite may prove to be a home's best friend.

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