Natural Granite Wentworth Kitchen Interiors professional fitting teams can template and install  granite worktops  in Surrrey, West Sussex, South London and the surounding areas. MEASUREMENT OF HARDNESS SCALE: Talc Gypsum Calcite (Most Marbles) Fluorite Apatite Feldspar (Granite) Quartz (Granite) Topaz Corundum Diamond

What is granite? Granite is defined as a visibly granular, igneous rock generally ranging in colour from pink to light or dark gray and consisting mostly of quartz and feldspars accompanied by one or more dark minerals. The texture is typically homogenous but may be gneissic or prophetic. Some dark granular igneous rocks, though not properly granite, are included in this definition. What colours are granites available in? Granites are available in a wide range of colours and veining. There are beige colours, Emerald green tones, Reds, Blacks, Violets, Mauves and a host of others. The colour of the stone is dependent upon what region of the world the stone comes from. Some colours have been in use for hundreds of years; others are fairly new to the market. Some stones are available in slabs and tiles; others are only available in either slab or tile but not both. The size of the quarry, its location, accessibility and demand for the material will affect pricing. Labour costs in various countries also affects material costs. Technology is not the same in all countries, so beware of stones manufactured with inferior and outdated technology. These materials are usually not difficult to spot. What can granite be used for? Due to it's high density, acid resistance, low absorption rate, and scratch resistance, granite can be used for a wide range of applications including floors, fireplaces, furniture and kitchen counter tops. One of the leading uses of granite is for kitchen counter tops. Hundreds of colours and patterns are available as well as numerous edge details to allow granite to fit in with any kitchen design scheme. Granite is one of the best work surfaces available. Its polished finish won't wear off. Granite countertops will not blister, scratch or crack under normal use and they are highly stain resistant. How should I maintain my granite counter tops? The first and most important step is to make sure your granite counter tops are sealed using a good grade, silicone-based, impregnating sealer. A good coat of sealer will help prevent staining from liquids that are spilled on the surface. Granite countertops should be sealed around the time of installation and periodically (1-2 times per year) thereafter. A mild soap and water will suffice as a daily cleaning method . Rinse the surface thoroughly after washing with the soap solution and dry with a soft cloth. Too much cleaner or soap may leave a film or cause streaks. Do not use abrasive cleansers or harsh ammonia based cleaners. Do not use products that contain lemon, vinegar or other acids on the granite as the high acid content may etch the surface. Do not use scouring powders or creams; these products contain abrasives that may scratch the surface. Stone is the ultimate recyclable material. Formed as much as 540 million years ago, stone is constantly being evolved and destroyed by the forces that affect our planet. Although there are literally millions of combinations of rock, there are essentially three types; sedimentary, igneous and metamorphic. All of them have variants which make beautiful stone for house and home. Sedimentary Sedimentary rocks are produced by the movement of water or wind. Material, which may have been blown or washed, settles and with time and pressure forms rock. Some of this rock, such as that excavated from ancient river and sea beds, makes beautiful slabs of stone when polished. Often individual pebbles (which have travelled a short distance) surrounded by fine washed sands (which have travelled a long distance) and fossil remains can be seen. When cut and polished, these slabs unfold a fascinating story of the history behind the creation of our planet – their imperfections and randomness add to the uniqueness of their origin. Breccia, Limestone and Banded Ironstone are just some of the hundreds of beautiful stone types formed in this way. Igneous Igneous rocks are formed when magma (molten rock beneath the Earth’s surface) cools and solidifies. Because many of these rock types contain complex minerals they form crystals within their structure. These crystals might occur randomly, be aligned, or lie in layers giving rise to stunning visual surfaces in our polished slabs of stone. Extremely hard and durable as a work surface, Granite is one of the most common Igneous rock types in the world. Made up three different minerals (feldspar, quartz and mica) Granite is generally quite uniform in its structure and comes in a variety of colours and levels of polish owing to each type of granite’s unique mineral combination. Metamorphic Metamorphic rock is formed when either Sedimentary or Igneous rock is subjected to heat and pressure below the Earth’s crust. High grade metamorphic rock, such as the beautiful green and red Eclogite, forms from basic Igneous rocks deep below the Earth’s mantle whilst lower grade metaphorphic rock such as Slate is formed nearer the surface. Because quality and consistency is important to us we prefer to work only with high grade material, those rock types formed deep below the surface. Metamorphic stone slabs often show features of stretching, squashing and fracture and includes stone like Marble, Fault Breccia and Tectonite. Manmade Quartz Stone As if nature hadn’t provided enough variety, there are now high quality manmade stones which are proving extremely popular. They are made from crushed quartz crystals which are bonded together by a special resin producing a uniform worktop with a warmer feel to the hand. Manmade quartz bridges the gap between nature and technology. The process begins with combining 94% natural quartz with resins and pigments. Then through a patented process of vibro-compression, the resins bind the quartz in polymeric chains.The result is a highly durable stone product. Produced in 30mm, 20mm and 12mm thicknesses, each quartz slab measures approximately 3 meters long by 1.38 metres deep. It can be used in a variety of applications, including kitchen worktops, bathroom vanities, shower surrounds and floor and wall tiling.