If you are thinking of a kitchen renovation you might have noticed that almost every other countertop that you see is a granite countertop. The most popular material used for countertops is Granite; in fact many people are choosing granite as default when undertaking a kitchen renovation. Granite as a choice for countertops looks beautiful as well as luxurious and can be cut to any shape and size.

The quality and strength of granite stone is at par with any other stone available, either man made or natural. Many people are using granite countertops; they are happy with its performance and if given a chance say will again use granite as countertop material for kitchen renovations. Granite as a choice for countertops is currently being challenged by materials like wood, steel and quartz.

Granite is frequently found as an igneous rock in nature. Formed by magma, this type of rock must infringe other rocks. Granite is also a natural source of radiation and contains 10 to 20 parts per million of uranium. It is because of this fact that there is a lot of criticism for use of granite as a choice for countertops. Many people believe that granite is unsuitable as a material for making countertops as it has radioactive properties but manufacturers of granite countertops maintain that the allegations are highly exaggerated and the levels of radiation are very low, that they do not pose a threat to anyone.

Many radiation testing do it yourself kits are available in the hardware shops which you can buy readily to find the levels of your granite. Normal levels are below 4.0 “Pico Curies per liter of air” and are considered absolutely safe.

Granite is used because of its charm as a naturally made stone and all the patterns made are also done by nature, this point is something that its man-made material competitors lack in the countertop business. Granite has many features as a countertop material which other materials used for countertop don’t and thus is preferred while kitchen renovation.

Granite is non-porous i.e. it would not absorb any of the liquid spill and thus would retain its color and texture for a longer time. As opposed to steel countertops granite is heavier and thus is for great use as cutting board as well as for keeping heavy objects on it. Unlike other materials used for countertops granite has a very long life and is untouched by minor scratches and strains. In fact many people use granite as a cutting board to slice and dice vegetables and meat products; proper care is advised as it may make knives blunt.

Granite is heat resistant and another possibility for use in hotel countertops as hot containers can be kept on it without the need to place countertop protectors below hot containers. Even tough stains like coffee pot stains can be easily removed from granite by just wiping them with a cloth without damaging the granite polish. Any kitchen renovation done later can be done around the granite countertop possibly which would not need any repairs. Major disadvantage of using granite as a countertop material is its costly price but it still is priced aggressively with regard to wood and steel.