FAQ’s

Granite is priced by its scarcity. For example, there are only 2 quarries in the world that supply labrador antique thus it is in the highest price group whereas impala can be sourced from 1 of 12 quarries hence its price group. Some granites are more unique than others and there are many natural disasters occurring in the world that affects the price of stone. Recently there was an earthquake in India that affected a mine producing Star Galaxy; this in turn became hard to get hold of and the price increased. The grade of the material is important too. We only source grade A material from established suppliers from around the world.

Granite is the hardest natural product on earth after diamond, sapphire and ruby,. Once polished, natural granite will maintain its high gloss almost forever. It is heat, stain and scratch resistant. It is sometimes possible to scratch some of the softer granites and we always recommend use of a chopping board. It is also possible to purchase hob bars for hot pans.

They are all 100% natural products. Granite is less porous than the other two and mostly used for kitchen worktops. Marble is normally used in the bathroom or floor and limestone can be used for flooring. All three can be used to create beautiful fireplaces.

Granite is a common and widely occurring type of intrusive, felsic, igneous rock. Granites usually have a medium- to coarse-grained texture. Occasionally some individual crystals (phenocrysts) are larger than the groundmass, in which case the texture is known as porphyritic. A granitic rock with a porphyritic texture is sometimes known as a porphyry. Granites can be pink to gray in color, depending on their chemistry and mineralogy. By definition, granite has a color index (the percentage of the rock made up of dark minerals) of less than 25%. Outcrops of granite tend to form tors and rounded massifs. Granites sometimes occur in circular depressions surrounded by a range of hills, formed by the metamorphic aureole or hornfels. Granite is usually found in the continental plates of the Earth’s crust.

Granite is nearly always massive (lacking internal structures), hard and tough, and therefore it has gained widespread use as a construction stone. The average density of granite is between 2.65[1] and 2.75 g/cm3, its compressive strength usually lies above 200 MPa, and its viscosity at standard temperature and pressure is 3-6 1019 Pas.

The word granite comes from the Latin granum, a grain, in reference to the coarse-grained structure of such a crystalline rock. Granitoid is a general, descriptive field term for light-colored, coarse-grained igneous rocks. Petrographic examination is required for identification of specific types of granitoids.

Limestone is a sedimentary rock composed largely of the minerals calcite and/or aragonite, which are different crystal forms of calcium carbonate (CaCO3). Like most other sedimentary rocks, limestones are composed of grains; however, most grains in limestone are skeletal fragments of marine organisms such as coral or foraminifera. Other carbonate grains comprising limestones are ooids, peloids, intraclasts, and extraclasts. Some limestones do not consist of grains at all, and are formed completely by the chemical precipitation of calcite or aragonite, i.e. travertine. The solubility of limestone in water and weak acid solutions leads to karst landscapes. Regions overlying limestone bedrock tend to have fewer visible groundwater sources (ponds and streams), as surface water easily drains downward through joints in the limestone. While draining, water and organic acid from the soil slowly (over thousands or millions of years) enlarges these cracks; dissolving the calcium carbonate and carrying it away in solution. Most cave systems are through limestone bedrock.

Marble is a metamorphic rock composed of recrystallized carbonate minerals, most commonly calcite or dolomite. Geologists use the term “marble” to refer to metamorphosed limestone; however stonemasons use the term more broadly to encompass unmetamorphosed limestone.[1]
Marble is commonly used for sculpture and as a building material.

Quartz is the second most abundant mineral in the Earth’s continental crust, after feldspar. It is made up of a continuous framework of SiO4 silicon oxygen tetrahedra, with each oxygen being shared between two tetrahedra, giving an overall formula SiO2. There are many different varieties of quartz, several of which are semi-precious gemstones. Especially in Europe and the Middle East, varieties of quartz have been since antiquity the most commonly used minerals in the making of jewelry and hardstone carvings. The word “quartz” is derived from the German word “quarz” and its Middle High German ancestor “twarc”, which probably originated in Slavic (cf. Czech tvrdy (“hard”), Polish twardy (“hard”)).

Limestone is porous and should not be used as a kitchen worktop. This is because limestone is made up of softer properties and is not as durable as granite.

Marble is porous and should not be used as a kitchen worktop. However if someone was very careful, had many chopping boards and only had their kitchen for show then marble can be used. Marble is soft, permeable and vulnerable to stains. If lemon or any acidic foods contact the work surface the shine will come off the work surface.

Honed or matt granite give you a great look where fingerprints do not show up. The worktop has not been polished to a shine. It can come in a smooth or a rough finish. Honed stone produces a desired look for those that are not into the natural shine of their worktop. It must be noted that this type of material is suspect to staining and acratching and will require greater care than it’s polished counterpart.

We charge by the linear meter so we will not charge you for wastage. The cost of your worktop will not increase with the quantity of slabs we need for your kitchen. We will buy enough material to install your worktop and we will always endeavor to minimize waste.

Granite is stronger than most solid materials however it is not unbreakable. If there is an object that hits the worktop at a high velocity then a worktop can be damaged. The edge of the worktop and in and around the sink and drainer grooves are the most common places where chips occur. This is because pots and pans are constantly being banged against these areas. Chips are however repairable often with an akimi or resin. The quality of fitting is important when you buy a granite worktop and following ordinary usage it should never crack.

A technique that can be used to see if your granite needs to be resealed is to sprinkle some water on your worktop. If the water soaks into the stone and does not sit on the surface, then we would recommend resealing your granite.

Granite is fairly easy to maintain. It can be cleaned using warm soapy (ph neutral) water. A soft cloth will also bring up the shine. There are also good granite worktop cleaners that can be purchased from hardware stores. Astonish is a product we can recommend. We would advise against abrasive cleaners as they can often scratch the surface and take the shine away. Acetone will also bring the polish off.

Granite and quartz are a fantastic option for a kitchen worktop because you can cut directly on them without fear of scratching. Alternatively, some people like to have a chopping board made out of the same stone as their worktop solely for cutting on.

Normally, granite or quartz does not stain. If there is a tea cup that is left leaking at the same spot of a long enough period, it may leave a stain. As long as you are hygienic and responsible with your worktop, there should be no problems. Granite needs to be sealed once a year and quartz is sealed when it is manufactured and should never be sealed. Because of it’s non-porous properties, the sealant will sit on top and trap marks that will show up.

Avoid citric juices, oil based products and other acidic items when using your worktop. It is also necessary to wipe up spills as quickly as possible.

Your granite worktops will always be sealed at installation, Quartz is sealed at the factory and should never be re-sealed. Granite worktops whether polished or honed should be sealed every 12 months in order to stay stain resistant.

Acetone is a form of acid and when put in contact with polished surface there can a chemical reaction, resulting in the loss of polish. This is not advised.

Absolutely; we encourage visits to our stoneyard in Hertfordshire and our import factories in the South East of England. We have many suppliers with thousands of slabs on display so one can hand pick the material that will go into their home. For those reluctant to leave the comfort of their own home, we are able to send photos of the slabs and often send a sample of any desired granite, marble, limestone or quartz.

Granite is a natural product and can sometimes have pits in it. Granite is a crystalline that can have tiny spaces between the various mineral crystals. This does not mean the stone is defected but simply unique. Veins are part of the natural beauty in granite and one is advised to view a granite slab before it is manufactured and installed into a kitchen. Natural Veins and pits are distinctive characteristics of the natural product and will not impair the durability of the stone.

Granite slabs are often smaller than 3.2 metres by 2 metres. Quartz slabs are created 3 meters by 1.4 meters and marble and limestone are smaller still. When creating your kitchen design, one must factor these particulars into their plan. Any run longer than 3 meters will need a joint. Most island tops will need a joint if bigger than 3m x 1.4. There is a way to minimize the joints but only with the latest precision equipment and fantastic stone masonry skills. We boast the best joints in the industry by using the same colour adhesive as the worktops for the joints. Please visit our showroom to see the quality of our joints. Or view our Gallery

Hot items will not normally burn the granite. Having said this, we will always recommend hob bars as there can be a reaction with red hot items that may leave undesirable ring marks.