Points to check before purchasing granites./How to buy best quality granites?/Tips for buying granites.

First, you have to visit several granite dealers nearby you & collect the granite samples from every one of them.

●. After collecting samples:

After collecting sample pieces from the dealer, look for whether the pattern matches with your home interior. Always go for the shades that are vibrant & enhance the beauty of your home.

After selecting the particular granite sample out of many, you have to carry out the following tests to check its quality. 

◆. Acid test:

Superior granite is inert to different types of acids. In the kitchen, often we use tamarind & lemon for cooking. They are acidic in nature & the kitchen countertop should have the ability to resist any reaction with them.

To check the quality, put a few drops of lemon juice over the granite sample piece. After keeping them overnight, wipe them with a clean towel. There should not be any dullness or change in colors. If you find patches of reaction, then such granite samples should be discarded.

◆. Scratch test:

Granite is one of the hardest natural stones available on Earth. The hardness rating of granite on the Mohs scale is 6-7. The hardness of metal steel is between 4 to 4.5 on the same scale. 

Scratch the surface of the granite slab with a coin or any vehicle key. The best quality granite is scratch-resistant & you won't find any markings over its surface. 

If there are any markings, it suggests that granite stone is not dense & contains a higher percentage of other materials in its composition.

Granite samples that have scratch-proof qualities should be selected.

◆. Porosity test:

Put a few drops of water over the granite pieces & clean the water with a paper towel after about half an hour. If you find dampness or traces behind, it indicates that the granite is porous & lacks quality.

●. After selecting samples:

Once the granite sample passes all the above-given quality tests the next thing you have to do is to visit the particular dealer who has provided you the best granite piece.

Now, the following are the different points to be checked over the granite slab before purchasing.

◆. Thickness:

Mostly, the thickness of the granite slab is 3/4th inch. (20 mm.). In any case, the thickness of the countertop granite slab should not be less than 17mm.

You may choose a thin slab as the price is lucrative. However, they are not good enough to sustain impact loads & may break or develop cracks in the future.

◆. Natural finish:

To attract customers, the granite slab is made more smooth & shiny by color-coating the surface. Initially, these types of slabs look superior, but gradually they lose their glitter & become dull.

Now, how to identify such types of granites?

Pour a bucket of water over the back surface of the slab. The design pattern should look similar to the front polished face. If you find variations in color patterns that means the surface is sprayed with coatings.

If you cannot distinguish by this method, you can find them by alternate procedure as mentioned below.

Take a dry clean cloth piece & soak it with kerosene or paint thinner. Rub the small portion of the granite slab for several seconds. The color will come off & you will find them over the cloth piece.

◆. Surface finish: 

The Granite slab should not contain any spots or dents on its surface. Gently hover your palm over the polished surface. It should be smooth without any undulations & grainy touch. 

◆. Cracks:

Granite may contain hairline cracks over its body. You have to take a close-up view of the surface of the granite slab in the daylight. If you find any cracks or dents in granite fissures, you have to avoid such slabs.

◆. Pattern: 

Nowadays, granite slabs are available in various types of design patterns having different colored textures. Whatever the pattern may be, you have to closely look for the uniformity of the textures. It should not be dense at particular parts of the granite surface & light in some surface areas.

It indicates that the mined granite stone is not a well-formed igneous rock & its hardness may vary. 

◆. Color:

The color should be uniform all over the surface of the granite slab. If you find them dark in some areas & faint with a dull finish at other slab parts you should avoid such granites.

◆. Watermarking & lining:

Granite should be free of any water flow like marking having different shades. If you find any strip of lines having a narrow width or water markings, don't buy such granites.

●. Some other points:

◆. Patience:

The seller may put you in urgency to make hasty decisions to buy an improper granite piece. Please don't fall for their words. 

Once you install granite for countertops or flooring, it is very difficult to replace them in the future. So, be cool & do all the needed checking.

◆. Origin:

Granite is a natural stone mined from different geographical locations. Stones coming from certain regions may be well known for their superiority & quality.

Before purchasing, try to know the granite's origin & if possible search for the granite slab coming from the renowned mining area. 

Thank you for going through this article❤. Have a good day 😄.

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