Granite is great. It’s hard enough to resist most abrasion, strong enough to bear significant loads, able to resist weathering in the right environment, and accepts a brilliant polish, too. This makes granite one of the most indispensable yet underrated materials for construction, design and architecture on the planet.
Quarries
Most of the granite dimension stone produced in the United States comes from high quality deposits in five states: Massachusetts, Georgia, New Hampshire, South Dakota and Idaho.
Uses
Granite is used for counters, bricks, and tiles. When people think of granite, though, they picture boulders instead of the finely cut and polished slabs they see every day.
More than just the standard uses most people know about, the material is also a top choice for natural displays in homes and buildings. Because of its durability, granite is also the stone of choice for monuments and gravestones.
Buildings
Granite is used as both decorative pieces and foundational materials in historical and ancient monuments. Several Egyptian pyramids have faces made of this material. Hindu temples in India sport wall designs carved using it, too. The capitol buildings of Colorado, Pennsylvania, Wisconsin, and Texas are all made of granite.
Durability
Granite is impervious to everyday wear and tear and can easily outlast anything else that might be in your home. They are however, destructible, and will break if subjected to heavy targeted abuse. Granite counter tops, depending on the structure supporting it, can hold objects weighing more than 200 pounds.
Objects made from granite can also withstand temperatures of up to 1200 degrees Fahrenheit. It is not recommended however, to place hot objects near seams, or where two pieces of stone meet. This will not harm the stone, but it will weaken the adhesive agent used to join them.
Availability
Earth is the only known planet to have granite, with an abundance found in its continental crust. It is present in almost every part of the globe, with small variations in type and appearance. Because of its high supply, the cost of making granite countertops in Little Rock, AR, and across the globe in general, is low compared to their marble counterparts.
Since it’s easy to get, granite is relegated to a kind of lower seat in aesthetic building material. In time, its qualities start to shine through; granite will rise as the stone of choice and be built into every building in the world.
Sources:
http://geology.com/rocks/granite.shtml
https://plus.google.com/111868435003976782494/about?hl=en
http://www.geolsoc.org.uk/ks3/gsl/education/resources/rockcycle/page3519.html
