Granite Worktops

Introduction to Granite Worktops

Granite worktops have quickly become one of the most desired additions to the modern day kitchen, available in many different colours with depth in textures and patterns; they offer durability, resistance and a lifetimes worth of service. The complexity and density of the material, alongside the pristine finishes achievable through cutting and polishing make granite worktops an appealing choice over laminate and wooden worktops.

To give you a better insight into granite worktops, we have provided a vast amount of information below to help you understand the benefits, selection process and quality of our granite worktops. Using the links below, you can jump to a section you require, or simply work your way down the page.

1. Benefits of Granite Worktops
2. Choosing the right Granite kitchen worktop
3. Types of Granite Worktops
4. Black Granite Worktops
5. White Granite Worktops
6. Polished Granite Worktops
7. Cheap Granite Worktops
8. Why buy Granite Worktops direct?
9. Installation Process of Granite Worktops

Benefits of Granite Worktops

Besides looking the part in your home, Granite worktops come with a large list of practical benefits. Being naturally formed, Granite is naturally an extremely strong material; common benefits of having granite worktops include durability, ease of cleaning and increase in home value.

Granite's excellent durability means that it has resistance to pressure, wear and tear as well as being heat resistance making it ideal for the kitchen. Things like placing a hot pan on the surface, or using the surface as a chopping board can be done with no visible damage, but we would advise against this.

Due to the way granite is formed and polished before fitting, it is an extremely hygienic and easy to clean surface. A surface sealer is applied during the manufacturing and polishing process to create an impenetrable shield against all kinds of common kitchen germs. Naturally, granite is a slightly porous material (allows passage of liquids through its pores), so we seal your granite worktops to keep them germ free.

A common, missed benefit of granite worktops is the additional value they can add to your home. Because granite is a solid and hard-wearing material, it is likely to last a lifetime over the cheaper wooden and laminate worktops. Deemed a good investment to your home, your granite worktops will never lose their value once fitted.

Choosing the right Granite kitchen worktop

When looking to make an investment in the perfect granite worktops for you, it's vital that you choose the best suited colour for your kitchen and to your taste.

Granite comes in all kinds of shades, tones and stunning patterns which makes the initial decision hard – especially when there are so many surrounding factors to take into account such as trends, kitchen shape & style, theme within your home and more.

We appreciate this is a big decision and so here at Mayfair Granite we aim to help and support you; to help you get started, we've provided a number of questions and answers to help you along the way. These should help you build a clearer understanding of the granite worktops you'd like in your home.

1. What kitchen style do you have / are you looking to achieve?

If you have a contemporary kitchen such as a handle-less kitchen with clean straight lines then you should probably go for modern plain coloured granite worktops, which complement most contemporary kitchens.

On the other hand if you have a traditional kitchen such as a shaker or in framed kitchen then you need to go for a more textured and patterned granite worktop. There are many to choose from and the final decision will depend on your colour scheme.

2. Do you want the granite worktop to be a statement or a subtler and sleek look?

It really depends on personal preference and the look you want to achieve, you can either have granite worktops that match the colour of your kitchen units, and these look a lot subtler. Alternatively you can have worktops in a different colour to your units these will create a great contrast and will be the focal point of your kitchen.

3. Light or dark granite worktops?

This really depends if you want to make the room light and airy then we would have suggested going for a lighter coloured granite worktop, which will reflect light back into the room. However, if the room is well lit and has natural lighting then why not go for a darker more durable granite worktop.

4. Granite Upstands and sills

Upstands can be a great option and really finish off the worktops also meaning you do not have to tile the walls, instead most customer's that go for upstands tend to paint the walls. Upstands can be a great cost saving option compared to tiling the walls. Window sills really do complement the rest of your granite worktops and will not need replacing overtime like traditional wooden window sills that can be damaged by water in your kitchen or need painting in the future.

5. What Edge Should You Have On Your Granite Worktops?

There are many edge profiles to choose from, the most popular option is the standard chamfer, with it's clean straight lines. Other options include pencil round, which is the top and bottom edge of the granite slightly rounded off. Additional options are half bullnose, full bullnose and ogee, but these options can be expensive and make your worktops look very traditional and dated.

6. Most importantly, which colour Granite?

The ultimate decision of which colour to go for can be a bit daunting especially when you have such a wide range of colours to choose from. This really depends on a number of factors such as kitchen colour, design, style and your interior. Our stone masons are always on hand to help you decide on colour. Due to the fact we keep all our granite in stock and we have the largest stock holding of granite in the country, means you do not have to decide on the final colour till we start cutting your worktops. So when our stone mason visits to make exact replicate templates of your worktops, they can help you decide on colour whilst being in your kitchen.

Making sure that you have chosen the right granite worktop is vital, be sure to use samples and expert opinion to assist you in your decision.

Types of Granite Worktops

Similar to choosing paint for your walls or carpet for your floors, granite worktops come in a whole variety of patterns, colour, finishes and shade. The different variants are created naturally through the different mixtures of minerals and elements used to form the granite billions of years ago, hence why we generally have shades of blacks, greys, whites, browns, blues and so on.

There are variants and types up into the 100's that are all completely unique to one another in pattern, hence why you will never see one type of granite exactly the same as another. Having said that, sometimes it can be difficult to differentiate some styles, so we've made it our personal task to try and help you out as best we can and educate you on certain types to clarify any questions you may have. To begin, you will find below a number of different, high quality and more common types of granite worktops that we have described in a little more detail.

1. Black Granite Worktops

Black Granite worktops are an extremely popular choice for those looking for clean, simplistic and statement looks. Black Granite is available in a variety of different styles and doesn't just come in a simple solid black colour, in fact, there are many different styles of black granite worktops available.

What makes each granite unique is the different grains and patterns. Although black is perceived to be a solid colour, there are in fact a large variety of black granite worktops different to one another – we sell around 10 variants of black kitchen worktops alone that all have different colour pops, patterns and shades. Our most popular black countertop is the Absolute Black Granite which has an excellent glossy finish and makes an impressive bold statement when coupled with a light coloured kitchen.

2. White Granite Worktops

Similar to the black granite worktops range, our white granite is also an extremely popular choice for those looking for the lighter and cleaner look. These popular choices help retain the light in your home and are a good option if you prefer a less statement look but wanting to make your kitchen feel much bigger.

Classy and clean in appearance, white granite kitchen worktops come in a large variety of options, with intricate patterns and shades which really showcase the beauty of this natural material. Unlike the black granite options, the white granite patterns are clearer and offer a larger variety due to the lighter shading. Our most popular choice of white countertops is the Kashmir White which offers stunning grey vein patterns and natural cranberry coloured embellishments. This worktop and other white variants look stunning paired with any style of kitchen.

3. Polished Granite Worktops

Polished granite worktops are the perfect finish to any style of kitchen, whether it's rustic, contemporary, traditional or modern.

Due to granite being a porous material, when having worktops fitted, it is important that it is polished to a high standard and sealed, this prevents any unwanted saturation and storage of dirt, water and germs within. Additionally, granite worktops are best preserved when polished as this helps retain the perfect granite – ideal for your home, and also for re-sale value when the time comes. An added bonus is that a well maintained granite gives an excellent shine and reflection allowing the stunning natural material to showcase its patterns.

4. Cheap Granite Worktops

Making your kitchen look glamorous doesn’t need to be an expensive process. All our granite worktops are stylish but cheap and affordable worktops, with a premium and plush finish. Our cheap granite worktops deliver the same high quality and finish as many of our high end products. Our site offers the highest quality at the lowest prices. Buying direct from our showroom avoids any third party costs and potential communication issues. We store all our granite in our warehouse and it's cut to demand, making our process faster and cheaper, giving you the perfect granite worktop, cheap and high quality.

Why buy Granite Worktops direct?

There are a number of ways that granite worktops are sold these days, whether they are through kitchen companies, through second hand acquisition or direct from the supplier. There are many downfalls when not making a purchase direct from the supplier due to the complications that can arise, and the chain of sales that is also caused from buying through middle men.

Generally, when a purchase is made through kitchen companies and kitchen specialists, you may find that the price obtained is slightly inflated in order for the trader to make money from the worktop. The kitchen company will act as a middle man and purchase the worktops from a granite supplier, most of the time you will not even know which granite supplier they will use until they turn up at your door.

When buying second hand from re-sale websites, there is also this risk of untreated, weak or broken granite. Bigger risks are found here due to not knowing the conditions the granite has been kept in and if it has been looked after – Granite worktops require maintenance every few years to ensure they are well maintained and looking their best (as well as being as durable and waterproof as possible) and it is easily un-noticed if a granite is overdue a resealing or has subtle cracks. Mis-treated granite worktops can also impact the value of your house. Finally due to the fact granite worktops are a bespoke product mean second hand worktops may not always fit your kitchen.

Buying direct from the manufacturer, the main benefit asides from all the positives that granite provides, is you are provided with a warranty so you have complete peace of mind. Additionally, there are no middle man commissions involved, the price you are given is normally a trade price – the granite is cut with precision from raw granite slabs, prepared and delivered / fitted in your home.

Professionally Installed Granite Worktops

The biggest benefit of them all when looking to buy granite worktops directly, is that you have a fully tailored and bespoke worktop cut, manufactured and polished to your specifications which has been templated by highly skilled stonemasons and granite technicians. The same stonemason will then be at hand to fully fit your brand new granite worktop into your kitchen, making sure that it fits as per your specification and is polished to a high quality.

Mayfair Granite strives off a strong reputation of happy customers and word of mouth. We do our upmost to ensure that every customer provided with a fitted granite worktop feels informed, satisfied and pleased with the finish.