Q. Why is granite an excellent material for kitchen and bath countertops?

A. Next to diamond, sapphire, and ruby, granite is the hardest natural product on earth. Once polished, granite will maintain its high gloss virtually forever. Granite is a dense material but relatively porous so it can get stained if a spill is not cleaned. We seal the surface with a water-based sealant and ask the consumer to follow a simple maintenence schedule. A maintenence sealant is recommended to protect the granite from water patches and stains. Sealing can be done once a year or once every two years depending on the usage of the surface. Normal food preparation, use of kitchen appliances, cutlery,knives, and cookware won't leave scratches. Heat has almost no effect on natural granite, making it much safer than synthetic surfaces with polyesters and resins (aka. solid surface counters). Pots and pans heated to 900 degrees F will not dull natural granite's lustrous finish. We recommended simple non-abrasive products to keep your granite counter clean.

Q. How do I know Coastal Countertop granite is high quality?

A. Processing Granite from the quarry:

Once the raw granite has been removed from its quarry bed, first stage in processing granite for the purposes of countertop slabs is cutting the larger chunks of granite into manageable blocks. These blocks of granite are then further cut to size for use as both slabs and tiles by means of wire saws which are treated with various kinds of durable abrasives, such as sand, aluminum oxide, and diamond. These saws are most commonly used with water as a coolant. Sometimes, high-pressure water jets are used to cut the granite paired with more traditional wire saws. Once the cutting process has been completed, the granite goes through several processes that make them recognizable as countertop slabs. They are polished on one side, calibrated and gauged. The slab is cut as evenly as
possible, and the edges as square as possible respectively. Our supplier only delivers the highest quality of granite which has been tested for stress cracks and other flaws that reduce the grade or integrity of the stone. This secondary and inferior granite many times ends up in liquidation or warehouse supply stores.

Coastal Countertops only orders first quality stone through reputable and reliable vendors. We offer over 600 variations and color choices for our clients which can be special ordered in addition to the wonderful supply on site that is ever changing with the routine granite deliveries coming in.