Granite is the hardest stone in common use as a building surface, and it is close to the most durable thing you can put in a house. Once polished it holds its gloss more or less permanently. Normal use of kitchen knives, cutlery and cookware will not scratch it. Heat has almost no effect on it, which makes it considerably safer around a stove than the synthetic surfaces built from polyesters and resins.
What granite actually is
Granite is an igneous rock, formed from molten magma that cooled slowly deep underground. That slow cooling is what allows the visible mineral crystals – mostly quartz, feldspar and mica – to grow, and it is why granite has that speckled, crystalline look rather than the veining of marble. Some stone sold as granite formed instead through regional metamorphism, where existing rock recrystallized under heat and pressure without ever fully melting.
The three grain classifications
- Fine grain – feldspar crystals average about 1/16 to 1/8 inch across.
- Medium grain – feldspar crystals average about 1/4 inch.
- Coarse grain – feldspar crystals average 1/2 inch and up, sometimes several centimeters.
Grain size is mostly an appearance decision. Fine grain reads as a near-solid color from across the room. Coarse grain reads as pattern and movement, and it needs more space to look right – a busy coarse-grain granite on a small backsplash usually fights with everything else in the kitchen.
Finishes
- Polished – the familiar high gloss. Deepest color, most reflective, shows water spots and fingerprints most readily.
- Honed – ground flat and smooth but not buffed to a shine. A softer matte look with better slip resistance, though it shows oils a little more.
- Flamed or thermal – the surface is heat-treated until it flakes into a rough texture. Very high slip resistance, which makes it the usual choice for exterior steps and patios.
Granite tile instead of a granite slab
Granite countertops are usually sold as slabs, and slabs are expensive. For a fraction of that cost you can have granite tile installed on the same countertop, and with the right grout color the result is very close to the same look. It is a sensible way to balance style against budget, and it is a job we have done many times.
Granite tile is also a common choice for fireplace surrounds, where the heat resistance genuinely matters, and for entryways where you want something that will not wear.
Custom medallions
We can build a one-of-a-kind medallion for an entryway or a fireplace, turning the floor into an actual piece of art rather than a surface. Every medallion is cut from regular square tile and shaped by hand to the pattern. We only build each design once, so yours stays yours.
Where granite works, and where it does not
Granite is one of the few stones we are comfortable using almost anywhere. It resists acids that would etch marble or travertine, so a splash of lemon juice or vinegar on a granite counter is not the problem it would be on softer stone. Its density also makes it frost resistant, which matters here – it is one of the stones that will survive a Northern Colorado winter on an exterior surface.
The honest limitations are these. Polished granite on a wet floor is slippery, so honed or flamed is the better specification for a bathroom or an entry. Granite is heavy, and a large-format granite floor demands a substrate that can carry it without deflection. And coarse-grain stone in a small room usually looks louder installed than it did in the showroom – always look at a full tile, not a two inch sample.
Sealing and maintenance
Granite is dense but not truly impervious. We seal it with a penetrating sealer, and it should be resealed periodically depending on the stone and where it is. We will discuss this in-depth with you to ensure you have accurate information about your installation.
Day to day it wants nothing more than a pH-neutral stone cleaner. Avoid bleach, ammonia and general-purpose bathroom sprays, which will strip the sealer over time even though they will not damage the stone itself.
As with every tile surface, the grout will fail before the stone does. We use a stain-proof epoxy grout on most of our stone work so the joints do not absorb or stain – the reasoning is in our guide to picking the perfect grout.
How we install granite tile
Stone is less forgiving than manufactured tile. It can vary in thickness from piece to piece, the color varies from crate to crate, and it telegraphs whatever is underneath it. We dry-lay stone before setting it so the color and pattern are distributed deliberately rather than by accident, we use a white thinset under light stone so the mortar does not shadow through, and we check the substrate for flatness and deflection before anything is set.
That last part matters more here than most places. Front Range soils are expansive and our seasonal swings are large, so a floor that is flat in July may not be in January. An installation that does not accommodate that movement is where cracks come from, and none of it is visible once the job is finished.
Granite tile installation in Fort Collins and Northern Colorado
We have been installing tile and stone since 1998. TileArt is Certified Tile Installer (CTI #847) through the Ceramic Tile Education Foundation, the only third-party, hands-on certification in a trade Colorado does not license, and also holds Certified Stone Specialist credentials through the University of Ceramic Tile and Stone.
If you are considering granite for a countertop, a fireplace, an entry or a floor in Fort Collins or anywhere in Northern Colorado, fill out our contact form or give us a call. If you want to compare it against the other stone options first, start with our natural stone page.
