Ever wonder where your marble or granite countertops came from? We have the answers. It&#;s more interesting than you may think.
For more information, please visit CHENGXINRUN.
Both of these natural stones are largely quarried in Brazil and Italy, but were you aware that the United States is a leading producer of granite and marble too? In fact, in alone, more than 580,000 tons of granite and 55,000 tons of marble were produced in quarries across the country. Take Danby Marble Quarry in Vermont, for example, which has been producing marble for more than a century.
This marble has been used in the creation of some of the country&#;s most iconic monuments, from the Jefferson Memorial to the Supreme Court.
Granite is found mainly in Texas, Massachusetts, Indiana, Wisconsin, and Georgia, as these are the top producers of granite in the U.S., accounting for 64 percent of the country&#;s production. In , natural stone was produced at 276 quarries within 34 states.
The largest open-face granite quarry on the planet can be found at Mount Airy, North Carolina, known locally as &#;The Granite City.&#; The North Carolina Granite Corporation was established in , and has been harvesting stone there for more than 150 years.
In , a marble quarry was discovered in the Colorado Rockies at 9,300 feet above sea level. This marble, known as Calacatta Lincoln, was used to build the Lincoln Memorial.
The United States happens to be the world&#;s top consumer of dimension stone, which is basically natural stone that has been selected and finished to specific shapes or sizes. It was also ranked 18th in the world for granite and marble production, behind top-producing countries such as China, India, and Turkey.
Still, the U.S. imports nearly 90 percent of all the granite and marble used in residential construction. Why? Price is the driving factor, plus the fact that the U.S. does not have the infrastructure to meet the high level of demand.
Additionally, most of the granite quarried in this country is a plain gray color, better suited for use in structures or as paving materials. Many homeowners don&#;t want this plain color and lack of variation to be used in their kitchens and bathrooms.
However, there are still ways you can support your local businesses, since smaller local companies offer granite and marble countertop fabrication and installation. There are many beautiful patterns and colors to choose from, from dusty black backgrounds with gray swirls to black backgrounds peppered with mahogany, burgundy, and gray.
Many consumers are simply not aware of the abundance of the products being offered right around the corner. For that, turn to Granite Guy for the highest quality granites and marbles for your kitchen and bathroom countertops.
Get in touch with Granite Guy today at 508-460- to learn more.
If you are in the market for new
granite countertops, you have probably already looked at many photos online. You may have already visited a few showrooms. We have had many customers ask us; where does granite come from and how do they make it look so pretty?
Here we will explain how the rock is removed from the Earth and turned into beautiful stone countertops.
Where Does Granite Come From?
The formation of granite occurs when magma crystallizes slowly below the Earth&#;s surface. Granite is composed of mainly natural quartz and feldspar with traces of amphiboles, mica, and other organic minerals. At their earliest stages, your granite countertops were just molten magma. The color and patterns of each type of granite are a result of the distinct mineral composition. These color variants are a red, pink, grey, or white color with dark grains in the pattern. Some of the most extraordinary granites will include colors like blue, green, black, and gold.
Brazil supplies the majority of the world&#;s granite for countertops, followed by Italy, India, and China. Because of the process in which granite forms, it will have a different color at every mine.
The company is the world’s best Granite Supply supplier. We are your one-stop shop for all needs. Our staff are highly-specialized and will help you find the product you need.
Granite is located close to the Earth&#;s surface, allowing mining to take place in shallow quarries. The granite formation is typically varied large, and the rock will need to be cut into transportable pieces to be processed. The sectioning of granite happens by drilling small holes in the size that will be transportable &#; by precisely measured explosives, placed into the holes. When detonated, the block will separate from the bedrock without cracking.
The blast is designed to direct the block onto a bed of sand to minimize any unintentional damage. Large equipment is used to lift the large chunks of granite and load them into heavy-duty trucks. Once loaded, they will be transported for further processing.
Brazil supplies the majority of the world&#;s granite for countertops, followed by Italy, India, and China. Because of the process in which granite forms, it will have a different color at every mine.
From Stone Blocks to Granite Slabs
Once at a stone cutting facility, large blocks of granite will be cut into slabs, split into 2 or 3cm pieces. The machine does not cut one slice at a time but multiple slabs at once. The machine can have numerous circular blades or diamond wire blades that will cut through the block of granite like an egg slicer. It can be a long process, taking up to an hour for these blades to go through one foot of stone. Imagine how long it takes to cut through an entire 10&#; x 5&#; x 10&#; block of granite.&#;
Recent innovations like the use of diamond wire cutting saws and other technological advances have increased the speed and accuracy of this process. Thus, leading to faster production and lower cost to produce granite, resulting in better consumer prices.
&#;
Today we see much more granite used in middle-class homes. In years past granite counters were not affordable to be used in the same houses.
Polishing to Reveal the Natural Beauty
Polishing the granite&#;s surface will bring out the natural colors and patterns. Also, the surface will become smooth to the touch. The machines that polish the slabs have large, diamond polishing pads. There are several steps in the polishing process, and each one will use a lower grit diamond abrasive. Each of these steps slowly brings out the shine in the granite. Only the one side of the slab is polished, while the edges and sides are left unpolished.&#;
Transporting the Granite Slabs
Once the slabs are polished and bundled into bundles of 6-7 slabs. Typically they are bundled in the order they were cut from the block. This is an important step to ensure the bundled slabs will have consistent veining and color. The bundles are then packaged onto a shipping container and transported to the US on a Freighter. These freighters arrive in US ports and large cranes are used to transfer the slabs to semi-truck beds. The stone slabs are now in route to the region of the country in which they well be delivered for future fabrication.
Granite Slabs
When you are ready to choose the stone for your countertops, you will be able to view the stone slab that will be fabricated and installed in your home. You may have looked at samples and displays in showrooms, but you will want to look at the actual full-size slab before you decide on a type of granite. You may initially see a small sample in the beginning of your stone countertop exploration. Granite is a natural stone, so no two pieces are exactly alike. Seeing the full slab is the only way to get a good visual of the movement and color of the slab that will be fabricated and installed in your home.
We Fabricate and Install Your Granite Countertops
CSW is all about fabricating and installing granite, quartz and other natural and engineered stone for kitchen countertops, bathroom vanities, home bars and more. Our countertop experts can help you select the perfect stone for your kitchen, bath, home bar and more. We serve home builders, remodelers, contractors, commercial builders and residential home owners.
Are you interested in learning more about Granite Kerbs? Contact us today to secure an expert consultation!