Are you looking for a kitchen renovation idea but can’t seem to narrow down your choices? Are you looking for ways to freshen up the kitchen without breaking the bank? Well, then you are in the right place. In today's commercial setup, there are endless solutions to your décor woes and even a wider variety of raw materials to choose from. The best part? They cater to a variety of budgets and needs and you can easily find the right item that seems to add value to your house. Over the last two decades, granite countertops have been immensely popular for both commercial and residential usage. The wide array of colors, patterns coupled with the durability and longevity comparable to marble has made it famous amongst home owners.
Granite stones are available in a variety of designs that suit every budget; hence they are much easier on the pocket than their expensive counterpart such as marble.
As we already know, granite stone is available in a variety of designs, textures and patterns. Owing to its popularity, there are certainly a lot of products on the market that mimic the essence of granite. Embossed granite, cultured granite and faux granite are all the forms of the stone available today.
What Is Cultured Granite?
In simpler terms, cultured granite is a mere imitation of the actual granite stone. In more technical terms, cultured granite is a cast polymer, which comprises a mix of unsaturated polyester resins, fillers, pigments, chip and dust (recycled stone particles). Primary fillers used to make the cultured granite include a mixture of aluminum trihydrate and a special concoction of color chips. Traces of quartz can also be found in the manufacturing process.
The process includes spraying the forms with a gel spray coat that gives it the shiny, transparent and polished effect on the surface. The molds are then filled to the brim with the polymer mixture, the mix is then vibro compacted to remove every bit of air particle from the polymer matrix. Once the mix has set for a couple of hours, the material is finally removed from the mold and polished.
Selling Points of Cultured Granite
When looking for your renovation ideas, you might not even shortlist the idea of integrating cultured granite into your home. As an emerging material, we do recommend looking out for the following characteristics of the material before moving to other options:
Engineered Stone
For starters, it is an engineered stone made up of recycled polymers and stone particles. Because of these characteristics, the stone is insanely durable, heavy weighted and almost impossible to chip.
Great Style and Overall Finish
Because it is a synthetic kitchen countertop, it is much more uniform and consistent than its natural counterpart.
Custom Design Options
Unlike natural granite, that comes in standard patterns and colors that at times, is not the kind of material you are looking for, cultured granite is synthetic and manufactured which leaves room for custom made designs, patterns and colors. The whole process of selecting the cultured granite is very much interactive and user friendly.
Affordability
As anticipated, cultured granite being a mere imitation of the real thing costs way less than the real deal. This makes it a great option for homeowners with restricted budgets who want the real feel of granite stones.
Low Maintenance
Because of its pore-less structure, cultured granite is extremely user friendly, and very low maintenance. It's absolutely perfect for busy parents and couples.
The Downside
While there are certainly more pros to it, we should discuss the cons as well. Because of the gel coating on top of the resin mixture, cultured granite can’t resist abrasions and scratches. If you’re the kind of person who tends to cut and chop a lot in the kitchen, this could lead to permanent scratches that would require frequent replacements.
How To Select A Cultured Granite Installer?
- Firstly, you should know that the price per square foot you get when selecting the granite slab won’t be the exact price you will pay. In most cases, cost of custom cut and shape will increase the final price.
- When everything is done, ask your granite installer Rockville about finishing and sealing. As cultured granite is synthetic, it might not require sealing, but you should ask the installer.
