Are Granite Countertops Hazardous in Kitchen?

There has been always a debate over granite countertops being used in kitchen to be having / posing health hazards due to their emission of radioactive radon gas. This has been like opening up of a can of worms time and again, over this beautiful natural stone used as kitchen counter top or kitchen island.

The EPA says if the radon emission level is at 4 picocuries per liter (pCi/L) or more then its definitely a cause for concern and one needs to mitigate the risk by contacting your state radon office or hiring a qualified radon professional. One can determine the radon levels through the DIY test kits available in the retail outlets.  It has also been found that some specific types of granite stone emit more radon than the others. Also, one can take care to have adequate ventilation in the kitchen with fresh air to circulate with ease.

Alternately there have been man made sources of radioactive emissions like the x-rays, radium coated watches, smoke detectors and the aeroplanes. But does being subject to these caused any health concerns and does one refrain from utilizing such resources.

Keeping abreast with the latest developments, taking basic precautionary measures should not keep one from using a natural granite countertops in the kitchen and keep away from the health hazards if any.

Granite Countertops in Kitchen Add Value

There are many materials which are used for kitchen countertops and natural stone is one amongst them. In the natural stone, granite and marble definitely add more resale value to your house. 

Granite is available multiple colors, hence one can have the preferred granite countertop to match up with the cabinets or kitchen flooring. It is one of the hardest known materials, not easily scratch able and can be cleaned with ease. Granite countertops pricing is reasonable considering the inherent qualities and the value it adds to a kitchen. Granite countertops in kitchen are a perfect embodiment of strength, durability and elegance adding to the aesthetics.

A proper selection of granite, correct installation and proper maintenance will ensure that you never would look for replacement.

Black Granite Countertops

Black granite is the most preferred option for kitchen granite countertops because of the sleekness and elegance that it adds to the kitchen. Moreover black as a color fits well in a designer books and combines well with the modern kitchen design and settings.

Black granites come in different variety ranging from a typical black to absolute black. The depth of color and grain size determines the pricing and quality of the black granite countertops. The most popular among all is the black galaxy granite. But the biggest challenge is in identifying the fake black granites or the sub standard materials.

Hence it is imperative to have a trusted source or importers of best quality granites. Additionally these sources usually are experts with granite installation, fabrication, maintenance and restoration, providing all these services being a one stop shop.

Granite Countertops Edges and Shapes

Granite countertops have the distinct advantage of being unique as no two granites are same, as the texture and the origin of the granite differs naturally. Granite is most commonly used as kitchen countertops and vanity countertops.

Granite countertops can be given customized shapes and edges tailor made to ones specifications, thus providing a flawless installation. The only constraint here is depending on the type of granite countertop edges the fabricator is likely to add the extra cost. It would be definitely worth every single cent considering the uniqueness and the elegance it gives to the granite countertops.