Granite is a very common type of rock, often intrusive to an area and indigenous to many more areas. It is also widely used in the home, on patios and decks, and even in and around commercial centers. Granite deposits above the surface of earth, or close enough underground for us to reach them, actually come from deep in the crust of the earth. Magma from a depth of around 2 to 50km below the surface many times will find its way up due to a number of factors, the molten rock is the naturally occurring granite from this deep area of the earth’s crust, the resulting cooled magma will have large portions of different types of granite. The precise way granite makes its way from this depth to closer to the surface is a matter of contention, and it is thought there are different ways this occurs in different areas. Granite has a course to medium texture and can come in a wide range of colors including shades of pink and grey. The color depends entirely on the chemistry and different minerals making up the stone. Generally different areas will have stone of a slightly different shade. Another common feature of granite is the different colors within any slab of stone. The overall hue will usually range from gray to pink, but within are shades of both pink and gray along with tan, black, white and a clear or shiny crystal. Just as the overall color or hue of the stone can vary so to will the makeup of the different colors within the stone.
Granite in construction
Granite has been used in construction for tens of thousands of years. It is a popular stone due to its very tough and durable nature along with an abundance of the stone found around the world. Most granite deposits are massive. This also tends to bring down market prices when compared to some of the other types of stone used in construction. In addition to this however, granite can also be quite beautiful and is many times preferred in areas where style is the primary concern as opposed to the functional characteristics of the stone.
Uses for granite
The third largest Egyptian pyramid, the Red Pyramid, is named for the color of the granite surface when the sun reflects off of it. There are other examples of ancient Egyptian structures using granite in large quantities, and a few even older examples. Today builders use more durable or pliable substances for the actual building process and granite is most often used for flooring and polished granite for areas like kitchen countertops. It has become in large part a style preference more than an essential portion of the building process. That is not to say there are not a number of advantages though:
1. Granite is durable – Granite is a very hard stone and will last for years with little or no wear. In fact many who carve monuments have begun switching from marble to granite due to increased acid rain, which over years will degrade the marble more so than granite.
2. Granite is beautiful – Granite comes in a wide range of shades, and polished granite can be a truly stylish addition to nearly any home or building.
3. Granite is inexpensive – Compared to many stones granite is very affordable due to its abundance.
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