Choosing granite slabs from thousands of options is quite a daunting task. And it is even more difficult when you’re a beginner. So, here’s a guide that’ll help you buy the right slabs for your granite countertops.

Visual Inspection

The first and the easiest way to check the quality of granite is with your sense of sight. And in that case, even if you’re a first-time buyer, I am sure you’ll get the stuff easily. For your visual inspection, there are a few points that you must keep in your mind.

• Look closely
• Check for the smoothness of the slab
• Inspect if there are some cracks or not
• The cutting quality
• The sealant applied
• The thickness of the granite slab

Even just the thickness of the slab says a lot about its quality. A commercial-grade slab is poorly thick and uses plywood for added support. While a high-grade slab is thick and smooth with an excellent sealant applied over it.

Check Dimensions

If you’re a first-time buyer, you might get scammed for the dimensions. That means you should check thoroughly for the dimensions of your granite countertop before paying. Do not pay for a slab that is not according to your given dimensions, as it’ll only cause issues and problems on your side.

Moreover, cutting a perfect granite slab is an art, and only a professional can do this. So, choose wisely before paying. A poorly cut slab is of no use to you.

Look For Thickness

There are different types of granite used for multiple purposes. And as you’re looking for granite slabs for your kitchen countertops, you should know what type of granite it must be. Otherwise, granite is used in a lot of other materials as well, such as:

• Flooring
• Bathroom vanity cabinets
• Shower trays

But, for a kitchen countertop, the slab must be thick and adequately sealed. For a regular granite kitchen countertop, the thickness should be ¾. Typically, a middle-high grade granite would be the right choice for your kitchen. And it is usually imported from Brazil or India.

Check The Polish Quality

Never fall for a super shiny granite slab displayed in an aesthetic showroom until you’ve checked its quality. You might never know if the polish is long lasting or not. And to check the quality of the sealant, run this simple test over the granite slab.

Take a coin and scratch it smoothly over the countertop. A high-quality polish will never fade away with a little scratch.

Check For The Porosity

The porosity of a granite slab is one of the key points that determine its quality. You might be trying to select a sealed granite countertop that is lustrous and smooth with sealant. But as followed by the step mentioned above, you never know if the sealant is reliable and durable or not.

Granite is naturally a porous stone, and if an excellent sealant is not applied over it, it ruins its quality. The porosity of the granite is a home for acids, chemicals, and different kinds of microbe. And that is obviously what you should stay away from.

Therefore, you should run some simple tests on the sample provided to you. For instance, squeeze some lemon on to the slab. If the lemon seeps in, that means the granite is porous. Also, white spots of lemon on the slab are signs of its low quality.

Aesthetics

After being done with the quality checks of the granite, its appearance and color also count in. A quality granite countertop is of no use to you if it isn’t appealing to the eyes. And it gets difficult for one to select the color for your kitchen, as there are thousands of options.

But still, you shouldn’t only settle for the primary color options, such as:

• Black
• Gray
• White

Go for something else as well. And an easy way to check what will suit your kitchen is by bringing home different slabs. Do not hesitate. Take home some large slab samples and check which one suits the best.

As you’re spending your money over the countertops, you should take a good amount of time to choose the best for you and also hire a professional granite installer Potomac for setting up the countertop. After all, kitchen countertops are the most expensive stuff in your kitchen.