Choosing the color of your granite is only one of the choices you will have to make when you decide to install granite countertops into your home. Another choice that you will have to consider is the finish. There are three granite finishes to choose from when installing granite, and all three of them have their benefits and considerations. By learning more about the finish choices you have available to you, you will better be able to choose the finish that is right for your needs and your home. The three finishes are polished, honed, and rough.
Polished Granite
If you ever simply think of a granite countertop, odds are you will think of a polished countertop. This finish is the most popular of all finishes, and because of the mineral makeup of granite, it is quite receptive to polishing. When granite is polished, it creates a surface that is glossy and mirror-like. This is due to the minerals that make up the composition of granite, especially feldspar, mica, and quartz.
To polish the granite, a fabricator will use grinding heads that have fine abrasives, which get progressively finer, as the stone is processed. The granite will hold its polish for many years if taken care of correctly, and even if the surface gets dull over time, a fabricator can re-polish the granite to its original shine. To enhance the look of the polish, there are also products available from your manufacturer or in home improvement stores, which will bring out all of the unique nuances of the stone, too.
Polished granite is eye-catching, and it will certainly be the center of attention in any room that it is installed into. So, homeowners who wish to highlight other areas of their room should consider another type of finish or consider mixing and matching finishes so that the polish doesn’t overwhelm other features of the room. For example, using a polished finish on the kitchen island and a honed or rough finish on the perimeter countertops can create a unique effect.
Honed Granite
Honed granite is another finish option when installing granite into the home. This gives the surface of the granite a satin-like, non-reflective finish. This matte finish on a stone like granite helps to create a feel of soft luxury without compromising the natural patterns and colors of the stone.
A honed finish is created using the same methods that are used to create the polished finish, but the fabricator will stop short of a full polish. The feel of the honed granite is just as smooth as a polished finish, but it will not show scratches as easily.
Though polished granite is much more popular, there has been a trend towards the softer look of honed granite in the bathroom and kitchen. You may want to consider adding a honed granite surface if there are already a number of metallic or highly-reflective surfaces.
Additionally, consider honed granite if the room has a lot of natural light. This surface will redistribute the light that hits it and gives it an incandescent look.
Rough Granite
When it comes to rough granite, you have a number of choices including brushed, leathered, vintage, and antiqued. Keep in mind, however, that there is not a standard use of these names across the industry, so a vintage finish from one fabricator might be entirely different than a vintage finish from another. So, if you are considering rough granite, make sure you are speaking the same language as your fabricator to ensure you are getting what you expect.
There are a number of methods that a manufacturer will use to create a rough finish, and most of the time the fabricator will use a diamond brush. This is because only diamond is robust enough to affect the look of granite. This brush is pulled across the surface of the granite in a number of ways, and often, this finish will bring out all of the natural and unique characteristics of the stone. Fabricators can create different levels of relief and sheen on rough granite. In general, a rough granite finish is used in outdoor applications of granite, but there are some that will look beautiful inside of the home, too.
Before choosing the finish of your granite, take some time to research and see examples of what your finished product will look like. Consider talking to your fabricator about which finish is right for you.