Granite flooring is made of glitters from quartz and feldspar crystals. Granite flooring can fit in both contemporary and traditional homes due to its color variations and finish. But, what are the pros and cons of granite flooring?
Granite offers an exceptional durable-aesthetic floor for your home. It has a unique appearance, a range of styles that is comfortable with cooling effects. However, it’s difficult and costly to install-not DIY-friendly, or for every house. The flooring is available in different grades: commercial, standard, and premium grade being the most flawless and highly durable.
Pros of granite flooring
Here are advantages of installing granite flooring.
Highly Durable
Natural stone varieties are known for their longevity and hardy textures. Granite is a hardy, highly durable natural stone that will last long and withstand pet scratches, furniture weight, and heavy foot traffic when installed as flooring.
Heat resistant flooring material
Granite’s heat resistance makes it remain cool during the warmer seasons, making it comfortable to walk barefoot on your floor. It’s this feature that also makes granite floor great for in-floor heating systems.
Fade resistant flooring material
If you’ve got money to spend, you can even install luxurious granite floor tiles on your patio. This material is resistant to sunlight fading and – therefore- you won’t have to worry about your patio floor getting discolored due to too much direct sunlight.
Moisture resistance
Sealed granite flooring is highly impermeable and as such, can be installed in areas like bathrooms without as much a chance of moisture damage.
Diversity of choice
With granite flooring, you can absolutely let your imagination go wild. From granite tiles with high gloss finishes to those with a subtle, rustic design- the options are endless. This diversity of textures and shades is one of the main reasons why granite makes for a great flooring option.
Low-maintenance flooring
It’s easy to keep up the beautiful look of your granite floor, as you only have to sweep and mop it occasionally to keep your floor clean.
A luxurious, high-value flooring option
Due to its unique and eccentric look, installing granite flooring inside your home can enhance the property’s real estate market value.
Hypoallergenic flooring option
Granite is a good choice where one of the family members may have an allergic reaction and asthma. Regular cleaning to avoid dust and other particle accumulation help even reduce further the attacks of the allergic reaction on the allergy sufferers.
Disadvantages of granite flooring
Here are disadvantages of installing granite flooring.
It’s a costly flooring option.
Being as it is both aesthetically-pleasing and durable, installing granite flooring inside your home comes at a relatively high price tag. Fully fitting a small room- say, a bathroom- with premium-quality granite floor tiles will at least cost you a few thousand dollars.
A tough nut to crack for DIYers
If you love cost-cutting by undertaking DIY home improvement projects, you’ll need to take into account that installing granite floor tiles is a labor-intensive and time-consuming process. You’ll probably need to put aside your current engagements for a while. Granite itself is a rather heavy type of stone- not to mention the fact that proper installation requires accuracy in the details and lots of expertise.
Equipment-wise, you may probably have to hire lots of power tools and installation supplies including a drill, a wet saw, a seadlant, mortar, and grout. In addition, you have to check your subfloor as installing your granite tiles on a subfloor that’s not level can lead to cracking of the tiles. Proper sealing is also necessary to ensure protection against moisture damage and microbes.
Time-consuming installation process
Time considerations are also likely to discourage most DIYers, as you have to let granite get used to the conditions inside your home prior to installation. Doesn’t matter if you’re hiring professional installers, either.
You and your family will still probably have to decamp for a couple of days; since taking into account the weight of the stones and the level of care needed to ensure proper installation, the process takes about 48-hours to complete.
Tends to be slippery
A high-gloss finish on granite flooring results in a slippery surface that can pose a serious injury risk from slips and falls, especially for kids and older house occupants.
Granite gets cold
If you don’t have in-floor heating installed, granite flooring can become rather uncomfortable; as the surface tends to be very cold, especially during the cooler seasons.
Needs to be sealed more than once
To maintain that shiny, beautiful look on your granite surface, you’ll have to reseal it every now and then.
Granite is a heavy material
Granite tiles are an excellent flooring option for your house. However, you need a professional to inspect your floor before installation to determine if it can withstand its weight.
Some floor may not withstand the granite weight, A square foot weighs about 12.8 pounds while a slab of 1.28 inches weigh about 18 pounds. If you have an old home, you may have to look for lighter tiles. Granite however will work and blend well in many flooring cases.
Is granite good for flooring?
Absolutely- if you have a penchant for class and sophistication, granite flooring is the way to go. Whether it’s a newly-constructed home or a renovation project, installing granite floor tiles can turn a bare space that lacks life into a visual marvel. What’s more, it’s not all about beauty with granite floors, as you won’t be able to see as much as a pet-paw scratch or acid stain on your floor for years when you opt for this durable flooring option.
Is Granite harmful to your health?
Not really. While multiple research studies have indeed confirmed that granite emits radiation and cancer-causing radon, the levels emitted are usually quite insignificant to be cause for alarm. As per research experts, even a Geiger counter placed inches away from a granite surface won’t be able to detect any radiation.
If you already have granite flooring installed in your home and are probably worried about exposing yourself and your loved ones to potentially cancer-causing elements, you can purchase a radon testing kit to test your home for the presence of the radioactive element.
Not to forget- granite tiles are also hypoallergenic- which means that they can’t trigger allergies. Granite is highly impermeable, thus keeps away moisture that can encourage the growth of bacteria that cause allergies.
References
Earth magazine: Granite counter tops not silent killers
Natural stone institute: design professional