Granite Flooring – Advantages and Disadvantages

Granite Flooring – Advantages and Disadvantages

Natural stone flooring has long been regarded as a high-end material, adorning the hallways and lobbies of mansions, great hotels, and skyscrapers. 

Granite is one of the most popular choices among these gorgeous and durable materials, as it is one of the strongest and longest-lasting flooring options available.

While more frequently associated with worktops and backsplashes, Granite is also an excellent flooring option. Granite is a perfect choice if you want something that is both attractive and durable, as well as an investment in your home and property.

Granite is a popular building material among homeowners looking for a beautiful worktop for their kitchen or bathroom, but it is commonly overlooked as a flooring option. Granite tiles should be installed on your floors even if you choose engineered stone or laminate for your countertops.

Many home builders limit the use of granite to worktops due to the aesthetic effect, yet they will employ granite flooring on their most complex and expensive projects. However, this does not negate the fact that it has flaws.

What is Granite Flooring?

Granite is a group of natural stones formed by cooling molten rock underneath. Granite is formed as a result of this time-consuming and high-pressure process. It’s an igneous rock that’s mostly solid and robust.

Granite is composed of minerals like feldspar and quartz, giving it a dazzling appearance. It is available in both honed, matte slabs and brushed, shining tiles and may be used in practically any room in the house.

Granite Flooring exudes affluence, and its beauty rivals that of most other tile materials. It’s a bit pricey and heavy; therefore, it needs to be installed by professionals. It is eco-friendly because it is made of natural stone.

It is not as porous as marble and does not require sealing if used in a moisture-proof environment. It is more rigid and stain-resistant than any other flooring material, including marble.

Advantages Of Granite Flooring

1. Highly Durable

Granite is an excellent choice because of its long-term durability. People prefer granite tile countertops for various reasons, one of which is their durability. You don’t have to worry about blades or kitchenware scratching your granite countertop.

Granite tiles are useful because of their durability, and Granite tiles have been shown to outlast tiles made of more common materials. Granite is a good choice for your house or office if you want something that will last.

2. Heat Resistant

Granite’s heat resistance keeps it cool during the summer, allowing you to go barefoot on your floor. These floors are ideal for in-floor heating systems because of this property.

3. Scratch & Stain Resistant

Matching your kitchen counters with granite floor tiles is a wonderful idea for stain resistance. Granite is widely used as a food prep surface since it is stain-resistant compared to other flooring options.

Spills on properly sealed granite tiles can be readily cleaned away as long as the granite is sealed properly. If you’re unsure how to clean granite and natural-stone floors, use Granite Gold Stone & Tile Floor Cleaner before a stain emerges.

4. Moisture Resistance

Granite is an excellent choice for wet areas, and people frequently choose tile for their homes’ damp regions. You won’t have to worry about moisture harming your subfloor if you use granite tile, and Granite tile produces an almost impenetrable barrier to liquids.

5. Various Color Options

When it comes to floor tiles, you don’t have to limit yourself to dark granite, one of the most popular countertop selections. Mother Nature has sculpted the appearance of granite over millions of years, and each block collected from quarries throughout the world has its own unique look.

Granite occurs in a variety of colors and patterns because it is formed through natural volcanic processes involving a wide range of minerals and temperatures. White, black, beige, brown, blue, and red is the most frequent colors.

With so many different varieties of granite flooring tiles and granite tile countertops to pick from, you can choose something that suits your style and complements your current décor.

6. Requires Low Maintenance

It’s simple to maintain the attractive appearance of your granite floor because you just need to sweep and mop it once in a while.

7. Granite Floor Is Hypoallergenic

If you or a member of your family suffers from allergies or asthma, Granite tile flooring may help to alleviate their symptoms. You may lessen the number of allergies in your home by cleaning your granite flooring regularly.

The beneficial effects can do a lot more than just minimizing the number of times you get a runny nose or scratchy throat. Indoor air quality is a critical health risk, according to the EPA.

Living in a home with poor indoor air quality has long-term consequences, including an increased risk of cancer, respiratory disease, and heart disease.

Disadvantages Of Granite Flooring

1. Difficult To Install

Granite is the most costly flooring material to install compared to other options. A granite floor has a hefty price tag due to the stone’s cost and the difficulties of installing it.

If you want the best results, you shouldn’t try to install a granite floor on your own. Your installer must ensure that the floor is precisely level before placing the tiles. The tiles may crack as a result of an uneven floor. Because of the weight of the stone, carefully laying the tiles requires skill.

Because the irregular edges of the tiles make it impossible to utilize spacers, lower-grade granite requires significantly more effort. Granite is difficult to cut because of its hardness, which adds to the workload if your installer needs to cut portions to fit odd spaces. 

2. Granite Is Heavy

Granite tiles are a fantastic choice for your home’s flooring. However, before installing the floor, you should get it inspected by a specialist to see if it can support the weight.

Because a square foot of granite weighs roughly 12.8 pounds, whereas a slab of 1.28 inches weighs about 18 pounds. Some floors may not be able to sustain the granite weight.

3. Maintenance May Require Expert Services

Granite can be difficult to clean and maintain, according to some people. It doesn’t help that there’s a lot of conflicting information on how to care for granite floors and countertops on the internet.

When customers assess the benefits and drawbacks of granite flooring, they frequently decide that the positives outnumber the disadvantages. Granite flooring tiles can be a great addition to your house or office if you don’t mind a complex installation process and regular upkeep.

4. Expensive Flooring                                      

Because granite flooring is both aesthetically pleasing and long-lasting, it is costly to install. It will cost at least a few thousand dollars to install premium-quality granite floor tiles in a small location, such as a bathroom.

5. Slippery

A high-gloss finish on granite flooring creates a slick surface that can cause catastrophic harm from slips and falls, particularly for children and older people.

6. Require Sealing

You’ll need to reseal your granite surface now and then to keep it looking glossy and attractive.

7. Granite Is Fragile

Granite isn’t as hard as it appears, but it’s not as delicate as other forms of stone. Granite is one of the hardest stones, yet it isn’t as dense or hefty as different varieties of stone. It is still easy to chip or shatter, making installation problematic.