Helpful Information About Mount Airy Granite

Mount Airy is one of the names of granite you will find in our gallery. This is one of many different types of natural granite that people use for kitchen countertops and other surfaces. As with most granite, there are some specific features that Mount Airy possesses. Additionally, there are some traits that make this granite unique. In this article, we won't go into too much detail about the unique qualities of Mount Airy. We will mention some brief comments about the composition or the visual appearance or both, but the majority of this article will talk about working with Mount Airy and how to take of it.

Why Mount Airy Granite

One of the first things to contemplate when considering any granite surface is why people choose it. There are many reasons people select natural granite for kitchen countertops. Mount Airy Granite has many of the benefits that virtually all natural granite offers. It does however, have some characteristics that make it what it is. And like many other stone surfaces knowing a bit about the composition can be helpful. The following quote was taken from the description of a photo written by a geologist about Mount Airy.

A nice whitish granodiorite from the Mt. Airy Pluton of North Carolina. It consists of potassium feldspar & plagioclase feldspar (both whitish), quartz (gray), and biotite mica (black). This sample comes from a large quarry on the eastern side of the town of Mt. Airy, in northeastern Surry County, northwestern North Carolina, USA. Mt. Airy Pluton rocks range from monzogranites to granodiorites. The pluton was emplaced during the Middle Mississippian (331 to 337 million years ago).

In addition to those basic comments, many other important facts about Mount Airy are helpful to be aware of. We'll consider some additional helpful information about this remarkable natural stone.

What Mount Airy Granite Is Made Of

As with most natural granite, Mount Airy is a composition of primarily natural quartz and/or feldspar. It can contain other materials, but the main minerals are those in most cases.

The minerals that make up a Mount Airy Granite slab give it some qualities that people are drawn to. Some of these qualities translate into practical properties for daily use and care.

Mount Airy Properties

One of the big advantages of natural granite over other hard countertop surface materials is that it is very hard. Materials such as Mount Airy Granite are scratch resistant because of the hardness of the material. Mount Airy is also heat resistant. Unlike some engineered stone, granite can resist heat and does not burn or discolor.

Mount Airy natural granite is also very unique. Not just unique from other stone, but it is also distinct from other Mount Airy slabs. Choosing your specific slab is encouraged since each stone can vary one from another.

Fabricating Natural Mount Airy Granite

What goes into working with and fabricating Mount Airy Granite? Well, for most of us the project is bigger than we are equipped to take on. This is because Mount Airy is such a hard material that ordinary tools aren't the best suited for working with it. For example, just drilling a hole in a Mount Airy kitchen countertop slab will take a diamond core bit designed to cut through rock. Stone fabrication professionals have all this equipment. Therefore, the project is not only easier for them, but they have more experience actually working with granite. So, cutting, drilling, and installing Mount Airy is much easier for them than it would be for a novice.

Even transporting Mount Airy natural granite can be a challenge for the average person. Even handy individuals and do-it-yourselfers could find moving a piece of Mount Airy Granite form point A to point B. Since Mount Airy is heavy, it requires more than one person to move, lift, and adjust it. That doesn't even take into consideration the material handling equipment that one needs to transport it. Additionally, installing Mount Airy will require a specific formulated and colored granite glue. These are all supplies that fabricators are familiar with and even already have.

What Goes Into Caring for Mount Airy

Mount Airy natural granite does benefit from a bit of TLC. True, granite is a chunk of a mountain, which makes it sound virtually indestructible. But don't forget that granite undergoes some treatments before it is installed in a kitchen, bathroom, or other part of the home. So, keeping your Mount Airy countertop or other surface looking its best takes a little bit of care from the new owner. Caring for Mount Airy happens in a couple of main ways. These ways are what we will look at next.

Keeping Mount Airy Sealed

Your Mount Airy surface will arrive with a sealer applied to keep it from readily absorbing liquids. Sealers are applied to natural granite because of the porous nature of natural stone. Maintaining the sealer on your surface is the first way to care for it. Mount Airy Granite benefits from periodic testing to see if it needs resealed. every so often, 6 months to a year, simply put a few ounces of water on the surface to see if the stone is "thirsty". If the slab readily soaks up the water, then it is in need of being sealed.

There are a number of natural stone sealers available for all sorts of materials. If you are sealing a kitchen countertop, we offer a food safe stone sealer designed for use on surfaces that come into contact with food. Again periodic testing of the surface will reveal how much sealer it needs.

How to Clean Mount Airy

Another aspect of caring for your granite surface is to use a cleaner formulated for use on natural stone. Mount Airy countertops and other surfaces are natural stone and sealing them is only one part. Not every household cleaner is made for use on natural stone. In reality, some cleaners actually break down natural stone sealers. So to maintain the seal that you are replenishing every-so-often, be sure to use a natural stone cleaner that will not degrade sealers. This is true of all sorts of natural stone cleaners. Let's look at some basic ones now.

One type of natural stone cleaner is the daily cleaner that is designed to remove the spots, smudges, and food residue that inevitably ends up on your Mount Airy kitchen countertop. Another type of cleaner that is not as frequently needed is a stain remover. If your sealer breaks down and and an oil based liquid or a water based liquid gets into the pores of the granite, you may need this type of cleaning agent. These products are formulated to draw the stain out of the stone. But once again, keeping the sealer replenished on the stone reduces the need for these types of stone cleaners.

About Maintaining Mount Airy

It really just boils down to putting together a regular routine of cleaning and sealing your natural Mount Airy Granite surface. Once you get the routine into full swing, it just becomes second nature. A good routine for maintaining natural granite, including Mount Airy, basically involves the following:

• Use a pH neutral cleaner to keep the sealer from breaking down and clean any debris from the surface.
• Reseal the surface of your granite surface when it gets "thirsty"*.
• Using a fortified stone polish periodically gradually maintains the sealer on the surface of the natural stone.

In conclusion, granite surfaces like Mount Airy make very durable surfaces for the home and can ber a challenge to install yourself. Having your Mount Airy Granite countertop installed by a professional with the proper tools and equipment will yield the best results. Additionally, how you care for the surface after the installation will go a long way toward years of performance from your Mount Airy kitchen countertop surface.