SPI

Granite is the most durable and impact-resistant type of stone. Always present in Portuguese kitchens, mainly in countertops and wall cladding, and now adapted to several countries around the world, granite stands out from other types of stone by presenting a massive structure of low absorption and porosity. In the case of the Portuguese SPI granite from the Alentejo, it integrates an almost homogeneous compact grain with a dark grey pigmentation and black details. Depending on the quarry area, the colour and density of the pigment can vary. Suitable for any type of surface as well as decorative elements, granite is one of the most coveted types of stone in terms of durability. Granite is an igneous plutonic rock that forms when magma (molten aluminium) slowly cools to great depths in the earth’s crust, making it very hard. This then causes granite to have a high breaking strength.

Finishings

“Leather”

Brushing the slab with a range of brushes and the result is a slightly undulating surface soft, warm and smooth to the touch.

Sandblasted

Blasting silica sand against the material through an air gun that generates very small craters.

Sawn

Rough and irregular surface with small furrows and undulation in a mate tone.

Bushammered

Hitting the material, with a masonry tool called a bush hammer, that generates uniformly distributed craters of different sizes over the surface of natural stone

Flamed

Exposing the surface of the stone directly to a high-temperature flame that generates a thin roughness.

Brushed

Abrasive brushes under high pressure generate a touch-sensitive and smooth surface of natural stone.

Honed

A honed finish refers to any level that is less than polished and therefore the surface is smooth but dull or slightly reflective.

Polished

Abrasive treatments with repeated applications result in a shiny surface, highlights the colour and properties of the natural stone.

Splitted

Splitting stone either by hand or by machine so that the surface exhibits a natural quarry texture.