Granite has been used for hundreds of years to create a beautiful, timeless look for a variety of different things. Some examples of this are Mount Rushmore, curling stones that are used in the sport of curling, and the Arlington Memorial Bridge in D.C. The use of granite is deliberate because of its durability as well as its beautiful natural colors.
Curling stones have to be able to absorb repeated impacts and not chip as well as be able to maintain a smooth surface to be able to glide on the ice and granite was the perfect solution to curling stones being constantly chipped and dulled after practices and competitions. Granite has natural cracks in it that make it a porous rock which is why granite countertops are sealed before they are installed and the reason the four presidents that preside at Mount Rushmore are still there is that after they were done being carved out they were caulked with a silicone solution that prevents water from entering the inside of the heads. Granite erodes at such a small pace of one inch every 10,000 years so do not worry Washington, Lincoln, Roosevelt, and Jefferson will still be there for quite a long while – so you still have time to plan your trip to South Dakota.
_edited_edited.png)