Granite surface finishes

The surface finish of granite forms the skin of the horizontal and vertical walls of a construction and represents, along with the format and petrographic variety, its main hallmarks.
The surface finishes are constantly evolving with the development of technology in the industry, but the most used are:

Polishing: It is a finish whose final appearance is the mirror brightness, and is achieved by applying to the material surface a sequence of rotary and grinding wheels, from high to low granulometry. The finest grinding wheels provide the granite with a glossy finish. This type of finish can not be used in outdoor flooring for safety by the risk of slipping, so its use is restricted to indoor flooring. It is also used in indoor and outdoor vertical coating and worktops.
Honing: It is a finish that provides a smooth surface with matte appearance and it is done with a procedure similar to polishing, using variable granulometry wheels. Each case requires a specific study to assess the risk of slipping. It is used in indoor flooring and coatings and panels for outdoor facades.
Bush-hammering: It is a finish that gives a flat and rough surface with small craters from 1 to 3 mm deep evenly distributed. The finish is performed by means of variable geometry bush-hammers or wheels with pikes hitting the surface of the stone. The bush-hammered surfaces are secure against sliding, so they are recommended for outdoor flooring.
Flamed: It is performed with thermic lance, resulting in a rough and cratered finish and with a slightly vitrified appearance. It is a safe finish against slipping, so it is recommended for outdoor floorings, with the exception of those that bear heavy traffic because its roughness does not facilitate cleaning and maintenance.
Flag-stoned: It is a finish with natural and irregular appearance which is usually done manually, resulting in a natural flagstone through sedimentation or foliation coats. It is used in indoor and outdoor vertical facades and finishes, and outdoor floorings without much traffic.
Aging: Rough and glossy appearance, in which the peaks are rounded as for finishing are used fibre brushes coated with metal particles.Suitable for indoor and outdoor floorings and in this case as long as it is checked the level of slipperiness.
Sandblasting: It is a sandblasted treatment that provides a rough surface appereance, softened by the abrasion of the aggregate which can lead to a risk of slipping.
Sawing: It is obtained by cutting with diamond discs or loom strap, and provides a flat, rough, porous and matte surface and sometimes may have slight grooves in the form of curves parallel to each other. It is recommended for indoor and ourdoor vertical facades and finishes, indoor and outdoor floorings and the degree of slipperiness is checked previously.
Grooving: This finish formsparallel grooves which are performed by a cutting machine. The grooves are arranged in perpendicular to traffic and they are used in outdoor floorings for signaling pedestrian fords.
Pointing: Rough finish with rustic aspect which has elongated incisions parallel to each other.It is performed on a previously flattened surface by striking with a pointer or pike. It is used in pieces of stonework for facades and outdoor floorings with rustic appereance.

There are other finishes with chemicals products that can modify the performance and final appearance of granite, such as protective resins, anti-slipping and anti-graffiti products, etc.