Are you thinking about renovating your kitchen? Doing research on countertop materials? If so, then our Countertop Spotlight series will help you. Today we look at lava stone countertops: Lava countertops are uniquely beautiful and highly functional. Lava countertops are attractive, durable, extremely heat resistant – they’re lava after all – and easy to care for.

Key Takeaways:

• The fact that it’s volcanic lends it a toughness: Lava stone can withstand high temperatures, offers even heat distribution, and can be glazed, which sets it apart from other stone counter-tops.
• Lava stone is sourced primarily from quarries in France (from the crater of an inactive volcano in Auvergne) and Italy (at the foot of the active volcano Mount Etna in Sicily).
• Lava stone’s surface is typically patterned with crazing—a web of lines and cracks—that appears in the glazing during the cooling process and, according to fans, lends character.

“Lava stone is a natural volcanic rock that is quarried, cut into slabs, topped with an enamel glaze, and fired at a very high heat.”

http://www.remodelista.com/posts/remodeling-101-lava-stone-countertops-pros-and-cons/