Tag Archives: granite companies

How Do I Choose A Kitchen Countertop? Here Are 5 Things To Consider

Are you thinking about revamping your kitchen and wondering how do I choose a kitchen countertop? There are plenty of factors you should look out for. These factors include:

Your lifestyle

How you lead your life will influence the type of countertop you should go for. If you are in the house most of the time and love cooking, you need tough countertops such as granite countertops that will take up the abuse and give your kitchen an exciting look.

On the other hand, if you are a busy person and are rarely in the house, so you don’t have time to clean and maintain your countertops, you should go for easy-to-maintain units such as quartz and others.

Young children

Do you have children? This will also significantly influence the countertops you install. If you have young children, it means they will be jumping and sitting on the countertops. They also most likely will be drawing and even hitting the counters.

To keep your counters in top shape, you need tough and easy-to-maintain surfaces. This calls for you to avoid granite, marble, and other porous countertops as they easily stain.

In such an instance, you should go for tough, easy-to-maintain countertops that won’t stain easily.

Your budget

The other factor to consider when buying kitchen countertops is your budget. How much are you looking to spend on your counters?

If you have a large budget, there is no wrong countertop to go for, but if your budget restricts you, you should go for cheaper counters.

As you are shopping, you should note that different stores sell their counters at different prices. This means that you will need to take your time and enter different stores, and compare the prices they charge for their counters.

If you can’t afford premium counters such as marble and granite, there are cheaper options such as quartz and others.

If you are looking for counters for small areas such as Kitchen Island and don’t have a lot of money, consider countertop remnants that go at extremely low prices. Some countertop companies even give them out free.

Your desired look

We all have a look we want to give our kitchen, and to achieve this, one of the things to do is install the right kitchen countertops.

You have to install countertops of the right color, texture, and any other feature that aligns with the look you want.

If you aren’t sure about the countertops that will give you a look you want, get the input of a professional.

As you are choosing a countertop color, choose one that is versatile. This way, you can easily change the kitchen paint and accessories without changing the countertops.

To keep your options open in the future, install countertop materials with veins and splashes of color.

Before you buy large countertop pieces, take samples with you at home, place them in your kitchen, and see how they blend with the rest of the room. Get a second or even a third opinion if you aren’t sure about the look.

Of course, you should only buy the countertops that match your desired look.

The amount of care you are willing to give the countertops

Although, this goes hand in hand with your lifestyle, it’s common to have a lot of time, but you don’t like cleaning or taking any care of your countertops.

If you love showing love to your countertops, install porous countertops such as marble, granite, and limestone. If taking care of countertops isn’t your thing, go with easier-to-maintain materials such as quartz that only need you to wipe them down.

Professionally install the countertops.

Regardless of the type of countertops you install, ensure that you professionally install them. If you are a dab hand at DIY projects, you can install the countertops by yourself, but let experienced granite companies Raleigh help you out if you have never done it before.

For the best outcome, take time to hire a countertop installation company and ensure that you are hiring a reputable company that knows what they are doing. The last thing you want is to hire a contractor that damages the precious countertops you have spent your fortune on. You don’t want this, do you?

Is Sealing Granite Countertops Necessary?

granite kitchen countertops

Imagine this. You spend an arm and a leg installing a new granite slab on top of your new cabinets then out of nowhere, your granite contractor starts talking about the need for a granite sealer to seal the countertops. It sounds like a scam. After all, granite is a rock, right? Why would it need to be sealed? Is sealing granite countertops necessary?

The short answer to this question is NO, you don’t have to seal the countertops. I know you have read that granite is porous, so you need to seal it to prevent stains from coming about, but this is not the case. Before you begin throwing stones at me,

Let me explain the deal.

While new granite slabs need a seal to prevent them from staining, it doesn’t mean you should blindly apply the sealer on any new slab you come across. You should note that most granite slabs don’t need sealing.

The dark coloured slabs don’t need the application of the granite sealer as they are already too dense to absorb liquids and stain. Aren’t sure whether you should seal your slabs? To determine whether your countertops need sealing, you should do a test.

Test to determine whether you need to seal the countertops

The cool thing is you don’t need to call the CSI or spend a fortune to tell whether your countertops are ripe for sealing. You can easily do it on your own at the comfort of your home. Here is how to do it:

  1. Begin with filling a cup with clear, cool tap water. You don’t need a lot of it—a quarter of a cup is enough.
  2. Set a timer on your watch or phone and time the absorption rate of the countertop
  3. Pour a small amount of water onto the countertop. You should pour just enough to create a pool, the size of the hand. For best results, pour it in two or three places across the counter.
  4. After pouring, start the timer or make a note of the time you poured the water.
  5. You should wait for 30 minutes or until there is no standing water on the countertop.

If the countertop absorbs the water immediately, the stone is highly porous, and you need to apply the sealant at least once every 3 months.

If the slab absorbs the water in 4-5 minutes, you should apply the countertop sealant at least once a year for maximum protection.

Does the countertop absorb the water after 10 minutes? Then the slab isn’t too porous, and you can get away with sealing it once every 2 years.

If the slab doesn’t absorb the water after 30 minutes, you don’t need to seal the surfaces to prevent them from staining. You can still seal the slab, if you want to, to avoid scratching and etching.

How to seal granite countertops

If you have undertaken the test and determined you have to seal the slab, you should go ahead and do it. The beauty is that it’s easy to seal the surfaces as you only need to spray the sealer and let it sit on the countertop and then find out if you need to apply a second layer.

If you used a high-quality sealer, you won’t need a second layer so you should always go for the high-quality product.

When buying the sealant, look for one with an advanced chemical technology that will make it possible to form a more permanent bond on the granite slab.

While the high-quality product will cost you more to purchase, it will save you a lot of money in the long run as it will last for a long time.

Sometimes sealing the countertops is messy and you might not know whether you should apply a second layer. To avoid applying less or too much sealing product, you should let a professional do the work.

Countertop care and precautions

Hiring granite companies NC to seal the countertops isn’t enough—you still need to observe the right habits to ensure your countertops are always in tip-top shape. Never place hot items directly on the countertops as you will damage them. To protect the surfaces, use coasters, trivets, mats and other protective items.

Why You Need an Expert for Your Counter top Installation

best quartz countertop

Proper installation is pertinent to the durability and the final look of the kitchen countertop. Whether you choose quartz, granite or engineered stone the versatility makes your home perk up in value and look elegant. The installation process is critical to the end result and it’s therefore important that it’s done by an expert. It’s paramount that you find the right granite countertop installers Durham to get the desired results. There are several factors you need to consider when choosing the best installer for granite countertop.

 

How to Get a Professional Countertop Installer

  • Recommendations

Ask for recommendations from your family or close friends and do your research on the recommended granite company. Ensure that the company has reputable granite countertop installers. Visit the homes with the installed granite countertops and check on the progress of the countertops. After checking on several choose the best countertop installers

  • Visit the Granite Companies

Once you have identified the company whose work is outstanding, visit their fabrication warehouse and check on the variety they have. On visiting the warehouse be sure to ask all the questions and get a quote from the company. Ensure that all installation cost is in the quote to avoid surprises during installation. Visiting the fabrication warehouse will give you a picture of what kitchen countertop will look like once installed. The granite countertop installer allocated to you will take you through the installation process and answer all your questions. Make sure the company you choose offers after installation services just in case of any arising issue.

  • Ask for work References

Once you have settled on the installer from granite company, ask for references on his work. Visit the references given and view the work. Talk to the previous clients and hear their experiences on with the installer. A good granite installer will gladly give you the contacts of the previous work.

  • Ask for the credentials of the Granite installer

Look out for the reputation of the granite companies you are dealing with and also ask for the credential of the installers. Your granite countertop is a major investment and it’s therefore important that you get the best installation to make your house elegant.

Benefits of Professional Granite Countertop Installation

  • Avoid Mistakes

Granite is durable and will last long but it’s also fragile and temperamental while installing and transporting from the granite warehouse. The granite installer knows the best way to transport and the installation techniques to use to avoid damage and breakage. It’s an advantage to have the professional install the countertop for an elegant finish. It also the granite company liability in case anything happens before the installation process is over. Hiring professionals will give you the guarantee that your worktop is of high quality. The installer has the knowledge and tips on countertop installation from start to finish.

  • Speed

The expert installers will ensure that the granite countertop is installed quickly. It may take a while for you to DIY and probably result in the unprofessional application of the countertop. An expert will have all the machinery to ensure your granite-quartz countertop is quickly installed. The company will prefer to have the granite installed quickly and effectively.

  • Cost

It cheaper to let the granite installer do the installation as they will have the necessary tools to install the granite. Installing the granite on your own will require that you buy the tools that you may not use again. Let the expert do the installation to reduce the cost involved

  • Convenience

Installing a granite or quartz is a tough and delicate job. Cutting, measuring, sanding, polishing, and sealing requires a specialist to ensure that professional outcome. Hiring the right team will leave your worktop looking amazing and your kitchen cleaner than it was before. Having a specialist is convenient and will ensure that you achieve the desired result.

  • Peace Of Mind

When you let the expert do the installation then you have peace of mind knowing that your expectations on the look and finish are achievable.

Tips to Get the Best Installers

  • Interview several before settling
  • Always get written estimates
  • Take time to view previous work and talk to previous clients
  • Ensure that the granite installers are insured in case of any accidents
  • Ensure that you have fully researched on the granite countertops  Durham  installation process