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Countertops

Nov 12 2022

The Dos and Don’ts of Looking at Granite Samples Online

There’s much to be said for online shopping – it’s convenient, quick, and, let’s face it, a click of a button instantly throws up a world of options. What’s not to love about it, right? Well, not quite. Most homeowners shopping for granite countertops for their homes feel that shopping for granite samples online has led them down a rabbit hole of fantastic options, many of which they would never have been able to get from the few stores that exist in their locality. Online, they find, there is more of everything – more colors, more textures, more patterns, more variations, more options of costs, and, of course, the option of having your countertop shipped to just about anywhere in the world. Yet, buying granite slabs online without due diligence is a mistake many homeowners tend to make, which, as it turns out, costs them more than buying locally. 

We tell you the ins and outs you need to know when browsing the abundance of online options. Keep these tips in mind to avoid being disappointed.

Finding the Best Granite Option for Your Home

Let’s delve into the dos and don’ts of looking at granite samples online:

Being overwhelmed by the options

Yes, the perk of searching for granite samples online is the variety of options you get, but this can also be a disadvantage. It can get overwhelming and confusing when you see too many variations, and you’re left picking something that might not be the best fit for your home. The more significant issue is natural stone variation. Some will vary more than others, but some, even with the same name, can be unrecognizable due to considerable changes in natural variation.

Look and feel

Touch is one of the most underrated aspects when shopping for granite countertops; how the material feels plays a significant role in its suitability for your home. In terms of looks, too, there’s a big difference in how the slab will display under the store’s lights compared to how it will look at home. This variation gets even more complicated when you buy it online, as you have virtually no reference point. So, keep lighting and texture in mind.

Additionally, you want to see the polish, patterns, and veining for yourself, as the slab you see online might differ from the one shipped to you. Granite has natural flecks, unique swirls, and depths that vary from slab to slab because it is a natural stone. To get more uniformity, you generally need to look for stones from the same quarry and lot, which could get hard to monitor online. Be sure to ask for details and get in writing what you’re buying, along with the warranties and certifications available.

Reputed brands

If you still opt to buy online, you want to buy from a reputed, validated, accredited, and certified company renowned for its quality and certifications.

Educational aspect

When you visit a granite warehouse in person, you glean so much helpful information you cannot get when shopping online. You’ll learn about the different grades of granite, how to pick the most suitable grade, how the various options feel, and the color and variations they come in, which can look very different in a photograph, among other things. You could take printouts of the online options and see if your local stores have or can source this for you.

Measurements

Get not just your accurate space measurements but also the measurement of the slab or tiles you buy, and ensure it’s the right fit to avoid any issues once the seller ships the stone to you.

Handling

Check that your contractor is on-board to handle the slab once delivered. Generally, when you buy it from local stores, they take care of the handling, storing, and installation aspects. These heavy-duty slabs can be dangerous when left lying around, apart from the fact that finding storage space for them can be practically impossible.

Contact Us Today

When your heart sets on granite, we know how disappointing it is to make the investment and then have it go wrong. As functional and aesthetic as it looks, one quality makes even more of a difference – the emotional pull that granite has, whether you want it to use on your countertops or floors. We understand its sway more than anybody, and when it comes to getting you the best slab that feels right, we at GranitePro are the experts who can do the job. Contact us today to see how we do everything, from the heavy lifting (literally) to seeing that the finished piece is just how you want it.

Categorized: Countertops

Sep 06 2022

How to Choose the Best Granite Countertop for My Kitchen

Suppose you want to add a dash of richness, warmth, and sophistication to your kitchen. In that case, you cannot go wrong with granite countertops. Besides their aesthetic value, granite countertops give you a substantial presence with durability and permanence—and they are a breeze to clean and upkeep. However, you want to look at all angles to ensure that granite is the right fit for your room. We spill handy design tips to help you choose the best granite countertop for your kitchen.

17 Design Tips When Reviewing Granite Countertop Options

Use these design tips to find a countertop that ticks all the right “functionality boxes” and acts as a focal design point in your room. Before installing the countertop of choice in your kitchen, consider the following to narrow down your options:

General Aesthetic Tips

Do you want granite that makes a statement with a lot of movement and a heavily patterned stone that will be a showstopper? Or a quieter option that won’t limit your décor too much?

  • Don’t just pick the first one you like in terms of appearance. Before you go to the showroom to see it, review your home and kitchen’s existing design qualities. Keep a list of key features in mind. Look at your room’s layout, spaciousness, flooring and décor, ambiance, and existing design. You either want something that perfectly complements this or one that provides a quirky contrast. Consult your contractor before finalizing your countertop, as professional input can help here.
  • See the stone in person rather than from an online image or a picture that will not do it justice. When it comes to granite countertops, the texture and how it feels are as crucial as how it looks.
  • Be mindful of your home lighting. Before picking your countertop, remember that what looks good under the specially curated store lights might look very different at home.
  • Also, consider how your current paint job measures against various countertop options. Or, even if you’re open to changing the room color, ensure the new one works well with your countertop.
  • You can pick between solid, speckled, and marbled options as far as design goes. Granite is a natural stone, and all granite slabs have variations that lend a unique character. Opt for stones from the same quarry to increase your chances of achieving a consistent look, but expect that there will still be variations between the slabs. Solid granite options are the most consistent and have fewer variations than speckled or marbled options. Solid granite is perfect for smaller kitchens, where the busier the surface, the smaller the room can look.
  • Are you looking for a conversation starter? Add drama to your kitchen by selecting marbled granite, which comes in exotic colors with veins and swirls that make a style statement.
  • If you want granite that perfectly sets off your solid cabinetry and one that has texture and color options, look for speckled granite countertops.
  • If you want to reduce the sparkle and keep things classy but subdued, look at honed granite countertops with a matte finish.
  • A glossy finish is the most popular granite countertop because it is one of the most affordable and low maintenance requiring very little upkeep over the years. The other advantage is that it can lend your kitchen a sense of spaciousness and airiness as its glossy surface reflects light beautifully.

Light Countertops

  • Light-colored granite can make a space look larger and is especially good in rooms where there isn’t too much natural light.
  • It’s hard to go wrong with just about any shade of white granite. Look for options with depth to avoid giving your kitchen a one-dimensional, lifeless feel, which can happen when white isn’t well thought out.

Dark Countertops

  • If you’re opting for bold, vibrant hues, tone the rest of the look down with neutral cabinetry and floors.
  • Be careful with dark shades in smaller rooms. For example, you might love the elegance a black granite countertop gives your kitchen, but if it’s a small room, it will serve to make it look even smaller. But there are ways to make it work; you can pair black granite with an all-white room to give it a classic sophistication.
  • Ask yourself how much you will use your countertop. If you select a dark shade like black, thinking it will be perfect for hiding spills, marks, and stains, you may be surprised to learn that black shows as much damage and mess as a lighter color.

Countertop Details

  • Slabs are perfect if you want to avoid prominent grout lines or seams, but you can also swap them for tiles, which can work beautifully.
  • Pay attention to your edges and pick the one that offers the feel you want your kitchen to reflect. Do you want a classic beveled edge or an intricate triple waterfall? There are multiple options, so consider what works best for your room.

Contact Us Today

Picking the best granite countertops is almost like picking a classic pair of jeans, albeit it’s a far more extravagant investment. But just like jeans, you need to find one that’s the perfect fit for you and your home. It doesn’t matter if it appeals to others or how that countertop would look in another house. And just like your fave pair of jeans, it’s something that will last, and the older it gets, the more beautifully it ages and becomes an integral part of your kitchen. But picking out the right design is not an easy task, as you’ve seen. So put yourself in the best position you can be in by getting the right expertise on your side. GranitePro is here to help you take on this project from start to finish to give your kitchen that luxe and long-tasting touch the right countertop can provide. Contact us today to see how we can install a dependable, permanent, and stunning granite countertop.

Categorized: Countertops, Granite

Aug 04 2022

Quality Granite Countertops vs. Cheap Granite Countertops

We know that you cannot go wrong with stunning granite countertops when it comes to adding a dash of glam to your home. Apart from looking spectacular, granite comes in a range of colors, each with depth, flecks, and swirls that give it a unique character and make it the focal point of any room. In addition, this natural stone is quarried straight from the earth, is highly durable, long-lasting, and resistant to stains, scratches, and moisture, making it a homeowner’s dream material. But with all these fantastic advantages the stone has, one thing you do need to remember is that not all granite slabs are created equal. And to get all the benefits this stone offers, you need to pay close attention to the quality of the stone you pick.

Granite isn’t a cheap option, so the allure of cutting corners while still showcasing this countertop in your home is tempting, but in the long run, cheap granite countertop slabs will set you back more in terms of cost and function. So, how do you pick a high-quality slab? We tell you how to do just this.

Understanding Different Grades of Granite

Granite comes in multiple grades, which makes it easier to differentiate between the slabs. These range from cheap granite countertops slabs to higher-end options.

When shopping for granite you may find vendors supply different “grades” of granite. It may be levels 1,2,3 or A, B, C. Long story short, these are simply categories that the fabricator creates to simplify pricing. Technically, they should have no indication of the overall quality of the granite.

Factors that typically affect the “grade” of the material are consistency (slab yield), abundance, where it is quarried from, and overall cost of purchase. What you’re looking for as the differentiating factors are veins, the pitting you can see, colors, porosity, thickness, how it appears visually, and other similar markers. For instance, if you talk about thickness, the stones are naturally very thick when quarried from the earth. But manufacturers often cut them to make them easier to handle. However, they can lose much of their durability if cut too thin. You also want to watch out for slabs that are too porous, which means they will absorb more water and stain faster, which means higher upkeep in the long run.

Importing slabs can add to the cost, and it’s important to see where a slab originates. You can look at the different granite stones as though you are looking at wood. Oak is very hard, whereas pine is a little softer. Different granite materials have different strengths and weaknesses. For example, steel gray granite is an incredibly dense and highly durable stone. It does not require any sealer, as the sealer would not absorb, instead sitting on the surface and getting sticky. However, ivory fantasy is a very porous stone that requires extensive sealing and is more prone to staining.

Another example would be fissures, pits, and other natural imperfections. With some materials, fissures should be expected and can be seen and felt, whereas others should be free of any stone fissures. Once installed properly, these natural imperfections should not affect your countertops’ durability or longevity; they should be simply cosmetic details. A good countertop fabricator will review these details to ensure you understand the product you are purchasing. It is important to find a granite countertop fabricator near you that you can trust. A good granite fabricator will advise you on which stone best suits your lifestyle and taste.

What Is a High-Quality Granite Countertop?

High-Quality Resin: Most granite countertops have a resin that brings more consistency to the finish, stain resistance, and overall structural integrity. Often when materials are cheaper, lower quality resins are used, which can deteriorate over time.

Thicker Material: High-quality granite countertops are typically 3 centimeters (1 ¼”) thick. 2-centimeter materials are thinner, thus more prone to breaking as the home settles. All though there are times when a 2-centimeter material can be beneficial for specific custom-built-up designs, this is rare.

Precision Fabrication: The fabrication process is a large part of the overall “quality” of the granite countertop. Fabrication machines, seam locations, slab layout, glues that are used, and setting techniques for sinks and other anchoring systems will all determine the longevity of your countertops. The best results will come from a completely digital facility where lasers do all the templates, which format into a digital file and plug into a CNC machine for precision manufacturing your granite countertops. Another aspect is the installation phase. For example, pure silicone should be used around the perimeter of the countertop, sink connections, and between the countertop and stone backsplash. Often companies use regular caulk to cut costs which will not provide the support or water sealing required for professional results.

High-Quality Sealer: There are many sealers for granite countertops on the market. Water-based, oil-based, silicone-based, and so on. Silicone-based impregnating sealer is typically the best product to be used for granite countertops as it absorbs into the stone as opposed to sitting on the surface.

Contact Us Today

Adding granite countertops to your home is an investment, and like all investments, you need to put a lot of care, thought, and research into the decision. At GranitePro, we know our slabs and how to match the right kind of countertops to the right homes while keeping in mind everything from the use of the countertops to the design and layout of your home. Contact us today to see how we can help you install the highest quality countertops in your home to ensure you get both aesthetics with functionality and, above all, safety.

Categorized: Countertops, Granite

Jun 03 2022

The Benefits of Soapstone

When choosing the best material for countertops, granite, quartz, and marble are the most popular options. And while all of these work beautifully, they do not need to be your only choice.

One option you might want to consider is soapstone. Softer and warmer than most other materials, soapstone adds the right blend of old-school charm with a modern touch that can lend a unique look to your kitchen or bathroom. It’s also a natural stone but a less common choice that will immediately make it stand out, especially when you consider that it’s neither too showy nor too glitzy, but at the same time, thoroughly distinctive.

As far as aesthetics go, soapstone is a metamorphic rock. It gets its name because it imparts a soapy feeling when touched. Soapstone is naturally stunning and available in muted, subdued colors like gray, gray-blue, green, white, and black with delicate veining or speckles.

Over time, it will acquire an attractive patina. As for kitchens, soapstone countertops are a great choice since they can withstand heat. Soapstone is also non-porous, which means that it will not mark or stain, unlike marble. Even better, acid does not affect it, so you won’t ever have to worry about spilling vinegar, wine, or tomato juice on your countertop.

The softness of the stone gives it an added advantage when it comes to using knives on it – it wears beautifully over time. It can show scratches, however, on account of its softness. However, you can buff the stone or oil it periodically with walnut oil, mineral oil, or dry wax to keep the stone’s finish evenly dark.

Other Advantages of Soapstone

Other advantages include the fact that it is a highly dense material and is resistant to bacteria and chemicals, which would make it a good fit for either your kitchen or bathroom. In addition, the thermal conductivity of soapstone is a considerable benefit. Soapstone transfers heat and cold, allowing it to be used indoors or outdoors equally well.

Whether you choose to opt for natural stone or a solid surface countertop will depend on what you’ll be using the surface for, to what extent you’ll be using it, and how much time you have to maintain it.

Contact Us Today

Your kitchen or bathroom countertop can seem like such a tiny piece of the puzzle at first, but when you start to consider what will work, you realize that they require much thought to get right.

From the material you pick to how you use and maintain it, this decision can become quite the focal point of the space. But often, deciding what to choose can seem daunting.

Should you opt for a quarried stone like soapstone? At GranitePro, we make the decision easy for you by weighing the pros and cons after carefully considering the design, layout, and structure of your home and your specific needs and requirements regarding your countertops.

Once we narrow down exactly what you want, we install this seamlessly and efficiently to ensure it matches your vision. Contact us today to see how we can make your kitchen or bathroom look outstanding with the right countertop that perfectly fits your home.

Categorized: Countertops

Jun 03 2022

How Long Does It Take to Install New Kitchen Countertops?

When our kitchen countertops show the inevitable signs of wear and tear, the time factor is one of the most common issues that hold us back from replacing them. Installing new kitchen countertops sounds like an enormous project that depends on your contractor’s availability, access to raw materials, and the time it will take.

These considerations, in turn, mean you have to weigh the cost of not being able to access or use all the facilities in your kitchen. As we all know, it is easier said than done, especially when there are meals to prep, make, cook, and heat.

To help you plan, keep these tips in mind when installing new kitchen countertops, whether installing them from scratch or replacing worn-out ones.

To start with, let’s address the most critical factor – time. And here, you must consider whether you’re building on-site or off-site. While only your contractor can confirm the actual time after considering your kitchen’s materials, size, texture, layout, etc., everything from the sourcing to its building can take anywhere from weeks to a month or two to complete.

On average, it can take several hours to a day to install the actual countertop once it’s ready.

The Step-by-Step Process of Installing Kitchen Countertops

It is not a job for a single person or one without the right know-how. Installing your kitchen countertops involves the following steps:

  • Getting the right fit and measurements: Once you finalize the material and texture of your countertop, make sure it’s designed and cut with precision and accuracy to ensure it fits the designated space perfectly. Check edges, ledges, and corners especially. We use a digital laser template for your kitchen before installation. This attention to detail ensures everything is manufactured for an excellent fit.
  • Remove your old countertop: This step involves disconnecting your water source, removing the backsplash and appliances like sinks and drain taps that could get in the way, and scraping away any old caulking. Once you remove the screws and bolts, you can carefully lift away the old countertop. Lifting is a job for more than one person and should be done with care and by a professional.
  • Check the fit: Before installing the new countertop, it’s essential to confirm that the size and fit are right.
  • Fit in your countertop: Once the countertop is in place, set the countertops to the proper plane, following the cabinetry, leveled out, and adequately supported with wooden shims. Attach the sink to the countertop with a physical anchoring system and pure silicone around the sink. From there, apply silicone around the entire perimeter to provide proper support and lock the countertop in the appropriate position. Then install the backsplash, gluing it down with caulk, and apply a pure silicone between the countertop and backsplash to ensure a watertight seal and easy cleaning. Apply paintable caulk to the top to provide a clean, sealed, and finished look with the ability to paint it if desired.
  • Put your backsplash and appliances back: After installing the new backsplash, you can reconnect the plumbing. We typically recommend you wait one day before using your kitchen to allow for all the supporting glues to cure fully.

Contact Us Today

Your kitchen countertop must be both functional and aesthetic to make the most of your room. When done well, it can be the focal point of this area.

This is a project where you would do well to get the help of professionals. It is best to avoid handling large, heavy slabs and particular tools if you do not have the right technical know-how or the required number of people suited for the job.

At GranitePro, we consider all factors and work to install your countertops most quickly and efficiently while guaranteeing all parameters are carefully in place. Contact us today to see how we can make your dream kitchen a reality.

Categorized: Countertops, Remodeling

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The countertop experts at GranitePro in Eldersburg, Maryland have built the foundation of our company upon providing our clients with quality countertops, affordable pricing, and excellent customer service.
At GranitePro we have one basic principle, Make It Easy. From start to finish, we are here to help you every step of the way. It is as simple as that!
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