Facebook-f Twitter Linkedin-in Instagram
5320 Enterprise St. Suite B Eldersburg, MD 21784
Check Out Our Newest Columbia Location
(410) 875-7579
Monday to Friday: 9AM-5PM
Menu
Menu
Menu

home improvement

Tips For Fireplace Maintenance

When it comes to fireplace maintenance, many people don’t know much about what they need to do to have a stunning-looking and long-lasting fireplace.

However, natural stone needs a bit of work to keep it looking its best. Whether it’s a granite slab or another type of stone, our team at GranitePro can offer some insight into how to keep your fireplace not just operational but looking beautiful.

Key Fireplace Maintenance for the Inside

It’s important to focus a lot of attention on the interior of your fireplace. That’s because this is where creosote and other materials can build up if you are using your fireplace. If you don’t keep this area clean and inspected, it can lead to a house fire. However, it’s easy to maintain in most cases.

  • Have it professionally inspected at least one time a year
  • Keep as much of the debris and ash from the fire out of the fireplace after it cools down
  • Be sure your chimney is inspected as well as the cap each year

If you have not used the fireplace in some time, be sure all components are working well. If it has a blower, be sure to follow the manufacturer’s guidelines for cleaning it and maintaining its efficiency.

You also want to be sure that the vents on the fireplace are operational and working reliably. These are all services your local technician can help you with most of the time.

Keeping the Natural Stone Looking Its Best

Whether or not you use the actual fireplace, there are a few things to consider about the exterior. The natural stone is durable, and it can handle the elements. However, it does need some basic care to keep it looking it’s very best.

Cleaning the Surface: To clean away dust and debris, don’t use chemical products that can stain or cause damage to the material itself. Instead, opt for a simple solution of hot water and trisodium phosphate (TSP). A small amount of this with a hand brush can help you to keep all of the stone clean.

Enzyme Cleaners: If you have surfaces with some staining or hard-to-remove debris, consider an enzyme cleaner. Follow the instructions for using these.

Know What the Manufacturer Recommends: When it comes to fireplace maintenance, be sure to ask the manufacturer of the fireplace materials how to properly clean it and seal it if needed. Some products have a special seal on them to lock out stains and damage. You don’t want to use chemicals on these that could cause damage.

Most importantly, if you have problems with damage to it, make sure to turn to professional fireplace services to help you get it back to looking its best. This can be an easy way to get the results you want while also ensuring your fireplace is still functional and useable.

Need Fireplace Services? Considering Other Natural Stone Uses?

At GranitePro, we work closely with our clients to ensure you have access to the very best natural stone solutions for your home. Whether you need to spend time improving your existing fireplace or want a brand new one added, we encourage you to reach out to us today.

We do all of the work you need, including:

Need Help? Call GranitePro Today

Whether you need advice on fireplace maintenance or you are considering a natural stone fireplace, our team at GranitePro is here to help you. Our fireplace services can help to add value to your home. Take the time to learn more about the range of services we offer. Call us at 410.875.7579 or connect with our team online now.

5 Ways to Protect Your Counter This Holiday

The holiday season comes with an increased need for baking and cooking, which will undoubtedly land on the countertops. As such, you need to put in place measures to protect your counters every time there are Thanksgiving and Christmas festivities.

Thanks to GranitePro in MD, you will get a strong and durable countertop that can serve you for several decades. Although the stone can withstand this holiday season, you might need to go the extra mile. It helps if you are sure the modern holiday season pressures cannot destroy your countertop.

Use Coasters to Protect Your Counters

 You might need an extra layer of protection between your counter and the fluids in your kitchen or bathroom. The coasters can ensure that your counters last for decades, not just during this year’s holiday season, by making them water-resistant. If you are looking to start caring for granite countertops, consider coasters.

You can also seek professional help from contractors who can help you with other products for maintaining your counters. The professionals can also offer other essential services, including:

Wipe Up Spills

Your kitchen will possibly be a beehive of activity during the holidays. With so much traffic in your kitchen, it is easy to forget caring for your counters.

Most surfaces are prone to staining. Unfortunately, parties and family gatherings often do not end without spills. If you invite your family members and other loved ones over for Thanksgiving or Christmas, ensure you wipe up spills immediately.

Failure to do so can give the liquid time to penetrate the stone. If you wipe up spills as soon as you can, you will avoid stains from forming.

Use Mild Household Cleaners

Quartz counters are extra tough and resistant to stains, scratches, and scorches. Although the finishing enables them to be stain-resistant, use cleaners to protect your counters from stains, irrespective of the stone type.

Use mild household products as they will help clean your counters while at the same time, protect them from permanent damage. Do not use hard cleaners for removing stubborn holiday stains and spills. Use a sponge or a nonabrasive cleaning pad instead.

Use Hot Pads and Trivets

The easiest way to destroy countertops is to place hot pans and pots on them. While natural stone countertops can withstand relatively hot objects, they are not entirely resistant to heat. If you want to ensure that the season will not take a toll on your kitchen counters, protect them from hot objects using hot pads and trivets.

Using a trivet to create another heat-defense level is an ideal way of caring for granite countertops. If you are using quarts, trivets can still keep your countertops intact because hot pans and pots will not manage to scorch the surface.

Use Cutting Boards

When you are preparing a meal for a large family gathering or a party, it might be hard to have sufficient space in the kitchen. As such, it is common for items such as cutting boards to be in short supply.

If your cutting boards are not enough, buy more. It is a cheap option that can help maintain your countertops. Cutting boards shield counters from knife scratches when preparing meals. They can also protect your knives.

Learn More About Protecting Countertops at GranitePro LLC

If you want to learn more about ways to protect your counters, how to maintain them, and proper methods of cleaning them, get in touch with us today. We can help you get the full service from your countertops. Contact GranitePro LLC at 410.875.7579 for more information on countertops.

Choosing the Right Bathroom Sink Styles

Bathrooms rank up at the top next to kitchens when it comes to the most important rooms in a home. More and more Maryland homeowners are turning to designer sinks–also known as lavatories or lavs.

Choosing the right bathroom sink depends on your style, needs, and budget. There are four main types of bathroom lavatories: vitreous china, porcelain/enamel over cast iron or steel, and marbleized bowls or counter units, and Corian.

Contact the experts at GranitePro by calling 410.875.7579 if you have questions about having a bathroom sink installed in your home.

Vitreous China Sinks

These sinks are acid-resistant and durable. Although china sinks can be stained by rust, copper corrosion, and other substances, vitreous china is considered excellent material with good resistance to chipping.

Vitreous china can also be formed into luxurious bowls and even into original works of sink art. These are substantially more expensive than most other bathroom skins. 

Porcelain or Enamel Over Cast Iron or Steel Bathroom Sinks

These are practically the least expensive sinks available. They are often less durable and more susceptible to chipping than other sinks. Choosing a good sink during a bathroom remodel can save you time and money down the road.

Marbleized Bowl and Counter Units

There are two kinds of marble-style bowl and counter units: acrylic plastic and cast methacrylate. Both of these can contain veining that simulates, in a highly polished surface, that of marble. These lavatories are often referred to as synthetic marble. They come in various colors and finishes, including high gloss models.

These sinks are often integrated into a vanity countertop with one-piece construction. They have an on-trend appearance, are easy to clean, and can be molded into beautifully patterned bowls. The main drawback of marbleized surfaces is that the finished layers are often very thin. A deep scratch can penetrate the coating and expose the white material underneath, which is very difficult to cover up or repair.

Corian Bathroom Sinks

Sinks and counters made of Corian are made with the color, often a bright white, mixed all the way through the materials. If scratched there’s no color change, and the mark can easily be removed with a brillo pad or fine sandpaper.

Corian can also be sawn, drilled, and filed with standard carpentry tools for custom applications. It’s one of the better materials for bathroom counters and sinks, but it’s also one of the most expensive. 

What Are Some Styles of Bathroom Sinks?

Round, oval, and sculptured sinks can be purchased in a wide range of materials for a wide range of prices. The following are a few popular styles of bathroom sinks:

  • Wall-hung lavatories with no floor support or pedestal
  • Sinks supported by cabinets or pedestals
  • Sinks supported by metal legs
  • Sinks built into ceramic-tile surfaced counters
  • Glass sinks
  • Sinks recessed into countertops of plastic laminate
  • Single-piece sink and counter units, either modeled or sculptured

How to Choose a Bathroom Sink

A bathroom sink needs to be large enough for comfortable daily use. Most people choose sinks that are at least 20×24 inches. In a master bedroom, double-bowled sinks are a necessity for many couples. Every sink should have a backsplash along the back of the wall it’s mounted against. This will protect the wall from splashing water. A drip edge should also be included at the front and side ends of the countertop or around the tops of the basin lavatories to prevent water from spilling over onto the floor. Sinks need to have an overflow prevention catch hole that drains water after it reaches a certain level in the bowl.

If you are considering a new sink installation or replacement, contact GranitePro for the best rates, services, and professionalism by calling 410.875.7579.

Granite Countertop Services

There is nothing wrong with giving your home a makeover. Americans spend millions of dollars every year renovating their home to give it a more modern look. Kitchen renovations are some of the most popular renovations that people undergo. Your kitchen is one of the most important rooms in your home.

It is important to be happy with the way it looks and feels when you’re in it. When looking at what renovations you would like to get done, the countertops are usually one of the first things that comes to mind. Replacing your Formica countertops with granite ones can make a huge difference in the look of your kitchen. Take some time to learn about how GranitePro can help you with our granite countertop services.

Why Granite Countertops?

Granite countertops are an ideal counter material for more than just their looks. One of the many benefits of granite countertops is their low maintenance once they are installed. Taking care of your counters becomes much easier with granite. There are long-lasting and durable meaning they are less likely to crack or chip over time. They are also easy to clean. They do not require any special cleaning supplies or solutions in order to get them clean. All you need is some warm water and soap and you can clean your counters.

Countertop Services We Offer

Adding granite countertops to your home does not have to be an uphill battle. We help make the process as easy as possible so you can focus on the important things in your life. We can help you through every step of the process. There are several steps to the process that need to happen before your kitchen is ready.

Template Services

Granite slabs do not come perfectly sized. It takes measurements and time to get the right size and style. Luckily, we can help make this process easy and precise. We offer laser templating so you can get the most accurate measurements for the rest of the process. It can also allow us to provide a detailed layout of their future counters.

Fabrication Services

During the fabrication services, we work tirelessly to make sure your counter meets our quality standards. From the first stages of material selection, all the way through the installation, we make sure that you are getting the best possible product.

Removal of Your Countertops

As it gets closer to your installation date, your current counters will need to be removed. GranitePro offers counter removal and disposal services to help you be ready for your new counters. This phase can be dangerous to do on your own, so it is important to get professional help.

Installation Services

When the time comes, we can make sure your counters are installed properly. Our countertop installation services make sure everything is done correctly and as painlessly as possible. Our expert team can are up to the task and ready to make sure your counters are up to our standards and meet the specifications and sizing perfectly.

Reach Out to GranitePro to Learn More

It is time to take the first steps towards a new kitchen. At GranitePro, we can help you get the counters you have always dreamed of. We offer a number of other services to help you make your dream a reality. Some of these services include:

It is never the wrong time to make an update to your home. Call 410.875.7579 today to speak to one of our experts about how we can help you get the kitchen of your dreams. You do not have to wait any longer.

Do I Need New Granite Countertops?

Beautiful granite countertops can be the centerpiece of any kitchen or bathroom. But after years of use and abuse, even granite can begin to look worn, dull, and scratched. And although granite is stain-resistant, years of spills can take their toll.

Luckily, there are many options for making your old granite countertops shine like new. If you have been wondering, “Do I need new granite countertops?” you have many options. And GranitePro is here to help with all of them.

Do I Need New Granite Countertops?

The fact that you have been asking, “Do I need new granite countertops?” shows that you should reach out to someone. But the real question is whether replacement or some other kind of maintenance is in order.

There are a handful of basic routes that you can take if your granite countertops are not at their best. These are:

  • Polishing your countertops
  • Resealing your countertops
  • Repairing your countertops
  • Replacing your countertops

Using one of the first three of these techniques may give your granite a “brand new” appearance that it has been lacking. But if it is too damaged, you may need to replace them altogether.

Polishing Your Granite Countertops

Sometimes the answer to the question, “Do I need new granite countertops?” is that they just need polishing. In this instance, when we refer to “polishing,” we do not mean using a cleaning product that might be called a “polish.” Instead, we are referring to a product or procedure that removes a thin layer of granite.

This removal can be managed with a range of products that may be either wet or dry. When done correctly, polishing can make your granite countertops feel as good as new.

Resealing Your Granite Countertops

Sealing or resealing your granite countertop ensures that they are not porous. This means that your countertops will not absorb any liquid, which is essential as liquid can lead to stains. There is a simple test you can do yourself to test whether you need to reseal your countertops.

Sprinkle a few drops of water on your countertop. If, after a few minutes, any of the water appears to have been absorbed, you may need resealing. Resealing, like polishing, can rejuvenate your old countertops, and add years of life.

Repairing or Replacing Your Granite Countertops

A handful of adventurous homeowners opt to polish or even reseal their countertops themselves. But in more complex cases, there are visible cracks in granite countertops. Even more dire situations, there are problems at the joints of your countertops, or where they meet the wall or an appliance. In these cases, it is always recommended that you hire professionals. Experts like the countertop specialists at GranitePro will be able to assess the damage immediately. They will also be able to tell you specifically whether you need repair work or to replace your countertops.

Reach Out to GranitePro Today

If your granite countertops are not looking their best, one of the above is sure to solve your problem. But it can be hard to know which course of action is best. If you have been asking yourself, “Do I need new granite countertops?” call the granite experts at GranitePro. We are always happy to assess the problem and provide a free estimate.

When it comes to maintaining your granite countertops, you can never be too careful. Contact GranitePro online or by calling 410.875.7579 for all of your countertop needs. Reach out to us today.

Get Your Free Countertop Estimate

Fill out this form below and we’ll get back to you shortly.

"*" indicates required fields

This field is for validation purposes and should be left unchanged.

CALL US NOW

Request a Quote

"*" indicates required fields

Name*
This field is for validation purposes and should be left unchanged.