>>
What are the differences between granite, marble, and
quartz products?
Granite is an igneous rock
formed from the cooling of liquid magma, a so-called
"siliceous" stone containing silica and quartz-like
minerals. Other siliceous stones include slate, sandstone,
quartzite, brownstone and bluestone. Marble is a "calcareous"
stone composed mainly of calcium carbonate. Other calcareous
stones include travertine, limestone and onyx. Quartz
products are crushed quartz mixed with a resin binder
and pressed into slabs at high temperature and pressure
(man made stone). See our Links
and Resources page for links to more detailed
information on the different types of natural and engineered
stonge.
>> Where
does natural stone come from and how is it processed
into countertops?
About 90% of the premium-grade natural stone used in
the United States for countertops is imported. The largest
importers for granite are (in order) Brazil, China,
Italy and India. For marble the largest importer is
Turkey, followed by Italy, China and Mexico. Today,
most quarries cut the raw stone blocks into slabs, polish
the slabs at the quarry, and apply any resin coatings.
They are then shipped in sea containers to wholesale
slab suppliers who sell slabs in small quantities to
fabricators like us.
>> Is radon
emission from granite really a health issue?
The short answer is no, although some of the solid surface
and quartz product manufacturers try to push this as
a negative for granite. A great source of information
on this subject, including a tabulation of published
and unbiased scientific test results, is the Marble
Instutute of America's website. Click HERE
to access their radon page.
>> How
do I choose a color when there are thousands of choices
available?
Color selection is usually the hardest part of the process
for most people, and only you can ultimately decide
what you like the best. Besides a basic color category,
there are wide ranges in patterns available for both
natural stone and engineered stone. Use the links on
our Natural Stone and Engineered Stone pages (under
the PRODUCTS link at the top of each page) to view samples
online, then stop by our showroom where we have hundreds
of samples of both natural and engineered stone on hand.
We have links to our suppliers on these pages where
you can view actual inventory, which we can get to our
facility in just 2-3 days, or less.
>> Do I
have to live without a kitchen for 1-2 weeks while my
new tops are made?
No! This is another myth propogated by some companies
who try to pursuade customers to avoid stone countertops.
In the large majority of cases we can template without
removing the old countertops, and do the removal on
the install date. So the entire job is completed in
one day. There are occasional circumstances where insufficient
cabinet support, drastically out-of-square walls, or
other special situations require the old tops to be
removed before an accurate template can be made. But
in general you are not without your kitchen while we
fabricate the tops.
>> What
additional work is typically needed to complete a remodel
project (drywall, etc.)?
This depends entirely on each individual project and
how the old tops were installed, how much caulking was
used on the old backsplashes, whether tile has to be
removed or a "tile line" met, etc. Most natural
and engineered stone slabs are 3 cm thick (a little
under 1.25") while most laminate tops are a little
thicker (typically 1.5"). It is normal to have
some drywall and painting touchup, and if sinks are
replaced some plumbing adjustments are also generally
required to have eveything line up correctly. We can
recommend or arrange subcontractors for drywall and
painting, plumbing and electrical, tile setting, etc.
if you prefer to handle everything from one location
on one quote.
>> What
does the sink "gauge" mean for stainless steel
sinks?
This is simply a measure of the thickness of the sink.
The lower the gauge number, the thicker the sink (just
like wire gauge). So an 18 gauge sink is thicker than
a 20 gauge sink, and is consequently quieter, sturdier,
and a little more expensive. Most stainless steel sinks
come in 16, 18, and 20 gauge, while copper sinks are
typically 14 or 16 gauge.
>>
How do I know if my sink is mounted and sealed properly?
Click HERE
for a photo of two sink mounting methods (one incorrect,
one correct). We always mount sinks using slots
cut into the stone to anchor metal clips which hold
the sink into place permanently.
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