| |
 |
Granite Know-How |
|
Like any other remodeling you do to your home, it’s a good idea to learn a few things about granite before you go through the process of having it installed in your kitchen or bathroom. Here are some facts that will help you make decisions about having a natural stone in your home.
Granite must be sealed. All natural stone must be sealed. Most installations include cleaning and sealing your granite, which should last 2 to 3 years.
Cleaning granite is easy. On a daily basis, we recommend warm water and dishwashing soap. For a deeper cleaning, use an anti-bacterial cleaner and sealer made especially for natural stone. Most slab yards carry these products. If you use products not made for natural stone, they will break down the seal more quickly.
You should select your own slabs. Since granite is a natural product, the slabs may not match perfectly with any samples you have seen. Also, most samples are too small to give you a good idea of the movement that occurs in some granite.
Do not expect the fabricator to buff out pits or dull spots in the slab. The slabs you see at the slab yards come already polished from the production facilities. These facilities use large equipment running at very high rpm’s. Fabricators only cut to size, shape and polish your edges. They never touch the surface since it is very difficult to match the shine from the production facility. So, please choose your slabs carefully.
Seam placement depends on your kitchen and the size of the slab you have chosen. The average slab is about 110” x 60”. It goes without saying that if the length of your countertop is longer than the slab, it will be necessary to have a seam in your countertop. You should be able to discuss seam placement with your fabricator if you wish to do so.
Matching the patterns in your granite at the seams can be tricky. In granite that has little movement, this is not an issue. However, in granite that has a lot of movement, it is difficult to match the patterns at the seam. If your slab has unique patterns, we recommend that you come to the fabrication yard to assist in the “layout” process.
Overhangs can be any length you choose. However, we do not recommend going further than 6” to 8” without additional supports such as corbels or L-brackets.
Some granite slabs have been treated with resin. At the production facilities some slabs are coated with resin prior to polishing to fill in small pits and cracks on the surface. This technique makes the colors in the slab much richer looking. But the resin only penetrates the slab 1/16” to 1/8”. Once the edge is fabricated, you will see a difference of lighter, duller colors on the edge. This problem is handled using an enhancer on your edges after cleaning the granite. The difference is barely noticeable, but it is good to be aware of this when you are choosing your slabs.
Article By:
Marisa DeLeon, Owner,
Queen of the Tile, I
|
|
|
|
|
|
