Facts about Granite Slab Quality Variables
Granite City Services
11 years ago
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susanlynn2012
11 years agolast modified: 9 years agoRelated Discussions
How do you tell the quality of granite?
Comments (17)I disagree that they are "doing what everyone else does". What they are describing is a top quality job, and there are way too many "Granite Hut" types of places that have sprung up over the last couple of years that don't do half of what they are describing. Most, in fact, don't do much of what they're describing without upcharges. My top quality place doesn't polish next to appliances or under the overhang without an upcharge. Any radius over 3" is an upcharge, as well. Now, they also don't do any cutouts on site, but there are plenty of even pretty good guys who can do faucet cutouts "in the yard" at your home with no mess in your kitchen, etc. So, I don't consider that an "advantage" necessarily. The thing I'd want to do is to see actual examples of any place that you're considering. There have been all too many horror stories and pictures on this site and others showing what you get with the lowball bid---and some that were the highest bid as well! So, price doesn't always equal quality, but it most often correlates with quality and experience and good customer service. Places that lowball don't tend to survive in the long run and cut corners that you may not be knowledgable enough about to notice. So, is a top quality job worth $1500 more than a poor quality one that drags on an on and you have to fight with the fabricator about? Absolutely in my book! But, you can also approach the higher priced guy and ask him if he'd consider dropping his price as you'd like to use him but his bid is higher than you're comfortable with. All he can do is say no. At that point, it's up to you to decide on the price/quality issue yourself--WITH all the facts....See MoreSlab VS. Prefab Granite
Comments (9)Tweety48- You are asking some really good questions, and I'll try to answer them from my perspective. Yes, there is a smaller color range available to consumers at this time, and depending on the producer of the tops, you may find a cost savings. This will depend on a few factors like where you are in the country, how many pre-fab distributors there are in your locale, how many Fabricators there are that are willing to work with "blanks" (as we in the "biz" call 'em) how busy they are, and the level of complexity that your project is. As a Fabricator of 23 years, I can tell you that blanks have been around for a long time, but not until the last few years has it been really accepted by not only the consumers, but also by Fabricators. This is due to the wide variety of quality that is found from the (now many) producers of pre-fabs that are popping up daily all over the world - (China...I'm looking in your general direction...) In my opinion, there are many levels of quality, and the old addage of "you get what you pay for" comes in to play here more than ever. The pre-fab market is dominated by the Chinese, and their market philosophy is based on who ever has the lowest price - regardless of quality-wins...... As a Fabricator - I see this every day.... The shame of it all is that many consumers are clueless to what good quality in stone work is, and that they are only concerned with the bottom line of - "how little will it cost me to get Granite in my home?" Here in Phoenix, there are 3 companies that I know of that sell pre-fabbed blanks. The qualities of the products are varied, but most people don't care - they want "cheap". "Will the seams be crude?" - the glue lines of the laminations in the 2CM laminated edges are for the most part - OK - in some cases, the glue lines leave a lot to be desired, but for the most part, they are...well.... just OK - not great - not invisible...just .... ok.... The one thing the blanks are able to do, is that many people are able to now install these kinds of tops in homes that otherwise would have not been able to in the past (many guys are popping up all over the country that install blanks and work out of their trucks). This is having an impact on many shops that are loosing business to these new pre-fab installers - the rouble is - many of the pre-fab installers don't know what they are doing, or are "learning as they go" with their customers being the guinea pigs in the process. Blanks are able to be fabricated into some custom applications but in most cases, you'll be limited to doing "standard" sized applications. IMHO - If you want to "wow" people with a custom application - blanks are not for you you'll need to find a qualified Fabricator that works with full size slabs, and can deliver a product that has the higher level of quality that blanks can't do..... I am developing a website that is going to have a consumer forum specifically for Natural Stone and Engineered Stone related questions and consumer education, so people will know what they are getting - before it arrives.... It's going to be called "Stone-101" and it should be up on January 1st of 2008... In the mean time - take your time, keep asking questions and do your research.... hope that helps kevin Kevin M. Padden MIA SFA Fabricator, Trainer & Consultant to the Natural Stone Industry www.azschoolofrock.com Here is a link that might be useful: AZ School of Rock...See MoreGritty Granite: low quality?
Comments (4)I saw a site that said it could be poor quality, but I also found this- I'm cutting and pasting. Maybe it's worth a try...it could be what's happening, depending on what you're using to clean the counter: Cleaning your New Granite Countertop Many people think that the best way to clean their granite, or marble, countertop is to take their wet dishcloth and just wipe her down. After all, isnâÂÂt dishwashing liquid just the kind of mild detergent recommended for the job? There are two problems here: Dishwashing liquid can help get soil into solution, but a wet cloth canâÂÂt absorb the dirty solution and merely moves it around. Notice the swirl marks on the counter after it has dried? Gritty Granite Counters? So far, itâÂÂs not the dishwashing detergentâÂÂs fault. But have you ever noticed how many granite countertops feel gritty no matter how well or frequently you clean them? HereâÂÂs where the dish detergent problem comes in. Most dish detergents, like most other detergents, have chelating agents in their formula. These are agents that cause minerals to clump together and also increase the efficiency of the detergent by effectively decreasing the hardness of the water (i.e. the volume of dissolved minerals in the water). The trouble is, the chelating agents cannot distinguish between those minerals in the water and the minerals in the stone! The result is a slight etching of the stone, causing tiny grains to break loose. That is the source of that gritty feeling we mentioned above. A Non-What Cleaner for Stone Counters? So, what do you clean stone with, then? The answer is with a neutral, non-chelating cleaner. The best way to be sure a cleaner doesnâÂÂt have chelating agents in its composition is to buy a product touted by the manufacture as being a stone-specific cleaner. Another option is to simply use a high quality microfiber cloth (and yes, the quality does matter) with plain, everyday water. Here is a link that might be useful: source...See MoreSlate Counters-facts myths/ pros cons?
Comments (12)I have had Braziallian slate counters for 3 years. LOVE them. LOVE them. LOVE them. I REALLY wanted them for the new house, but our budget is going crazy. DH has talked me into doing honed absolute black granite instead. We're saving about $1000 on a large kitchen. And the slab is bigger, so I don't have to have a seam. Also, I intend to be a lot harder on the granite than I am with the slate. Yes, my slate counters scratch easily. I cringe when someone drags something across the counter. But they come out so easily. I've been told to use a wet, very fine grit sand paper. And I think I did that once when the counters were new. But I've had scratches that disappeared on their own before I got around to fixing them. If the material is soft enough to scratch, it doesn't make sense that it wouldn't be easy to fix. I've never had soapstone counters, but I grew up in native communities that used it for sculptures. It's SOOOO much more scratch prone. I'm told it's different stuff that's used on counters. But I imagine it's still at least as soft as the slate, if not softer....See Moresoibean
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