Q.
Why should I use natural marble and granite stone in my home?
A. Natural stone is nature’s timeless art. It lends strength
to its surrounding by evoking a classic and unique feeling. It invites
luxury into your home and yet is extremely affordable.
Q. Can I cut
on granite?
A. Yes, Granite is an extremely tough, durable material and in most
cases can be used as a cutting surface without fear of scratching
the stone (although knives may dull the surface by repeated cutting
on the stone).
Q. What are
your lead times?
A. From order through installation the process usually takes about
1-2 weeks. (This time can vary depending on current work loads).
Q. Where does
granite come from?
A. Granite is quarried all over the world. It comes from the United
States as well as India, Brazil, Italy and China.
Q. Do you seal
your granite?
A. We seal granite during fabrication process . In addition to this,
we re-seal the granite once it is installed in your home.
Q.Do granite
countertops add value to my home?
A. Countertops made of natural stone, especially granite, add more
resale value to your home than any other material. Second, granite
countertops will last you a lifetime, which means that after the
cost of the initial installation (with proper maintenance and care)
they never need to be replaced.
Q. How does
the price of granite compare to that of other materials?
A. Lower-end granite countertops are very affordable in the scheme
of countertop material pricing.
- Concrete:
$75-200 per square foot
-Soapstone: $50-200 per square foot
-Solid Surface: $40-150 per square foot
-Engineered Stone: $40-125 per square foot
-Granite: $30-200 per square foot
-Marble: $30-100 per square foot
Q.Why is it
a good choice to have a GRANITE countertop for the kitchen?
A. Because granite is a very hard stone that's formed at very high
temperatures deep in the earth, its polish is not subject to etching
by household acids, or scratching by knives, pots and pans. It's
unaffected by typical kitchen heat, such as hot pans, or spilled
liquid.
Q. How much
does granite weigh?
A. Granite countertops weigh approximately 12.8 lbs./sq.ft., or
approximately 225lbs for a standard countertop.
Q. Can you
reconnect my electrical and plumbing connections?
A. Countertop Kings are a highly trained and licensed contractor
for granite countertops, but we are not licensed electricians or
plumbers. Therefore, we can not assume any liability for making
electrical or plumbing connections. We can, in most instances however,
recommend reputable and licensed individuals or companies to complete
these tasks for you.
Q. Can I set
hot pot on my granite counter tops?
A. Granite is formed by extreme heat and pressure. It can not be
easily affected by heat from cook top and frying pans. Granite will
have no melting effect and will not leave any burned marks. You
can use hot pots and frying pans direct to granite countertop.
Q.Does Granite
Stain?
A. In general terms, no. You must do something out of the ordinary
to stain most granite. A few colors may absorb some moisture after
prolonged contact. Usually after it is wiped up, you will see no
evidence of the moisture. On light colors if for example, you were
to leave a spilled glass of red wine over night, there is a possibility
for staining. Some stones are more porous than others, but most
are very stain resistant in their natural state.
Q. Can you
scratch granite?
A. Granite is one of the hardest stones known to man. In order to
scratch granite you would have to do something out of the ordinary.
Slicing things on top of the granite will not scratch the granite,
however it will dull your knives. We suggest that you use a cutting
board when using electric knives.
Q. Can my granite
be damaged?
A. Again, you must do something very out of the ordinary to damage
your granite. Like any solid surface a very high impact hit with
something very hard could harm the surface or edge. We have never
had anyone damage the surface of their stone.
Q. How does
granite compare to marble, onyx, limestone and traverine?
A. Granite is the most durable countertop product on the market.
All other natural stones are more susceptible to scratching and
staining. Once sealed are very stain resistant.
Q. Does granite
can have pits?
A. All natural stone have pits that are the part of stones structure.
But pits can be minimized by applying sealer to the surface of counter
top. Granite has fewer pits then others.
Q. What if
my granite needs to be seamed? Won’t that spoil the look?
A. Not if installation is done correctly. Seams are made when two
pieces of granite are put together and bonded with a thin line of
epoxy mixed with a color that matches the stone. The joint is then
smoothed, leaving the seam barely visible.
Q. What is
the best edging and why?
A. The best edge treatment, which is also the most widely used,
is full bullnose edging. In addition to having an aesthetic appeal,
this edging is the safest around young children and is unlikely
to chip.
Q. Can I re-use
my existing sink?
A. Yes you can, but we strongly recommend that you don't. The countertop
installation process provides the perfect opportunity to update/replace
your existing plumbing fixtures. In addition, once the countertops
are in place, it will be virtually impossible to replace it later.
Q. Do you handle
tearing out my old countertops, or do I need another contractor
to do this?
A. Options for tear-out of your old countertops can be discussed.
99% of the time we can handle the removal of old countertops. If
we can not we can recommend someone. There has not been a countertop
we could not remove as of yet, but I am sure there is one out there.
Q. Can granite be repaired?
A. While it is difficult to permanently repair granite, it is also
very difficult to damage it. However, if some damage does occur,
granite usually can be repaired by a mix of epoxy and ground-up
chips of granite.
Q. Is there
a deposit required to get started?
A. Yes, the industry standard for contractors is a deposit of 50%.
The final 50% is paid when the work is complete and you are 100%
satisfied with our work.
Q. Why do some
materials cost more than others?
A. Price of the material has little to do with quality of the stone.
Price is determined by availability, quarrying & processing
cost, transportation cost, complexity of the fabrication and installation.
Also a lot of varieties are vary rare.
Q. Is there
a surcharge for homes farther than 35 miles away?
A. We will serve any customer. For over 35 miles there will be a
surcharge of $50. I know the prices of the countertops in the area
and we will still be way under there price including the $50 surcharge.
Basically it pays for gas.
Q. Do you deal
with contactors?
A. Yes we do contact us for prices
Q. Do you do
bulk orders?
A. Yes we do bulk orders, we do it for countertops and we do bulk
orders for slabs.
Q. I am a builder
from out of state, can you help me?
A. Yes Countertop Kings can help you. We can bring many countertops
to you and install them in a timely fashion. We have done Wisconsin,
Indiana, Michigan, and the St. Louis area. We can do other states,
contact us for my information.
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