Counter Tops

There just nothing more beautiful than the colors and movement in natural stone.

Granite is a natural stone, each slab different to the other with no two pieces exactly alike. Some being more unique and harder to obtain or rarer than others have caused price levels known as Tiers. There are typically 3 to 5 tiers stocked at your local stone yard. Tier 1 is the easiest to obtain and most common therefore the least expensive and the difference in tiers have little to do with quality. Tier 1 tops can be purchased in today's market completely installed for not much more than a custom High Def laminate tops with a custom edge.

Granite is porous and not stain resistant and will require sealing. In past years top sealing was required yearly and even more often depending on cleaners being used. This is not only a pain, but also the application cost can add up after a few years. Today we treat all of the granite tops we sell with "Dry Treat Stain-Proof Plus" countertop impregnator. It is the only sealer of its kind that carries a 25year warranty. The cost of this sealer when applied during the top installation is approximately $2 Per square foot.

Granite may have natural hidden defects or fissures within it that may cause the top to be unstable and crack when exposed to heat, such as a hot frying pan or even a crock pot. That is one of the reasons there is no warranty on granite tops except for on the installation labor.

Granite being cut from large rocks is characteristically not consistent in thickness or perfectly flat. Most granite tops will require some shimming even when applied to perfectly level and straight cabinetry.

Granite seams are not invisible to the eye or the touch, they are typically glued together with color matching epoxy and should be the same level. Depending on the colors and movement in the stone some seams may be inconspicuous.