Granite changed to Quartz- before and after

I am so excited to share with you these pictures! Our customer purchased a home that had Santa Cecelia granite countertops throughout. Wanting to change the home to fit his needs, he purchased Latte Quartz and we fabricated it with nice straight lines to enhance the look of his kitchen. Flat Polished edges gave this quartz a contemporary feel. We were able to remove the granite without damaging his existing backsplash, which saved him money and time. It also was a great way to take advantage of the existing backsplash.

AFTER WITH LATTE GS QUARTZ BELOW:

BEFORE WITH SANTA CECELIA GRANITE BELOW:

The Santa Cecelia Granite that was already in the home as seen just above was absolutely beautiful. The homeowner was able to sell the granite to some people that were remodeling their home. We were able to take out the existing granite without breaking any pieces. This is never guaranteed, but when a customer would like to re-use their tops or sale them, we do our best to not break them.

Which look do you like better? :)

Getting Ready for Granite

We just got the job for a local hotel. We are excited to show you the progress as the front desk and prep area are completed. These first photos show the cabinets ready for granite! We will be showing the process and the completed work as it unfolds. We expect to have this project completed in 2.5 weeks :).

You can see the white templates on the cabinets, this is what we use to cut the granite. This customer has chosen Caesar Stone Baja Quartz. I highly recommend quartz for any commercial project because of the low maintenance. Quartz never needs to be sealed, and has all the benefits of granite. It is a mid-price stone to put in, but well worth it, especially in the commercial area :).

Granite and Quartz Radius Work

Granite and Quartz can be made into a radius with a lot of effort and patience. The crew just completed an amazing reception desk in Chestnut Quartz, with Smoky Quartz Zodiaq  columns. I wanted to share some images of the process and final project! Really beautiful desk! More gradual radius work with a 3cm or 4 cm edge can be cut into a solid radius, but when the profile is thicker than 4cm, sections must be made, glued, and polished together.

Estimating your Granite Job

In order to determine the square footage needed for granite countertops, draw the kitchen and measure the back walls, and front of the counters. Square footage is determined by multiplying (in inches) the length times the width, then divide by 144 to get the sq. ft. When multiplying the width, make sure you add about 2 inches for granite overhang.

Backsplash should be measures the same way. For instance, if you have a 48 inch cabinet and want backsplash on the back wall of 4", you would take (48 x 4) / 144 - 1.3 sq. ft.

You can then take this sq. ft. and multiply it by the square foot price that the shop offers for stone and installation. Other costs would include undermount and topmount sink cutouts, cooktop cutouts, outlet cutouts, and the such.

Granite vs. Solid Surface

When purchasing countertops it is often difficult to choose between Granite or Solid Surface such as Corian. Let me preface by saying that our shop fabricates and installs both Granite and Solid Surface countertops. Each have their pros and cons. I also should admit that I am pro-granite and as such, my post will most likely come across a little biased.

The main benefit of Solid Surface is that it is seamless. The seams are heated together, and are virtually invisible. Also, the countertops can be re-surfaced as the scratches become prevalent. The main cons of Solid Surface is that it scratches easily, and melts. We have replaced many Solid Surface Countertops that have warped over dishwashers, or under crock pots. We have had better luck with the actual Corian product, rather than a knock off brand.

Granite's main benefit is that it does not scratch or stain, and heat does not affect it. While we recommend using coasters, I have set many hot pans directly on my stone and have never had an ill-effect. I haven't tried it with glass, because I know you must be careful with glass and temperature or it could fracture. The granite stays looking new for much longer than Solid Surface as long as it is taken care of correctly. The main con of Granite is that much of it should be sealed every couple years. However, if Quartz is used, Quartz does not need to be sealed.

Chestnut Zodiaq Quartz desk

If you really like to uniform color and look of Solid Surface, Quartz can offer the same color tones, with all the benefits of granite.