Super Fitness Health BlogBuying New Granite Countertops
Looking for granite counter tops is actually significantly more intricate than many make it out to be. Anyone who’s in the trade would do it a lot differently than the typical homeowner. Most home owners only ask two questions. What colors of granite can I acquire from you, and how expensive is it? If that’s all you inquire, than suffering onto you.
Do you carry raw materials or do you buy them from someone else? It doesn’t matter which way this is answered, but it should be on your list of questions. If it’s something that’s in inventory, you’re probably going to get a better bargain, because the stone shop got a bulk bargain.
Does this variety of natural stone stain readily? Once again, I would deal with whatever the answer might be. Most people aren’t going to know. Bring a bottle of H2O and wet the rock. If the stone gets darker in less than 5 minutes, it’s going to need substantial sealing.
Does this granite etch with acid? If you’re salesperson actually knows the answer of this, purchase from them! After you’ve gotten the types down to the top two or three, find out if they’ll knock samples off. Put some lemon juice on the samples. Most granite don’t have enough calcite in it to be damaged, but if it does you’d better know beforehand.
Is this genuinely 1st caliber stone? Don’t ask, just inspect. Slabs of granite aren’t perfect, nor are they intended to be . Are you looking at a plethora of challenges or just a few? How much repair work was done to the slab overseas? Is the shop proposing on just cutting it to size, or are they planning to fix anything? How difficult is this material to work with?
Do they cut this type of stone a lot? Do they physically have scraps or samples to prove they have fabricated it?
What kind of tools are you going to use, and who’s going to operate it? You can get top quality work from two guys and some hand tools; if they know what they’re doing. Gadgets are good, but it’s the mechanics that use them that will determine how the job turns out. The people involved are more important that the cost of the tools.
Is there a deduction for cash? Maybe there is.
What kind of turn around time are they comfortable with? Some shops need 12 days from template, others need 3. Rushing through the job is never a good idea. Do you want it done right, or do you want it done right now?
How long have they been in business? If not long, at least get their qualifications.
How long can I call you for warranty concerns? Almost issues that are installation related will show up within the first 12 months.
Can you get the forklift and actually put the precise slabs you inspected away so they’re still here 3 weeks from now? It’s usual for the stone shop to say that you’ll get some of the slabs from the same block or batch. It might be important for you to get the actual ones inspected.
Have they lost any good technicians lately, where did they go?
How many technical crews are there? Maybe you should ask for one gang over another.
Would they be open to ten percent in trade? Look around, everybody’s got something they can merchandise.
Who would be my point person if the job “doesn’t go well”? Nice to know this in advance What’s their goal for turn around time for service or repairs?
Many of the better stone shops in their never ending quest for higher quality have partnered with industry trade associations like the Marble Institute of America (MIA), and the Stone Fabricators Alliance (SFA). Family run businesses like San Diego granite, granite MN, or granite counters Baltimore are frequently the ones that are leading the industry through innovation and higher quality standards, and deserve your consideration alongside the bigger players.
If other homeowners asked these types of questions, it would be a win-win for both the contractor and the homeowner. Expectations would be set more obtainably, and consumer gratification would soar. There’s also more than a few granite shops that would close down if they were asked all these questions up front.
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