FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
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1. What is granite?
Granite is an igneous rock which is formed slowly by cooling magma trapped beneath the earth's surface. Granite is the hardest of all building stones. It has a close grain, making it almost impervious to stains and heat. This makes granite an ideal material for interior or exterior use. Granite vs Quartz Article
2. How do I choose what color and style of granite?
Granite comes from many different parts of the world. Therefore, the species colors and variations are endless. Choosing the exact stone for your application can be done by visiting our website, stone yard or distributor's yards, then selecting the slab(s) that will be used to fabricate your project.
3. Are there different edge choices available?
Yes, there are many different edge styles to choose from. They range in price depending upon the amount of tooling and labor required to create and polish it.
4. How are seams handled if my kitchen layout requires them?
Due to slab sizes and kitchen layout, seams may be required and their location is determined by Stone Masters, Inc. We use a color matched epoxy and a vacuum seaming tool to assure a level surface and a tight seam, typically less than 1/16 of an inch between stones. Different stones produce different seams. Stones with veins are harder to hide and green (Verde) Stones produce more noticeable seams than yellow and brown stones.
5. How long does it take?
For templating, please allow 2-5 hours depending upon the complexity of your job. Your input is essential to getting the results you envision. Our technician will discuss several decisions regarding edge selection, corner radii, and other design elements at each point in the template process. Please allow for this time and clear counters of all items before the technician arrives. Empty your kitchen sink and clear all items from the counter tops before we arrive. The fabrication will take approximately two weeks to cut, polish, and prepare your stone for installation. The installation will take the better part of a day, so please plan on being present accordingly.
6. Do you handle any plumbing or electrical work?
No, we do not perform any plumbing or electrical work. Stone Masters, Inc is not licensed nor insured to provide these types of services. However, we can recommend some very reliable companies that have a great reputation of providing quality and affordable work. We will mount your sink to the granite surface and cut the faucet holes, but all water and drain lines must be connected by a plumber or third party. We are not carpenters, painters, tile setters nor appliance installers.
7. Should I get new appliances or plumbing fixtures?
Yes and No. This is a personal preference. We recommend a new sink and faucet since the old one will be disconnected and most likely will have issues when re-connected. Items such as dishwashers, cook tops and ranges are up to the home owner. Many people do purchase new appliances in order to match new granite and many re-use existing appliances. Cook tops require special attention since the granite will be cut to fit that specific cook-top.
8. How do I care for my new granite counters?
Granite counters are very easy to care for. Clean with a mild soap and water or any of the antibacterial cleaning wipes or solutions found in most stores. Although you do want to avoid using any product containing abrasives as it will dull your polished surface over time. Since granite is a natural stone, we do recommend that you apply a stone sealer specifically made for granite, once a year. Sealing Article link.
9. Isn't all granite the same?
No, there are commercial grades, premium grades and average grades of stone. Some stone is resin treated and some has scrim (fiberglass netting) on the back and others do not. Even the same quarry (ie: Bordeaux) will sometimes be resin treated and sometimes not. It depends upon the processor and their process. Quarries sell blocks of stone to various processing plants all over the globe who compete with each other and all have different equipment, quality control procedures and markets which they cater to. As a result the same stone can have any different quality features (or not) depending upon what company processed the stone. The quality of the surface polish varies from processor to processor as a result you should carefully examine the stone you are buying, as it is definitely not the same. Pricing article
10. Why so some shops call a stone one name and other places call it something different?
Typically the name of the quarry is the color of the stone followed by the town or name of the quarry that produced it. Many times distributors of stone will rename the stone in order to "Brand it". Sometimes a large reseller of stone will change a name of stone to prevent easy "shopping" of the stone. The Home Depot changed the name of all the stones they sell. As an example, the stone industry has known Baltic Brown as Baltic Brown universally for many years and today Home Depot calls it "Baltic Rain". They do this with all of the stones they sell which creates much confusion in the consumers mind resulting in the inability to be sure if they are comparing apples to apples when trying to shop stones. Home Depot Cross reference
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