A quality granite slab starts with highly selective stone blocks. Blocks are quarried and graded based upon their size, color, veining, and fissures. Only the very best and exceptionally clean blocks are graded as premium. They are specially handled, cut and resin treated at the best facilities with the best equipment and polished under the highest quality standards.
The blocks that are not as nice are “2nd grade”. They are sold at discounted prices and go to second rate facilities who are more interested in price than quality. Finally, there are commercial grade blocks. These are typically used for building exteriors where flaws are not as visible when viewed from the ground. They are also used for making tile, as flaws can be cut around and remaining material can be salvaged.
Discount counter-top fabricators frequently use commercial grade slabs. Most consumers can not tell the difference. They do not know what to look for. Unscrupulous fabricators may tell you it is 1st quality material when in fact, it is not.
A quality resin finish is critical to the overall performance of the counter-top. The resin treatment serves many purposes. First, it fills pores and fissures which increase the counter-tops resistance to staining. It also strengthens the stone.
More fragile, high end granite counter-tops and even exotic granite counter-top stones are resin treated on both the front and back of the slabs. When you come across a slab that has resin on it’s back, it is typically further reinforced with a fiberglass mesh called scrim.
The creation and fabrication of hi-end granite kitchen counter-tops starts with premium granite slabs. Next, the design of the project, work flow of the area, the stone design elements such as arches, radius and edge details all have to come together in an overall design. This makes the most of the stone, room and surroundings. You have to plan for results, in order to achieve them.
Once you have a design plan and a quality raw material, you will need state of the art digital equipment to produce the results that are only possible with CNC equipment and Water-jet technology. This is how you consistently achieve hi-end results.
Another critical ingredient, are the skilled artisans and workers who design and operate the equipment which actually fabricates to the design and direction of the homeowner.
The last essential ingredients are the installers and craftsmen who will physically bring together all the pieces and make them work in concert. This how a to make kitchen counters spectacularly.
Stone Masters inc. is the region's premier natural stone fabricator. We are located in beautiful Kennett Square Pennsylvania.