24

Dec

What Should You Look Out For When Hiring Granite Installers?

Choosing the right granite slab for your kitchen or bathroom is fun. You see the slab in the showroom, you take a sample home and see how it looks on your counters, then go back to the store and make the purchase.

After buying the most appealing countertop slab, you move onto the next stage—finding the best granite installers. The contractor you hire can make or break your project; therefore, you should take your time and ensure you hire the right one.

What should you pay attention to when hiring?

References

Has the contractor worked with other homeowners in the past? This is vital as it will give you peace of mind that the contractor knows what they are doing. An experienced contractor will have references of people they have worked with before.

Ask for their contacts and go ahead and reach out to them. Ask them about their experience with the contractor, how long the contractor took to complete the project, and any other details that will help you make an informed decision.

While an installer affiliated with a showroom will be experienced, you should avoid them as the showroom often pays them less; hence they are less likely to give you an excellent service. If you have the budget, you are better off finding your contractor.

Photos of previous work

In addition to asking for people the contractor has worked with before, you also should ask to see pictures of projects they have handled before. Experienced contractors will be eager to show you their work, and this is a good sign.

Carefully go through the photos and confirm they aren’t all the same. If they are similar, it means the contractor is only experienced at installing pre-cut counters, which isn’t good. You want an all-around contractor.

You also should be on the lookout for the nature of the installation. If most of them are counter installations, that is a good sign, but if most of them are flooring installations, you have a reason to worry. For a great experience, go with a contractor who is more concerned with countertop projects.

Ask about cuts, edging, and seams

The granite batch you buy from determines how the contractors will handle the project. If the batch requires the contractors to join many slabs, you should discuss it in length before the project commences.

Experienced installers will be excited telling you about the different joining options that will result in a seamless surface based on the pattern variations on the slabs.

When discussing the edges, the experts will present ideas that are not only possible for the grade of stone you bought, but those that will also be aesthetically pleasing depending on your kitchen cabinets.

You also should get to see their equipment. Modern equipment creates accurate and clean cuts and beautiful seams. Even if you have never seen any granite cutting tool, you can easily tell a modern from an antique tool, so don’t be scared about asking to see the tools of work.

Area of expertise

Granite technicians can specialize in two areas: installation and fabrication. While you will be more interested in a person who specializes in countertop installation, you also want someone with fabrication experience.

This is because you are bound to come across areas that the contractor will need to fabricate.

Price

How much is the contractor charging for their services? The amount charged greatly determines whether you will hire the contractor or not. You should note that high fees don’t always mean the contractor will give you an excellent service.

At the same time, you shouldn’t go for the cheapest contractor as they are most likely inexperienced; hence they will most likely provide you with substandard services.

The best way out is to identify a contractor who provides you with excellent service at an affordable price.

You should note that some contractors will give you a low quotation but end up selling you later on, so the project ends up being too expensive.

To lock the price, get a written quotation from the contractor.

When you are searching for good granite countertop installers Potomac, you should get quotations from two or more contractors. This way, you have an opportunity of comparing their services and fees.

19

Dec

7 Ways You Are Destroying Your Granite Countertops

Did you know you could be destroying your granite countertops without even knowing? Here is how you could be doing it:

Failing to use a cutting board

Granite slabs are tough, so nothing can destroy them, right? Wrong. When you cut directly on the countertops, fine scratches develop that disrupt the waterproof sealant on most countertops. This makes the countertops more susceptible to damage.

Placing vegetables directly on the countertops is also harmful as the vegetables tend to contain acids that etch at the countertops leading to damage.

For you to keep the countertops in top shape, avoid cutting anything directly on them. The best way out is always to have a cutting board in place.

Putting the car keys on the countertops

After a long day at work, what do you do? You throw the car keys on the countertops, right? This is wrong because the keys cause scratches on the countertops.

Just as you shouldn’t place keys on the countertops, you also shouldn’t place handbags there either. The metal dots on the bottom of the bags scratch the countertops leading to damage.

What should you do?

You should create a specific area to place the keys after work. Most people have a unique bowl at the door entrance to place the keys. You should place one there too. For the handbags, hang a few nails on the door where you will be hanging your bag after work.

Using the wrong cleaning products

Did you know that the cleaning products you use to clean kitchen countertops has a significant impact on the life of your countertops? As a rule of thumb, don’t use vinegar as it dulls the countertops. You also should avoid products that are too acidic as they are known to destroy the countertops.

If you regularly clean your countertops, soap and water are enough to leave your countertops in top shape. If you have to use cleaning products, find those that are specifically designed for your countertops.

Placing frozen food on the countertops

It’s common for homeowners to place frozen foods on their countertops when unpacking their groceries. This is wrong as the moisture from the frozen foods ends up damaging the countertops.

You should place the foods in another area way from the countertops such as on the floor. If you have to use the countertops, lay a plastic paper before placing the foods. This way, you prevent the water from getting to the countertops.

After unpacking the groceries, wipe the countertops thoroughly to prevent stains from coming about.

Placing hot appliances on the countertops

Even if your countertops are tough, heat from heat-producing appliances such as ovens can destroy them. So always work at preventing damage to the countertops as much as possible. You can easily do this by placing a barrier between the appliances and countertops.

You can use a dish towel, plate, or cutting board.

Failing to clean the spills when they happen

When spills happen, some homeowners ignore them as they feel that their countertops are sealed; hence they can’t allow the liquids to get in. Unfortunately, this isn’t the case.

Even if you have sealed your countertops with the highest quality countertop sealing products, liquids are bound to pass through if you allow them to sit on the countertops for a long time.

As you might guess, for you to prevent the spills from destroying your countertops, you should get rid of them immediately. To prevent spills, have coasters in place all the time.

Placing heavy objects near the edges

This often happens when homeowners are from grocery stores. They will come with heavy grocery loads and put them on the sides of the countertops. If the edges or joints are unsupported, they will fracture, crack, or even rupture.

When you are back in the house from the grocery store, place the groceries on the floor. If you have to put them on the countertops, place them at the center—not on the edges.

Just as you shouldn’t place heavy loads on the countertops, granite countertop installers Rockville also advise against standing or sitting on the countertops. You also shouldn’t place heavy kitchen appliances such as microwaves on the surfaces.

06

Dec

9 Things You Shouldn’t Place On Your Granite Countertops

While granite countertops are tough, certain things can destroy them hence you shouldn’t place them on the countertop surfaces. These things include:

Raw meat

No. Raw meat won’t damage your countertops. When you place the meat on the countertops, salmonella and other bacteria are left on the surface, and they can spread to the other food you place on the countertops.

If you have ever placed meat on the countertops, you always have the urge to cleanse the surfaces with harsh disinfectants, right? This happens with most homeowners.

The disinfectants and cleansers dull and damage the countertop sealant. In some cases, the products are too tough that they discolor the granite.

For you to keep your countertops in top shape for a long time, never place raw meat on the surfaces. When cutting the meat, put it on a cutting board.

Knives

Due to their look, the countertops might seem like the perfect areas to chop your food. Unfortunately, the surfaces are prone to chips, cuts, and scratches that can dull them.

When you cut on the surfaces, you can also dull the knives, which increases your risk of lacerations.

For you to protect your countertops and knives, avoid chopping directly on the granite surfaces. Just like with meat, have a cutting board in place. When placing the blades on the countertops, keep them inside a protective knife block.

Spills

It’s hard to avoid water spills on the kitchen countertops, but you can stay away from juice and wine spills. You can do this by avoiding placing the products on the countertops. When the spills happen by mistake, clean the countertops immediately.

The reason for this is because the spills leave a dark shadowy spot that gives the surfaces a cheap, ugly look. Of significant importance, avoid wine and cranberry juice spills as they leave light-colored stains that are hard to remove.

Acids

Soft drinks, citrus fruits, vinegar, lotions, perfumes, nail polishes, and soaps are acidic, and can etch the surfaces and damage the granite seal, making the countertops stain more easily.

In the kitchen, keep the acidic products in a drawer where they can’t get into contact with the countertops. When cooking, be cautious that you don’t spill them.

In the bathroom, put the personal care products in a cabinet or basket with a secure base that won’t leak in the event of a spill.

Impact damage

It’s true granite is extremely hard, but the impact of a heavy object can cause it to chip. Chipping is common around the sink and edges. The visibility of the chips depends on the color of the countertops.

For you to prevent the damage from coming about, be cautious when lifting heavy objects above the countertops.

Oil

When cooking, it’s common for oil used in cooking to leak down the bottle. The oil can stain the countertops leaving ugly stains. For you to prevent stains resulting from the oil, keep the oil bottles and oily sauces in the cupboard.

Hot pans

Granite is an igneous rock that can handle a lot of heat; thus, a brief encounter with a hot pot won’t hurt the countertops. While this is the case, exposing the countertops to excessive heat weakens the sealants, which not only means that the liquids directly flow into the countertops, it also gives the countertops an ugly look.

For you to prevent the countertops from getting damaged, always have trivets and potholders nearby when cooking. When spills happen when cooking, wipe them immediately.

A lot of weight

The countertops are tough and can take a lot of weight, but this is no reason to stand or sit on them. When you place a lot of weight on the edges, the countertops can easily crack, forcing you to replace them, which is expensive.

Keep heavy loads off the countertops. If you can’t, place the load at the center (not at the edges where it can easily crack the surfaces).

Soap

If you are like other homeowners, you use soap to clean your countertops. While there is nothing wrong with this, regular use of soap leads to soap accumulation. According to granite installers Rockville, excessive soap gives the countertops a murky look.

To keep the countertops in top shape, use the soap in moderation. After using it, clean all of it off.