31

Jan

7 Excellent Kitchen Countertop Cover-Ups

Don’t like the current look of your countertops? Don’t rush to hire countertop replacement services providers, as there are several ways you can cover your countertops without requiring contractor services. To help you out, here 7 excellent kitchen countertop cover-ups:

Tile the countertops

Tiles are excellent at covering floors, walls, and showers, and there is no reason you shouldn’t use them to cover up your old countertops. When choosing the tiles, go for glazed ceramic and porcelain tiles as they are the most stain and heat resistant.

They also come in a wide range of sizes, shapes, and colors. Avoid natural stone tile as it requires periodic sealing that can be too much work on your part.

You can install the tiles directly on your countertops without removing the old countertops. You only need to ensure the tiles are flat and stable enough to prevent the new tiles from cracking.

As you are installing the tiles, you should note that while tiles are durable and easy to maintain, the grout joints are prone to staining. To minimize the stains, seal the countertops as soon as possible after installing the tile. You should then apply the sealer every few years to maintain the protective barrier.

Lay laminate over the countertops

If you have old laminate countertops with square edges, you can cover them with a new laminate layer. The layers are sold in sheets of up to 5 feet wide and 12 feet long, and all you need to do is to visit your local store and place your order.

If your countertops have raised and rounded edges, often known as waterfall edges, you can’t cover them with new laminate surfaces as the new material can’t conform to the edge contours.

Use a countertop refinishing kit.

Refinishing kits have everything you need to cover your countertops. The refinishing kits include an epoxy-like paint and decorative stone chips that create the natural stone look.

To cover your countertops using the kit, you simply need to follow the kit’s instructions. While this method is highly effective, you should note that it involves a lot of hard work, it’s messy, and you need to pay close attention to the kit’s details.

Cover your countertops with wood

Have you always wanted butcher block, or are you drawn to the beauty of real wood countertops? You can cover your old, beaten countertops with wide planks of solid hardwood. You can even get creative and use a blend of hardwood and bamboo plywood.

The cool thing with hardwood is it’s more durable and repairable than plywood. Only plywood comes in larger pieces and is more affordable.

Bamboo plywood offers the best of both worlds. It has a thicker top layer that ensures it’s durable and easy to repair and at the same time comes in 4 x 8-foot sheets like regular plywood.

You should note that covering your countertops with hardwood requires woodworking skills and the right tools. You can do the work by yourself if you have the skills or hire a professional to help you out.

Install modular granite

Also known as granite or stone overlay, modular granite is a system of small thin stone slabs designed to cover old countertops. The stones are 16 by 18 inches wide, which means there are fewer joints between the pieces.

For the problematic inside and outside corners, there are special pieces made for these sections, as well as the optional edge pieces.

Cover the countertops with film

Countertop film is thicker than shelf or contact paper. Many people refer to it as a cross between vinyl flooring and shelf paper and have a self-adhesive backing for sticking directly to the old countertop surface.

To install the film, layout the film, trim it to a rough size, and align it to the countertop edges. You should then stick it down using a squeegee tool to remove the air bubbles.

While the film will cover your ugly surfaces, you should note that it’s not a long-term solution, so use it as a temporary way of covering your surfaces.

Paint the countertops

Painting your countertops is easy, fast, and gives you immediate results. You can also do it by yourself without involving granite contractors Rockville or other professionals.

13

Jan

How Do You Save Money On Granite Countertops?

Since granite is a luxurious material, many homeowners imagine having to spend astronomical amounts on it. What if I told you it doesn’t have to be this way? Operating on a budget and wondering how do you save money on granite countertops? Here are tips on how to go about it:

Buy a prefabricated stone.

A prefabricated stone is one that has already been cut before arriving at the store. Since the supplier doesn’t have to cut the stone, they often sell it at a lower price, which sees you saving money.

Prefabricated stones also prevent unwanted delays as the supplier picks the stone from the store and delivers it to your home without working on them.

While the prefabricated stone saves you money, you should note that it might not fit your kitchen perfectly as it doesn’t have custom cuttings.

Before you go for this stone, ask your contractor whether it’s a wise thing to do. You don’t want to save money on a stone you won’t use or install it, and it gives your kitchen an ugly look, do you?

Take your time

What do most homeowners do when they are looking to install countertops in their homes? They rush to the nearest store and pick the slab that is pleasing to their eyes. You shouldn’t do this if you are looking to save money.

As a savvy shopper, take your time. Ask yourself, where can I find granite countertops? The materials are sold in big box stores, from granite fabricators and companies specializing in prefabricated granite counters, and bathroom design studios.

You should then hit these stores and see what they have to offer. As you are shopping, keep in mind that most big box stores don’t stock many countertop options and tend to be expensive, so it’s wise to avoid them.

Get estimates from different suppliers and compare them. The estimates should include the cost of the countertop, the cost of delivering it to your property, and the installation cost.

Carefully review the estimates and buy from a contractor that makes the most sense.

It’s also wise to shop in the company of an experienced contractor who will guide you on buying a countertop material that is right for your home and gives you the best results.

Settle for a simple color

If you have been shopping for the countertops for a while, you must have realized that certain countertops are more expensive than others solely due to their colors.

Some colors are rare than others, and the rare ones tend to be more expensive. And since you are looking to save money, avoid countertops with the rare color.

You might argue that your kitchen will look better with the rare color, but you should know you are better off changing the design elements in your kitchen to fit the color of a more affordable countertop rather than going for the expensive stone.

For example, you can paint or stain your cabinets to match the less expensive color, and you save money you would have spent on the rare color.

Keep an eye on the hidden costs.

When installing countertops, the price of the countertops is just one of the costs. There are plenty of other costs that come with it, such as the cost of installation, seaming, transportation, edging, backsplash finish, and many others.

To save money, buy from smaller stores with plenty of countertop options and often install the countertops at a lower price.

Streamline the project by choosing the standard eased edge instead of fancier edges such as the bevel edge. You also save money by choosing another finish for the backsplash.

Use granite tiles instead of slabs.

If looking to redo the entire kitchen or bathroom, use granite tiles instead of slabs. Although, you won’t get the same look as with the slab, tiles are cheaper to buy and install. Tiles are also thinner, which means less raw materials to deal with and easier transportation.

The light and thin nature of the tiles means you can also install them directly over your existing counters.  Due to this, granite contractor Rockville has to undertake little to no demolition work.

07

Jan

Why Is Quartz So Expensive?

If you have been in the countertops market, you must have noticed that quartz kitchen countertops don’t come cheap. Why is quartz so expensive? You must be wondering.

Well, there are plenty of reasons for the high cost. These reasons include:

High demand

Unlike granite and marble, quartz doesn’t require sealing. This feature has made quartz highly popular among homeowners and like any other popular item, there is a high demand for the stone.

The laws of demand and supply dictate that the higher the demand, the higher the price hence the high price of the stone.

Quality

Although the quality of the stone varies from one manufacturer to the other, quartz countertops are generally high quality where the stone is strong, consistently colored, and gives off lower levels of dangerous VOCs.

Since many homeowners know that quartz is a high-quality stone, they rush to buy it hence driving the price up.

As mentioned, the quality of the stone varies among manufacturers, so there is the risk of buying a stone and finding it inferior quality.

To avoid this, take your time when buying. Visit different stores in the company of a countertop professional and scrutinize the stone before making the purchase.

Quartz is highly versatile

Quartz comes in a wide range of colors, styles, finishes, and edge treatments. When it comes to thickness, the stone runs from 3/8” to 11/4”. Obviously, the thicker the countertop, the more expensive it will be.

Due to the versatility of the stone, it’s up to you to research and find one that will be ideal for your application. If not sure of the one that will look the best, get the input of a professional.

Quartz is easy to customize

Although, most homeowners want countertops that look like their friends’ or neighbours’, you can easily customize quartz if looking for that unusual countertop shape or width.

Quartz also allows you to create custom cutouts to accommodate your appliances. You can also create a bar sink and other special features with quartz.

High trade tariffs

Since quartz is manufactured overseas, the government has imposed heavy trade tariffs that have driven up the cost. For example, quartz manufactured in China, which is traditionally on the lower price end, has increased by over 300%.

Quartz is complex to install

Quartz lacks porosity, is dense, and heavy to lift. Before installing the slab, you have to level the cabinetry and vanities. You also have to securely support any sections not positioned on top of cabinets such as the breakfast bar.

To have the classic seamless look, you have to unobtrusively match the seams.

All of these make quartz installation a challenging project that can only be handled by a qualified and equipped contractor that doesn’t come at a low price which further increases the quartz cost.

Is there hope with all the high prices?

Despite the high cost, you can still install quartz in your kitchen. You only need to consider several tips that include:

Take your time

As mentioned above, the key to finding a high-quality stone is to take your time and shop around. Before you make the purchase, visit different stores and see what they have to offer.

As a rule of thumb, avoid the big box stores as they not only have fewer options, but they also tend to be expensive. The best places to buy countertops is from the small stores.

You will find plenty of quartz options, pay less for them and establish meaningful relationships with the contractors that will go a long way towards keeping your countertops in top shape.

Be flexible

It’s not uncommon to find a beautiful quartz design and color only for it to be way out of your means. If this is you, it doesn’t mean your dream of owning quartz countertops is gone.

You only need to be flexible. If you can’t afford a given design or color, simply pivot and go for a design that is within your budget.

Minimize the number of slabs

When designing your kitchen or bathroom, work with your contractor and come up with a design that requires one slab instead of two. For a small project such as a bathroom vanity, visit your quartz countertops dealer Potomac and get a remnant instead of an entire slab.