29

Oct

What Is The Cheapest Color Of Granite?

If you have been shopping for granite countertops, you must have noticed that the color of the countertop has a significant impact on the price, where the uniform, rare colors tend to go at a higher price.

If you are operating on a budget, you must be wondering, what is the cheapest color of granite, right? The cheapest countertops are those with speckled and busy designs. The most common ones being:

Azul Platino

Azul Platino is quarried near Vigo, Spain, and it has been around for hundreds of years. This granite features an off-white background with small bluish-gray specks, and in some cases, it will have black spots scattered throughout the slab.

It’s also common to have the countertops with white or black veining. On closer examination, the countertops will have green, brown, or even pink flecks. The countertops will also have amethyst quartz crystals that provide brilliant violet flecks throughout the slab.

Azul Platino slab is usually large, making it an excellent choice for kitchen islands and other large-sized countertop needs.

New Caledonia

New Caledonia is quarried in Espirito Santo, Brazil, and the granite features a uniform appearance meaning that it’s common to find two almost identical slabs, which is not common with most other natural granite slabs.

The granite slab features a white background with gray and brown speckles that run uniformly throughout the slab.

When you look at the slab from a distance, it appears to be comprised of shades of gray ranging from light gray to deep charcoal with black and white patches throughout the slab, but on closer examination, you will notice hues of brown and sparkling crystals running throughout.

The beauty with New Caledonia is that it’s highly versatile and looks great in both contemporary and traditional kitchens and bathrooms.

You can pair it with dark wood-stained cabinetry or with light cabinetry for the charcoal flecking to stand out.

Dallas white

Dallas white granite is quarried in Aguia Branca, Brazil, and the granite has low water absorption and low porosity, making it an excellent choice for kitchens and bathrooms.

The slab has a white background with dark crystals scattered throughout, and in some cases, it might have slight veining.

The countertop’s uniform flecking works perfectly in traditional kitchens where the granite’s brown, golden cream veins and lavender flecks blend perfectly, giving your kitchen a beautiful look.

For the perfect look, pair the countertops with white or dark wood cabinetry such as walnut.

The unique thing about Dallas White granite is that, unlike other granites in the market, it doesn’t need face resin due to the tight grain structure found in the stone.

The lack of resin means that you can place hot pots on the countertops without worrying about damaging the granite surface.

Uba tuba granite

Also known as Ubatuba, Uba tuba is mined near Ubatuba, Sao Paolo, Brazil. The granite features a dark green background with consistent green, gold, and brown flecks scattered across the slab.

It also has a tight granite pattern with a few veins running throughout the stone. The veins present are usually small and gold, white, or turquoise.

The minerals in the granite vary in size from as little as an apple seed to as large as half a dollar, which significantly adds visual interest to the stone.

If you have a traditional kitchen, pair Ubatuba with dark cabinetry but if looking to create a contemporary space, pair the countertops with white cabinetry.

If you aren’t sure about the look you want to create, you don’t have to worry, as the various colors found in the Uba Tuba slab create a sophisticated yet simple look that works for every home.

Don’t buy poor-quality granite.

While you are looking for the cheapest color, you shouldn’t buy the cheapest quality countertop as it’s a matter of time before the countertop starts breaking apart and they end up being too expensive in the long run. Instead of cutting the cost on the quality of the slab, stay away from fancy edges, and instead, opt for a standard sink and choose granite remnants for the small areas instead of buying an entire slab.

To avoid getting ripped off, walk with experienced granite countertop installers Rockville to these stores.

20

Oct

How Do I Get The Best Deal On Quartz Countertops?

Quartz kitchen countertops are practical, modern, and highly aesthetically pleasing. Unfortunately, they don’t come cheap. Luckily, there are several things you can do to get the countertops at a low price.

Are you wondering, how do I get the best deal on quartz countertops? There are plenty of ways to go about it. Some of these ways include:

Order from a small countertops store

You can buy the countertops from different places. You can buy from a small quartz store, a large countertop agglomerate, or a furniture store.

Avoid buying from the large stores as they often don’t have many options and charge a premium for their products. At the same time, avoid buying from a furniture store as they also tend to charge a premium as they want to get as much profit as possible.

The best place to buy the countertops is from the small quartz stores. Besides these stores allowing you to bargain, they also don’t charge much. The stores also tend to have a vast catalog, so you have many countertops to choose from.

Buy countertops of the optimal thickness.

Quartz countertops come in three standard sizes: 12 mm, 20 mm, and 30 mm.  As much as thicker slabs are better as they are stronger, they tend to be expensive. To save money, buy countertops of the right thickness.

To avoid buying countertops that are too thick than necessary, ask an experienced professional to guide you. The professional will inspect your kitchen and recommend the correct thickness depending on the orientation of your kitchen cabinets.

Choose a simple edge.

In the same way, a complicated painting is more expensive than a simpler one, an intricate edge is more expensive than a simpler one. Since you are out looking for a great deal, you should get a cheaper edge.

The most practical edging option is the standard straight edge. The edge looks suitable for any quartz regardless of its color and texture and, at the same time, saves you a lot of money.

Go with a simpler pattern.

In the same line of thought, a complicated quartz pattern will be more expensive than a simpler one. So to save money, go for a slab with natural shades and minimum decorative inclusions.

Pay attention to the manufacturer.

The manufacturer of the slab will significantly affect the countertop price, so you should be ultra-cautious about this. To find the right quality slab going at a low price, take your time to research and compare as many slabs as possible.

This calls for you to set enough time between the research phase and the installation.

Avoid special sink attachment.

As much as a unique under-floor installation is elegant to look at and a conversation starter, it doesn’t do any justice to your pocket. So to get a great deal, go for a simple sink installation. As long as the sink is installed correctly by an expert, it will look as good as the special one while saving you money.

Valuable tips as you are looking to save money

Yes, you want to get the best deal,  but there are several things you shouldn’t do. Some of these things include:

Don’t sacrifice on quality

When looking to save as much money as possible, it’s tempting to go for the cheapest product in the market, but not so fast. You don’t want to replace the countertops after a few days, do you?

To ensure that this doesn’t happen, go for quality countertops. You may have to stretch your budget a little bit, but it will be worth it in the long run.

Don’t install the countertops by yourself.

When you are a dab hand at DIY projects, it’s tempting to install the quartz countertops yourself—don’t do it. Besides the obvious risk of hurting yourself in the process, chances are also high that you will improperly install the countertops, and you have to hire quartz countertop contractors Potomac to redo them. You don’t want this, do you?

From the word go, let the installation be done by a professional. They will charge you for the work, but you are sure that you won’t have to redo it. For excellent service, ensure that the professional is experienced and knows what they are doing.

12

Oct

What Is The Best Quartz For Kitchen Countertops?

When you are looking to install quartz kitchen countertops, it’s common to be confused by the many options in the market. With so many quartz manufacturers, it’s common to wonder, what is the best quartz for kitchen countertops? To answer this question, we need to look at the different countertops and how they compare with each other.

Cambria

Cambria quartz is manufactured by Cambria, a privately held company based in Minnesota. Cambria Quartz is characterized by hundreds of styles, edges, slab sizes, and colors to choose from.

The unique thing is that unlike other types of quartz, you can’t buy Cambria quartz from the big box home improvement stores—you can only buy it through the architects, builders, and designers.

Caesarstone

Caesarstone is a publicly traded company headquartered in Israel, and it makes a wide range of colors to choose from. Caesarstone quartz comes in various styles, from the traditional looks such as marble to more contemporary and daring textures.

Caesarstone is known for pushing the design envelope, so it’s not uncommon to find quartz incorporating semi-precious stones such as tiger’s eye, agate, dumortierite, and petrified wood.

Silestone quartz

Based in Almeria, Spain, Silestone makes quartz countertops with vibrant solid colors such as green, blue, red, bright orange, and plenty of others that you won’t find in other quartz brands.

The cool thing is that quartz isn’t only limited to countertops—it also makes matching Silestone designs in vanities, sinks, and shower pans. This means you can buy everything you need for your house from the same brand, which comes in handy at maintaining uniformity in the house.

LG Viatera

This quartz is made by LG Electronics, a popular manufacturer of consumer electronics and appliances. Viatera quartz is available in over 50 earthy colors that range from “Snow Storm” to “Absolute Night.”

Hanstone

Hanstone is manufactured in North America, and it’s known for its tough quartz countertops. The resulting quartz is six times as durable as granite, making it the ideal choice for chefs and those who spend a lot of time in the kitchen.

MSI Q Quartz

MS International (MSI) was founded in 1975, and it makes top-notch quartz countertops that are scratch, heat, and stain-resistant.

Polarstone

Since it released its first accurate Calacatta marble design, Polarstone has been a leading Quartz manufacturer.

What should you look out for when buying quartz countertops?

To buy the right quartz, you need to look out for plenty of things that include:

Design and edges

The design and edges are the main differentiators among the different quartz brands. Design is basically the different qualities of the various slabs. They include: the size, color, shape of minerals, striations, and streaks.

You should take your time and find the ideal quartz for your needs.

Slab size

The other thing you should consider is the size of the slab that you need for your kitchen. As you can tell, this will be heavily influenced by the size of your kitchen. Work with your contractor and measure the size of your kitchen bench.

Seams are weak points, so work at minimizing them as much as possible. If you can use one slab instead of two, you are better off as you won’t have weak points in your kitchen. You also won’t spend much on contractors as they will quickly install the countertops.

Price

Of course, this is an important factor to consider. As you can guess, the price will significantly vary among the different brands. Although, high-quality slabs go at higher prices, it’s not always the case. Sometimes the slab will be expensive simply because of the brand.

You need to research and take your time to determine whether the price you are paying is justifiable. As a rule of thumb, don’t buy a slab simply because of the brand—buy it because it’s quality enough to serve you.

Warranty

Almost all quartz brands come with a warranty, although they differ in length, limitations, and transferability among the different brands.

Work with your quartz countertop dealer Potomac and compare the warranties among the different brands. Obviously, you should go with a brand that gives you the longest warranty at least cost.