You’ve heard of countertop slabs, but did you know that you don’t need to remove your existing countertops to get a fresh and new look? That’s where granite countertop overlays come in. Here, you’ll learn what are granite overlays and their pros and cons so you can decide if you should choose them or regular granite countertops.

What Are Granite Overlays?

Granite is a natural stone and when it is quarried out of the ground, these thick and randomly shaped rocks can be made into anything. From thick slabs to thin overlays. So, countertop overlays are a very thin version of a slab. The rock is cut into thin tile-like slabs, but bigger, and they’re installed using an adhesive on the surface.

The game changer when it comes to overlays is that they can be glued right on top of your existing countertops, so there is no need to remove any old countertops if you want to jazz things up.

Pros Of Granite Overlays

Less Expensive

When it comes to granite, there is no doubt in anyone’s mind that it is a very expensive material. Getting a whole set of new countertops for your kitchen, and those too thick slabs, are going to make your wallet scream, because the price will be insane.

Well, countertop overlays make it easier for you. You can get just about a whole countertop installation in less than half of the price of getting granite slabs and you can make your kitchen look brand new. See? Getting new countertops is not always expensive. You just have to be smart with how you choose things.

Easy To Install

If your countertops are A-Okay, and you just want to change the look of the counters, then you don’t need to waste a single second. You can get overlays installed pretty easily. Since they are not actual slabs, installing overlays is a piece of cake. You don’t even need to go through the whole ordeal of removing your older countertops.

You can set the overlays right on top and that is pretty much it for the installation. You will be happy with the results, the work will be wrapped in no time and you’ll have new countertops pretty quickly.

Give A New Look

Even though countertop overlays are not actual countertop slabs, you can’t ignore the fact that they give your countertops a new look. This is great, especially if you’re looking for some change, but don’t want your wallet to thin out too much. This is why overlays are great.

They’re easy to install, the top of the surface looks just like the real deal (because it is) and when it’s a material like granite, it’s hard to find a flaw in it anyways, so it’s one of the best affordable options out there if you want to change up your countertops for the better.

Low Maintenance

Granite countertop overlays are amazing when it comes to maintaining them because they are granite. They are not as demanding as other materials like laminate so they’re quite easy to take care of.

There is not very much that needs maintaining when it comes to overlays. All you have to do is ensure that the surfaces are clean at all times. You also want to seal them for maximum protection against water and that’s it. You do need to be careful about putting too much weight on them.

A Lot Of Variety

Granite overlays have tons of variety. It doesn’t matter if you like light colors or dark colors, veining or no veining, more shimmer or less shimmer – there is something for everyone to choose here.

This is something that matches granite slabs because just like granite slabs, you can find granite overlays of any color and veining. This quality alone makes up for a lot of flukes in the material and it makes it popular among people because if there’s one thing people want, it’s more options.

Cons Of Granite Overlays

Not Great For Damaged Countertops

For overlays to sit flush on your existing countertop surface, it must be smooth, flat, and without any ridges or scratches. This is the main gist when it comes to using overlays. If your countertops are very damaged, bulky and just overall not in good condition, then it will not make the overlays sit properly and the installation will be – you guessed it – bumpy.

So, you always want to get your existing countertops tested by a team before you go ahead and put overlays on them because you don’t even know if they will look good or not. If you countertop is damaged, you can still get overlays by removing the old countertop first, applying a plywood base, and then installing the overlay.

Can Look Weird At Times

This is why professional installation matters the most. If you want to go for overlays in your kitchen, then you need to remember one thing. They’re sitting on top of real countertops, so it won’t look good at all if the installation is done by a rookie.

You want to ensure that you’re choosing a professional and experienced team for installing overlays because it’s more than just setting a thin piece of countertop material on an existing surface. The seams, the alignment, everything needs to be perfect and if it’s not, then well, the whole look is ruined forever.

Unavailability Is An Issue

Overlays – as much as they’re amazing and relatively easy – can be hard to get your hands on, especially when it comes to a material like granite. Granite is already really popular, and overlays in this material can be a mean feat to find.

Usually, slabs are more common and popular in granite and you have to search different stores to find someone who deals with overlays and can give you what you want. But give it your best shot and you’ll find something eventually.

Can Be Fragile

Well, even though granite overlays are not as heavy or thick, this can certainly be a disadvantage as well. Since they’re thin, they can break or crack easily, especially if you put or throw something really heavy on them. So, even though granite slabs are thicker and not so easy to handle, they have their strength to make up for it.

Granite countertop overlays are not great in the durability department, because if they break, then you have to get them replaced. It is much of a nuisance more than anything because it’s not like overlays are very expensive. It’s just that doing it over and over again can be tiring for a lot of people.

On the flip side, some people get countertop overlays for the very reason that they can replace them easily and get a new countertop surface frequently.

Conclusion

Granite overlays are amazing if you want to do update your countertops but don’t want to keep things too expensive either. You can install them on top of your existing countertops as long as they have a uniform surface or you can remove your existing countertop and install the overlay on a plywood base. Overlays are cheaper than way countertop slabs but they are also more fragile. You can consult a granite installer Rockville to discuss which option is better for you.