21

Jul

What Should I Look For When Installing Granite?

Granite countertops come with plenty of perks. They are durable, beautiful to look at, and easy to maintain. While this is the case, you shouldn’t install the countertops haphazardly—you should consider several tips.

Wondering what should I look for when installing granite? Well, there are plenty of things you should do, with the common ones being:

Granite slab

When you are new to granite, you might feel that all granite slabs are the same, but this isn’t the case. Granite slabs run a gamut of qualities ranging from cheap, low-quality slabs to high-end, premium quality slabs.

When you are in the stores shopping for countertops, you should be cautious of the quality of slabs you buy.

One thing that will inform you about the quality of the countertops is the price that the countertops are going at. If the countertops are cheap, they are most likely low quality, and you should be cautious buying them.

The other thing you should look out for is the presence of cracks on the countertop slab.

Since granite is natural, it’s common for it to have small fissures that are often harmless. These fissures resemble small cracks, and you have nothing to worry about when you come across them.

Besides fissures, it’s also common to find some countertops with large cracks, and you should be worried when you see them. Although, countertops with large cracks tend to sell at lower prices, don’t be tempted to buy them, thinking that you will fix them later on as you can’t.

These countertops with large cracks are low quality and weak, so you should stay away from them.

To get the most from the granite countertops, buy high-quality units that will last for a long time and look good for long.

Cabinets

The other thing you should pay attention to when installing granite is the cabinets that you will place the countertops on. If installing the cabinets for the first time, ensure that you put up strong cabinets that can withstand the weight of the countertops.

If you had installed other countertop materials such as wood, consult a professional to help you determine whether the kitchen cabinets are strong enough to carry the weight of granite. If they aren’t, highly consider reinforcing them before installing granite.

The last thing you want is the cabinets breaking and having to build new ones. As you can guess, this can be expensive, especially if the countertop slabs break.

Besides ensuring that the cabinets are strong, they also should be level and properly secured to the wall. This way, you are sure that they can’t come off, and your countertop will be level.

Lighting

The lighting in your kitchen heavily determines the granite color you should install. If your kitchen doesn’t have a lot of natural light coming in, install gold or white granite countertops. On the other hand, if your kitchen has plenty of natural light, install dark-colored countertops such as mahogany, black, and deep blue.

To have a feel of how your countertops will look after installation, bring your granite slab to your home before you commit to buying more slabs. How does the slab look? Do you like it? You should continue buying more but if you don’t like it, let a professional help you choose the right one.

Granite installer

Unless you have the skill, you should let an experienced contractor install the countertops. In the same way, you can’t let any mechanic service your car, you shouldn’t let any person posing as a contractor do the installation.

The contractor you hire should be highly experienced. This means that he should have handled similar projects in the past.

The last thing you want is a professional coming to train on your site and end up damaging your expensive countertops.

The easiest way to tell how experienced the contractor is by asking them during the interview stages. If the contractor has never handled several projects similar to yours, don’t hire them.

The granite installers Potomac you hire should also have a beautiful personality. This is especially important if you have a large kitchen that requires you to do the installation over a couple of weeks or even months. You don’t want to be stuck with a boring contractor with a horrible personality, do you?

12

Jul

How Do You Get The Best Deal On Granite Countertops?

As much as everyone wants to install granite countertops in their homes, there is the issue of money.

Good quality granite counters don’t come cheap, so most homeowners look for ways to cut the costs.

How do you get the best deal on granite countertops? If you are asking this question, you should know that there are plenty of ways you can do it. Some of these ways include:

Take your time

One of the major mistakes homeowners make when they are looking for countertops is being in a hurry. After they have decided on the countertops they want for their homes, they rush to the nearest store and make the purchase. This is wrong.

To secure a great countertop deal, you need to take your time. This calls for you to start the countertop-hunting process early enough. Experts recommend you start the process at least three months before you install the countertops.

This way you can visit various stores and compare their prices.

When you aren’t in a hurry, you will confidently bargain the price without worrying about the seller rejecting your offer.

Buy wholesale

Another way to get a great countertop deal is to buy the countertop slabs wholesale. As you can guess, this calls for you to avoid the retail stores and go straight to wholesale.

Like other products in the market, countertops sell at lower prices in the wholesale stores, so if you have one in your area, buy from there.

Even when you have several wholesale stores in your area, don’t buy from the first store you bump into. Visit different stores and see what they have in stock. You should obviously buy from a store giving you the best deal.

Buy from small local stores.

You might have the impression that the larger stores will have the largest countertop options and give the best deals, but there is nothing from the truth than this.

As a matter of fact, these stores are the worst, and you should avoid them like the plague.

For one, these stores have few countertop options, so you are limited on the number of countertops you can buy from them. Second, the prices in these stores are set in stone—you can’t negotiate.

The small local stores, on the other hand, are a completely different case altogether. Since highly motivated countertop enthusiasts run them, they tend to house plenty of countertop materials, so you have a wide range of materials to choose from.

Since you have a one-on-one conversation with the owners, you can negotiate on the prices, so you walk out with an excellent deal. These small stores often install the countertops free or at a small fee which sees you saving a lot of money.

Go for regular granite colors.

Did you know the color of the slab you choose has a significant impact on the overall price? So to avoid spending an arm and leg on your countertops, go for regular colors such as black, white, and gray. As a rule of thumb, avoid rare colors such as red as you will pay a premium for it.

The same thing applies to veining, and patterns—choose common patterns to get a good deal.

Go the prefab way

A prefabricated stone has already been cut and polished, and it goes for half the price of a custom granite counter.

While prefabricated stones will save you a good chunk of money, you should note that they aren’t good for all situations.

They work best for simple counters requiring few cuts, such as when your cabinets are standard, and you don’t need to make any customization.

Use granite remnants

Are you looking to cover just a small area, such as the backsplash behind the stove? Don’t waste money on full granite slabs. Instead, visit the granite stores and buy granite remnants. These are small granite chunks that have been leftover from previous projects.

Since these pieces are too small to outfit an entire kitchen, most countertop stores sell them at huge bargains.

If you want to give a small area in your kitchen or bathroom a high-end look at a budget, visit these stores and make a purchase. You should work with your granite installers Rockville and expertly install the remnants in a fashionable style.

24

Jun

How Long Does It Take To Install Kitchen Countertops

When installing quartz kitchen countertops or any other kitchen countertops, the time it takes to install them is vital, as sometimes you might be having guests over, and you want to complete the installation before they arrive.

Wondering how long does it take to install kitchen countertops? Well, the time varies depending on the type of countertops you are looking to install.

Laminate countertops

They have the fastest turnaround times, so if you are looking for fast-to-install countertops, these are the best to go for. You will even install them faster if you go with off-the-rack countertops often found in home improvement stores.

You should note that while the off-the-rack countertops are easy to install, they often aren’t as beautiful as the custom laminate countertops, so you should be ready to make the compromise.

If you want that perfect look, install custom laminate countertops, and these take a long time as the contractor will have to visit your home and demonstrate the various laminate countertops they have in stock.

After you have selected your preferred pieces, the contractor will then take a few weeks or even months to make the countertops. Once the countertops are ready, the contractor will schedule a time to remove the old countertops and install the new ones.

Installing the new custom laminate countertops takes about a few days to a week, depending on the size of your kitchen and the contractor’s experience.

Granite and marble countertops

If you ask any homeowner, the type of countertops they are looking to install, they will tell you granite or marble. And there is a good reason for it: granite and marble countertops are tough and give your kitchen an elegant look.

The time it takes to install these countertops is similar to the other countertops, but with these countertops, instead of the contractor coming to your home, you have to visit the contractor’s showroom to see the various countertops available.

When you are in these stores, don’t simply pick the slab that sticks out the most for you. Remember, your kitchen size, the lighting in your kitchen, cabinet design, and color, will heavily impact how the slab looks in your kitchen, so always take a sample with you in your home and see how it looks there.

Only buy a slab if it looks good in your kitchen.

After you have settled on a given countertop slab, the contractor will find similar slabs as your chosen slab and begin preparing them for installation. This process often takes 1-3 months to complete, depending on the availability of the chosen slabs and the size of your kitchen.

Wood, glass, stainless steel, and engineered stone countertops

These take the same time as laminate countertops to install, and you have to follow the same installation process. The countertop contractor comes to your home with countertop samples, and it’s up to you to choose the ones you like.

You should then wait for the contractor to make the countertops, return to your home, remove the old countertops, and replace them with the new ones.

In most cases, from the time you begin looking at the countertop materials to the time you install them, it takes about 4 months.

Concrete countertops

You can go about the installation in two ways: have the countertops made offsite or have the concrete formed and poured on-site.

The contractor will visit your home and measure the size of your countertop surface so that he can make a countertop of the right size. It often takes longer to have the countertop made on site, as the contractor has to bring everything on the site.

Tile countertops

Unlike marble and granite countertops Rockville that come in large slabs, these countertops are usually small tiles (often 4” X 4”), so as you can expect, they take a long time to install.

You have to follow the same process where the contractor comes to your home and shows you their samples. After settling on the tiles, they make them, then come to your home and install them.

Unlike other countertops that you can begin using immediately after installation, wait for at least a week for the tiles to completely stick to the counter surfaces before using them.

15

Jun

How to Change Countertops without Replacing

Are you wondering how to change countertops without replacing them? There are plenty of ways on how to do it. Here are some of them:

Install some tile

If you don’t have money to buy granite countertops, you should go the tile way. Here you need to buy the tile countertops then lay them on already existing countertops such as laminate.

Before you place the countertops on the new surfaces, put a waterproofing membrane on the existing countertops and an edging trim around your sink. Once you are done, start tiling the surfaces.

While this project seems easy, it’s not, especially if you have never done it before so if this is your first time, consider hiring a professional to help with the installation.

Install a concrete countertop

Concrete countertops are affordable, and you can plaster concrete on any surface. You only need to ensure that the surface can carry the concrete weight.

Begin with sanding the surfaces, then apply a feather finish product according to the instructions given on the bottle.

You should then apply an even layer of concrete on the surface and let it dry. Once it has dried, sand it with 120 grit sandpaper, then apply two more concrete layers.

Most homeowners opt for the standard look but if this isn’t what you are looking for, customize the surfaces as per your needs.

Slap on a coat of paint

The beauty of painting countertops is you can easily do it by yourself even if you have never done it before. You can use any paint to transform your surfaces but for the best experience, use high-quality enamel paint.

Begin preparing the surfaces by roughing them up with a power sander to provide a suitable surface for the paint to adhere to. Once the surfaces are prime for the paint, apply your desired paint with a brush or sponge roller.

Would you love to add texture to the counters? Use a sponge dipped in contrasting paint colors.

Your imagination is your limit when transforming your countertops with paint, so you should be as creative as possible to get an interesting look.

After applying the final coats, apply a couple of polyurethane coats to protect the painted surface and add a glossy shine.

Cover the surfaces with polyurethane

When properly installed, polyurethane adds a deep, glossy shine to the countertop surfaces, and the beauty is you can use several variations of the product to refurbish your countertops.

If you have never done it before, hire a professional to help you place the polyurethane on the countertops.

If you don’t have money to hire a professional to help with the installation, there are plenty of videos online you can use to learn.

Install granite overlays

From their name, you place granite overlays directly on your existing surfaces, and if you don’t have a large kitchen, you can do the installation in one day.

To install the overlays, remove the sink then cover the counter and backsplash surfaces with overlays. All you have to do is to attach the ¼-inch pieces using adhesive to your surfaces.

Although you can easily install the overlays on your surfaces, you should always hire a professional to help with fabricating the pieces to your desired size.

Apply a concrete skin coat

If you like the concrete look, but don’t want to remove your existing counters and install concrete counters from scratch, apply a concrete skim coat on the surfaces with a specially designed product for patching or skim coating floors.

You should note that while the skim coat might make the countertops look tough, they aren’t, and they don’t last as long as full concrete counters.

Cover the countertops with contact paper

Contact papers make a lot of sense if you are renting a property, but you want to transform the look of the surfaces. Since you can’t transform the surfaces permanently, contact papers make an excellent option.

Begin with finding contact papers resembling your dream countertops. These can be quartz countertops Rockville or any other surfaces. You should then clean the surfaces and, after drying, position your paper in such a way that there are as few seams as possible.

Using a credit card or a similar product, flatten down the paper and trim the excess. Go over the surfaces with a sealant and overlap any seams by at least an inch.

28

May

How Can You Tell Quality Of Granite?

If you have been shopping for granite countertops, you must have realized that they don’t come cheap. This calls for you to be cautious when purchasing, so you buy high-quality granite surfaces that will look good for long and last for a long time.

Wondering how can you tell quality of granite? There are plenty of ways you can go about it. To help you out, here are some of these ways:

Check the price

This is a dead giveaway. Like any other product, low-quality granite will sell at a much lower price. Hence, if you pop into a countertop store and you find the countertops selling at a lower price than the standard  market prices, chances are the countertops are poor quality, and you should look elsewhere.

Check the color and pattern.

Another way to tell the quality of the stone is to check the color and patterns. As you are inspecting the stone, you should note that granite is natural, so like any other natural product, you should expect diversity, so if you come across a slab with the same color and pattern, it’s most likely not natural granite, and you should avoid buying it.

As mentioned, granite is a natural product, so you should expect every granite slab to be unique. This means that the color, texture, and veins on the countertop surface shouldn’t be the same in all sections of the slab.

Tap the countertop

Did you know you can tell the quality of the slab by simply tapping on it? When you are in the countertop store, simply give the countertop a tap and listen to the sound. A natural, good-quality granite should give a ringing sound when tapped, while a cheap, manufactured granite, won’t give the ringing sound.

The poor quality granite won’t make the unique sound because it’s made from resins and quartz crystals that are non-porous, and due to this, the sound produced will be muted or dull.

Do the water test

It might sound like you have to go to the laboratory and test, but this isn’t the case. All you have to do is to pour water on a granite slab and see how it behaves.

If the granite slab is natural and of good quality, it should absorb water, but the water should run off the slab if low quality.

This is because manufactured granite is made from epoxy resins that are nonporous, so they won’t absorb water after pouring it there.

Natural granite, on the other hand, will absorb water. The easiest way to tell that the stone is absorbing water is by looking at the stone. Does the stone darken as the water stays on the surface?

Inspect the granite seams

If you have already installed the countertops, you want to confirm whether you installed the right pieces and take a look at the seams.

If the countertop is poor quality or artificial, it won’t have any change in the pattern along the seams, but with real, good-quality granite, you will have a noticeable change in pattern.

Although most experienced contractors do a good job at minimizing the pattern change as they are lining up the seams, you should still see the seam changes on a closer look.

Check the polish quality.

In the same way, you would judge the quality of a car by the quality of paint, you should judge the quality of granite by the quality of the polish.

As you can expect, the higher the granite quality, the better the polish quality.

The best way to tell the quality of the polish is to gently brush a coin on the polished granite surface. If the surface easily scrapes, the polish and the granite countertop are low quality, but it’s high quality if the polish is resistant to the impact.

Measure the granite thickness

The final thing you should pay attention to the thickness of the slab. According to granite installers Potomac, you should avoid thin granite as it will not only be unpleasant to look at but also brittle upon installation as it can easily break even from the slightest impact.

21

May

Replacing Kitchen Countertops On A Budget? 7 Countertop Options To Choose From

If your countertops are damaged, worn out, or you want to revamp your kitchen or bathroom, you should contact countertop replacement services providers to replace the countertops.

If you have a large budget for the work, you do not worry as you can use any material you want, but you can only go with cheap materials if you are working on a tight budget.

Thinking about replacing kitchen countertops on a budget? There are several countertop materials you can go with. The most common ones being:

Laminate

Although laminate countertops were popular a few decades ago, you can still install them in your home at an affordable price. The beauty of modern laminates is that you can find countertops that resemble almost anything. Thanks to advances in technology, you can find laminate countertops mimicking stone, wood, and other materials.

The main flaw with laminate is it tends to easily scratch, so you need to be cautious when preparing your meals or cleaning so you don’t cause substantial damage. Thankfully, you can reduce the chances of scratching by sealing the countertops. When doing it, ensure that you use sealant materials specifically designed for laminate countertops.

Cultured marble

This is faux marble that resembles real marble but comes at a much lower price. The countertops are made from a mixture of polyester resin and pigments, marble dust and fillers.

These surfaces replicate the marble appearance, but they are more stain-resistant than the real marble, making them easier to maintain.

Paint

Many people use paint to revamp their walls, but did you know you can also transform your counters using it? The cool thing is you can easily paint the surfaces by yourself without requiring the services or contractor.

All you need to do is to find a color that will give your surfaces a brand new look you are looking for. You can paint any counter surface, so whether you want to transform tile, laminate, solid surface or any other surface, you can definitely use paint.

Bamboo

Bamboo isn’t the most popular countertop material, but it can give your surfaces a unique natural look when properly done.

Bamboo surfaces are known to be stylish, tough, and eco friendly. The only flaw with them is they require significant levels of maintenance. For example, you need to paint them or seal them, so they aren’t damaged by water.

Tiles

Are you looking for durable countertops, but you are operating on a tight budget? These are the countertops to go for. Besides being tough, the countertops are colorful, so they will significantly transform your surfaces with their unique colors.

To make the countertops more appealing, use them in conjunction with plainer, more affordable styles.

Wood

Wood or butcher block counters add warmth to your surfaces and give them a unique natural look. The beauty of wood is it’s cheaper than stone countertops, so you will save a significant amount of money by installing them.

Bamboo and maples are two of the most popular wooden countertop materials, but you can install any other wooden countertops of your choice. When you install them, you should note that the countertops require regular oiling to prevent them from wood-boring insects. You may also have to seal the surfaces to prevent them from water damage.

Stainless steel

Although a good quality stainless steel countertop isn’t cheap, a properly constructed custom made steel countertop can double as a kitchen island, meaning you don’t need to build a kitchen island, and as you can imagine, this saves you a lot of money.

The cool thing is many freestanding stainless steel counters provide plenty of storage space beneath, so you don’t need to construct storage cabinets for your produce.

Recycled glass

This is a new entrant in the market and has quickly risen in popularity. Recycled glass surfaces are made by mixing pieces of recycled glass with cement and other binders. At first look, the countertops are beautiful and easy to maintain, but this isn’t the case.

You need to be ultra-cautious when preparing your meals or placing hard objects on the countertops as they can easily chip or break. So like granite countertops Rockville and other countertop materials, you need to be careful, so you don’t damage them.

14

May

4 Disadvantages of Granite Countertops

Although granite counters are one of the most popular countertop materials in the market, they aren’t perfect. Like other materials, they come with their fair share of negatives that you should be aware of if installing them for the first time. To help you out, here are 4 disadvantages of granite countertops and how to go around them:

They are prone to heat damage.

Although the countertops are tough and heat resistant, they aren’t heatproof. While you might get away with placing hot pots and pans on them a few times, repeatedly doing so increases the chances of leaving an ugly scar on the countertops, and you are forced to replace them.

It’s true the countertops are prone to heat damage, but you can prevent it from coming about. One way to do so is to never place hot pots or pans directly on them. When cooking, always have a trivet or hot pad in the kitchen.

If you don’t have the protective devices in place, don’t remove the hot pot from the stove. Let it cool and only place it on the countertops when it has completely cooled.

They are highly susceptible to staining.

Granite is porous in nature. This means that when a liquid or any substance spills on the countertops, it quickly moves to the stone’s inner layers and stains it.

While this is the case, it doesn’t mean that you should avoid installing the countertops simply because they will stain. You can prevent the staining from occurring in the first place.

One way to do it is to seal the countertops. At the time of installation, ask the contractors to seal the surfaces. You also should seal them at least once a year to maintain the protective barrier.

The purpose of sealing the countertops is to reduce the surface’s porosity, so the liquids don’t absorb too quickly.

Although the liquids won’t absorb quickly when you seal granite countertops, it doesn’t mean that you should start spilling the liquids haphazardly on the countertops. Remember, even if the countertops are sealed, the liquids can still seep through and stain the surfaces, so keep any liquids off the countertops.

When a spill happens, move fast and remove it before it soaks into the deeper layers.

The granite surfaces tend to harbor bacteria.

The granite pores that allow water to seep through also harbor bacteria. If you haven’t sealed the countertops, wiping a cleaning towel across the unsealed surface pushes the food, liquid and bacteria in the pores where they grow and develop, and they can be harmful to your health.

For example, if you cut meat or vegetables directly on the countertops, the bacteria will get into your food leading to food poisoning upon eating the food.

One way to reduce the bacteria population is to seal the countertops. You also should disinfect the surfaces at least once a week.

Granite countertops are heavy.

Even when you are in the stores, on picking the countertops, you will notice that they are heavy. While the heavy nature of the countertops might mean the countertops are tough and indestructible, it brings about an installation challenge.

If you had not thought it through when building the cabinets, placing the heavy granite slabs on the weak cabinets will bring about a plethora of problems, including binding, cracking or even the ultimate breaking of the cabinets.

The weighty nature of the slabs also means that the granite contractor you hire can’t do the work by himself or with his assistant—he has to hire many people to help with the installation, which increases the installation cost.

To counter this, hire the right contractor from the word go. The experienced contractor will help you install the right cabinets that will carry the countertop’s weight.

Installing the countertops isn’t cheap, but you don’t have to redo it when you hire an experienced contractor that knows what they are doing.

If you are looking to install granite on your surfaces, don’t be in a hurry to settle on the first granite installer you come across. Take your time and interview several granite countertop installers Rockville, then settle on the most qualified.

Remember, installing the countertops is expensive, and you don’t want someone that will install the countertops, then you will have to redo them.

30

Apr

What Color Granite Is Cheapest?

Granite countertops don’t come cheap, and one of the factors that affect the price of the countertops is the countertop’s color. Common colors such as white and black are cheaper compared to rare colors such as green and red. This means that if you are looking to save money, you should go for common countertop colors.

Are you wondering what color granite is cheapest? Tan and black granite are the cheapest, so if you are strapped for money, these are the ones to go for. While this is the case, there are plenty of other cheaper alternatives, including white granite, that you can buy if tan or black isn’t your color. These cheaper alternatives include:

Dallas white

Although it’s known as Dallas, this isn’t where it’s mined. The countertop is quarried in Aguia Branca, Brazil. The countertop is characterized by low water absorption and low porosity, making it an excellent choice for kitchens and bathrooms.

The countertop has a white background and dark crystals scattered throughout, giving your home an interesting appeal.

Although, most slabs have crystals, it’s not uncommon to find some slabs with brown or golden cream veins that make the countertop resemble an abstract art painting.

Due to the tight grain structure of the countertop, you don’t have to install a face resin on the countertops. The lack of resin means that you can place a hot pot on the countertop without worrying about damaging the countertops.

Although, the countertops are tough to take the heat, you should note that continued exposure to heat increases the chances of damaging them. To protect the countertops from damage, use a trivet or a hot pad every time you place a hot object on the countertops.

To get the most from the countertop, ensure that it’s installed by a professional. The Dallas white color pairs excellently with white cabinetry, but if you don’t want your entire bathroom or kitchen to be white, pair it with dark wood cabinetry such as dark walnut.

Azul Platino

Azul Platino has been around for hundreds of years, and it features an off-white background with small bluish-gray specks. It’s also common for the slabs to have black spots or even black or white veining.

Most of the Azul Platino slabs are large, making them ideal choices for kitchen islands and other areas where you need to install large-sized slabs.

Uba Tuba

It’s named after the place it’s mined. Ubatuba, São Paulo, Brazil. Besides being affordable, the countertop is also beautiful, and when you properly install and take good care of it, it will last for a long time. The countertop features a dark green background with brown, green, and gold flecks scattered across the granite slab.

In some cases, the slab has small veins that can be white, gold, or turquoise.

When you install the countertops, pair them with dark cabinetry to bring out exciting features. You can also pair them with white cabinetry for an elegant contemporary look.

New Caledonia

This is another countertop quarried in Brazil. Although it’s natural, it’s unique in that it has a uniform look such that two slabs look almost similar.

The natural stone countertop features a white background with gray or brown speckles that run uniformly throughout the slab giving it an interesting look. The heavy grain pattern makes it easy to hide the stains, so you don’t have to worry when liquids and foods spill on the countertops.

Since the countertop has a uniform look, it perfectly fits both traditional and contemporary kitchens and bathrooms. To bring out the brown and bedrock minerals, pair them with dark wood-stained cabinetry. On the other hand, if you want to bring out the charcoal flecking, pair it with light cabinetry.

Valle Nevado

It’s one of the most popular, affordable countertop granite colors, and it’s loved for its ability to coordinate with many design styles. The countertop features a tight grain structure that minimizes the need to apply a resin to it.

Due to its versatility, you can effectively pair it with both black or white cabinetry. When you pair it with white cabinetry, you bring out the tiny back crystals. On the other hand, when you pair it with black cabinetry, you bring out the pale gray tone of the countertop.

The key to getting the most from it is to work with experienced granite installers Rockville that know what they are doing.

21

Apr

Can You Put A Hot Pan On Quartz?

Quartz countertops are manmade and tough and due to their tough nature, you will hear some homeowners asking, can you put a hot pan on quartz?

While the countertops are tough and heat-resistant, they aren’t heatproof. This means that the counters can be resistant to the heat to a certain degree, after which they can’t deal with the high temperatures. This means you might get away with placing the hot pan on the countertops once or twice but continuing with it will cause serious damage to the surfaces.

To answer your question about whether you can put hot pans on quartz, no, you shouldn’t.

What other things shouldn’t you do to the countertops?

Besides exposing the countertops to a lot of heat, there are plenty of other things you shouldn’t do to your countertops. Some of these things include:

Don’t ignore spills

Quartz is tough, but you shouldn’t test it. When spills happen, move with haste and remove them before they get worse. You should especially move with haste and remove them if they are juice, wine, vinegar, juice, or tea.

The reason you should remove these liquids is because they can be corrosive or acidic to the countertops and damage them. You don’t want this, do you?

Don’t cut directly on the countertops.

Quartz is one of the toughest materials in the market, as it’s fortified with manmade polymers that make it even tougher. While the countertop is tough, don’t cut directly on it. This is because the sharp knives will scratch the surface, giving them an ugly look.

Whenever you are looking to cut anything in the kitchen, use a cutting board. Don’t cut directly on the countertop, as you will damage it.

Don’t use harsh cleaning products.

You may want your countertops to look their best, so you might be tempted to use the toughest cleaning products such as bleach and others, but don’t go that route. While bleach and other high pH cleaners are highly effective, you shouldn’t use them as they can damage your surface.

You should note that regardless of how dirty the countertops look, you don’t need tough cleaning products to keep them clean. Mild soap and water are enough to give the surfaces a clean look and also remove bacteria and minor stains that might be forming.

Don’t slide things on the countertops.

Quart counters can stand a lot of abuse, but you can protect them from scratches and other forms of damage by being cautious about how you handle them. As a rule of thumb, don’t move ceramic, metal dishes, or utensils along the countertop surfaces.

You also shouldn’t slide knives and other potentially abrasive materials across the countertops, as they can leave black marks that might be difficult or impossible to remove.

Don’t use permanent markers on the countertops.

It’s tempting to let the kids do their homework on the kitchen island as you are making dinner. While you love your kids and want to spend as much time with them as possible, don’t let them do their school projects on the counters, especially if the projects involve permanent markers.

This is because it’s only a matter of time before the kids start doodling on the countertops with the permanent markers. And as you can guess, the permanent markers will adhere to the countertop surface and become hard to remove. In fact, you can’t remove the marker with anything else other than a harsh chemical that has high chances of causing damage.

If you have to have the kids in the kitchen, ensure they are using water-based markers. If the kids play with sharp objects, protect the surfaces, so they don’t damage the counters.

In conclusion,

These are some of the things you shouldn’t do to your quartz kitchen countertops Potomac. For the countertops to retain their look for a long time, you need to show love to them. Remember, you installed them for their strong, gorgeous, and easy-to-maintain look, so you need to take good care of them.

As a rule of thumb, avoid all of the above and clean the counters regularly. You also should register the countertops as soon as you buy them to activate the warranty.

12

Apr

Can Heat Ruin Granite Countertops?

Can heat ruin granite countertops? The simple answer is yes, heat can damage your countertops. Although granite is tough and heat-resistant, it isn’t heatproof. While the countertops might not get damaged the first time you place a hot pan or pot on them, continued heat exposure is bound to damage them.

What can you do to protect your countertops?

As mentioned above, you can get away with placing hot items directly on the granite surfaces, but if you repeatedly do it, you are pushing your luck too far, and it becomes a matter of when you will ruin your countertops.

To avoid this, make it a habit to place a trivet or hot pad on the countertops all the time. This way, even when you are in a hurry to remove the hot pot from the fire, you can easily reach the trivet and place it there instead of placing it directly on the countertops.

If you don’t have a trivet, don’t take the hot pot from the fire and place it directly on the countertop. Instead, give it a few minutes to cool down, after which you can place it on the countertops. This means that when the food is ready, you should switch off your stove and let the pot cool.

Before you place the pot on the countertops, remember to wipe the pot’s underside to remove any black or burn marks that would damage the granite surface.

What should you do to already damaged countertops?

If your countertops have already been ruined, try to restore them using pastes and liquids. There are plenty of special creams and solutions that you can use to polish your granite surfaces and remove any stains and marks on them.

The cool thing is you don’t need to hire a professional to help remove the stains—you can easily do it on your own. You should rub the burn marks from the countertops using creams and solutions, but if some marks are hard to remove, ask a contractor to look into them.

If there are burn marks that don’t come off even after using a professional service, try to use your warranty and get a replacement.

What other things shouldn’t you do to your granite surfaces?

Other than not placing hot items directly on the countertops, there are plenty of other things you shouldn’t do to keep your surfaces in top shape. Some of these things include:

Don’t work with raw meat on granite surfaces.

Raw meat looks harmless, and it’s true it will not hurt your granite, but it harbors plenty of bacteria that can get to the other foods you prepare on the surfaces. Many homeowners also cleanse their surfaces after preparing meat on them, which can be harmful, especially when they use harsh products to do the cleansing.

Don’t stand on the countertops.

The countertops are made from stone, so there is no harm in standing on them, right? Wrong. Although the countertops are made from natural rock, the rock has veins, fissures, and striations that can crack when you place a lot of weight on them.

To keep your countertops in top shape, don’t sit, stand or place any heavy item on the countertops, especially on the edges.

If you have to reach the top shelf or change the light bulbs, don’t step on the countertops. Instead, have a stool or ladder in place.

Some people sit on the countertops as they are preparing meals. Don’t do this, and to fight the temptation, have a chair in the kitchen.

Don’t wash your children in the under-mount kitchen sink

The kitchen sink might seem like a fun place to wash your kids, especially if the sink is large, but you shouldn’t do it. While the sinks are often strongly secured to the bottom of the countertops, regularly using the sink as a bathtub can loosen the sink mounting.

According to granite countertop installers Rockville, if your kids are large, they can put a lot of weight on the countertops and crack the striations.

For your countertops to last for a long time, use the sink to only wash the utensils. If you want to wash the kids in a fun way, do it in the bathroom.