The reason for having granite countertops in your home are simple and very clear. It is the most functional surface that you can use for your countertops. Also that no 2 stones are exactly the same adds to the mystic of the stone and its desirability. It is very low in maintenance and is very visually interesting.
90% of a surveyed sample audience felt that granite added to the perceived value of a home as apposed to all other countertop surfaces having significantly less value.
Couple simple rules of thumb:
Color selection
Select a color that will go well with the over all theme of the kitchen - Some stone colors may not be attractive to future home buyers. Consult a designer if you are not 100% sure if you have selected the right color. This is a substantial investment and the wrong color choice can send potential buyers running for the door.Slabs Tile Prefab -
This is all about seams. Less seams the better!
Slab granite will have the least amount of seams based on the granite is in large scale format. This also makes it very difficult for the DIY'er to handle this project.
Prefab granite is smaller pieces designed to fit on standard cabinets. This can save on some of the costs but due to the size of these slabs they will not work for some cabinet configurations. Also seams may fall in areas that are less desirable.
Tile granite obviously with have many seams and really does not achieved the desired end result of granite .
Slab Granite
Slab granite comes is 2 main thicknesses. 2cm (3/4 of an inch) or 3cm (1 1/4 inches)
2 CM typically needs to be backed by another material for countertops.
3 CM typically does not need to be backed by any oter products and can be installed right on the cabinets.
The price difference is typically not and different once the product is installed.
Typically pricing over the past 4 years:
29.99/ SF installed (Typically Limited Supply, Remnant, or Less Popular Stones)
39.99/ Square Foot installed (Level 1 Common Colors, High Demand, Colors are typically uniform)
39.99/ Square Foot installed (Level 1 Common Colors, High Demand, Colors are typically uniform)
49.99/ Square Foot installed (Level 2 Less Common Colors, High Demand, Colors are typically Less uniform)
Another factor that is hard for us to see is the stone quality. All stones are classified from the slab yards in various ways as these stones come from all over the world. Typically these classifications of slabs are Commercial, Standard and First Quality.
Commercial Slabs - These slabs typically have flaws in them that would classify them as substandard and hence to be used for commercial purposes where waste is more acceptable.
Standard Slabs match with what is considered to be acceptable and uniform to the quality of the stone. Limited flaws on the entire slab
First Quality slabs match with the highest level and minimal amount of flaws on the surface. These slabs are typically very expensive as normally only 10% of all slabs would be considered first quality.
