How to Avoid Disaster When Installing Granite Countertops

Investing in granite countertops for your home is quite an expensive investment. In fact, quality granite comes at an average price of about $60 for a square foot and can be even more expensive to repair as well. That’s why it’s essential that follow the tips below, so you can avoid unnecessary disaster.

Invest in the right shade of granite

Choosing the correct color of granite for your specific needs is extremely important. Acidity substances like orange juice, red wine and cranberry juice tend to stain lighter shades of granite much more than darker shades. This is why darker shades are better suited for dining rooms and personal bars. On the other hand, homeowners that are investing in granite for other areas of their home may go with lighter colors like yellow or white.

Select the proper thickness of your granite slabs

Making sure you select the correct thickness of your slabs is also highly crucial. Granite slabs typically come in three different sizes. They are:

  • Three-quarter inch
  • One and one-quarter inch
  • One and one-half inch

It’s important to note that the one and one-half inch slabs generally involve taking two three-quarter inch slabs and fusing them together by the use of a strong glue. The problem with this size of slab is that over the years, the glue can weaken and create undesirable gabs.

Minimize the number of seams in your slabs

Granite countertops with fewer seams tend to maintain their luscious appearance much longer than countertops with a lot of seams. As the years roll on, seams can become more and more visible and quite unsightly. It’s also important to make sure that all the seams are located away from the main focal points of the countertop. You will appreciate this later down the line.

Match the color of your countertops with the rest of your home

To truly bring out the elegance of your kitchen or bathroom, it’s essential that the color and the pattern of your granite countertops match the rest of the interior. This will include the cabinets, the sink and facet, the floors, walls and ceiling as well.

Homes that have a unifying theme are more visual appealing and tend to be sold for a higher price on the market. If you should ever decide to sell, there’s a good chance that you’ll make more of a profit than a home with a mismatched interior.

Leveling the kitchen or bathroom sink

Keeping your granite countertops clean is usually quite important to most homeowners. That’s why making sure the sink is level or lays lower to the surrounding countertops is important. By doing so, wiping food, germs and other contaminates into the sink is much easier than having a sink that’s raised a little higher.

Choose the proper edge for your granite countertops

In order to unify the look of your countertops, choosing the right edge is an essential part of the planning process. Although the edge is a small feature of the surface, applying the wrong color and style will definitely stand out like a sore thumb. Some of the most common styles on the market today include:

  • Straight
  • One-fourth round
  • One-fourth bevel
  • Half bullnose
  • Waterfall
  • Ogee

Measure and have the templating done accurately

Making sure that your measurements are as accurate as possible is very critical. Wrong measurements will not only lead to unnecessary frustration, it’ll can also involve addition work and sometimes extra money to fix the problem. If you are not very experienced in the area of home improvement work, it’s probably best to let a professional gather the proper measurements for you.

 

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