FAQ
Most frequent questions and answers
01 Countertop installation
Although we try our best not to, we cannot guarantee this won’t happen. Anything you see in your slabs may show up in your countertop. Please remember that granite is a natural product made by God and small blemishes or imperfections are part of what makes your counter unique and beautiful. We also prefer to not use any slabs that are cracked as this often makes our job more difficult and unsafe.
Most of our customers prefer the under-mount sink since you have a cleaner, more elegant look, but it is really personal preference.
Because we only charge by the square feet that go into your kitchen, the left over material belongs to us. But you are welcome to your sink and cook-top cut outs if you notify us ahead of time. (The under-mount sink cut out usually ends up breaking on the shop floor if we are not notified). Should you choose to keep your left over pieces, they will not have polished edges. This would be an extra charge.
We do not recommend going further than 6″ to 8″ without additional supports such as corbels or L-brackets.
No. All edging is carefully hand-carved by highly trained professionals under the supervision of the USA GRANITE staff.
No. All edging is carefully hand-carved by highly trained professionals under the supervision of the USA GRANITE staff.
02 Maintenance Questions
The slabs you see at the slab yards come already polished from the production facilities in Brazil, India, China, etc. These facilities use very large equipment running at very high rpms. As a fabricator, we only cut to size, shape and polish your edges. We almost never touch the surface since it is very difficult to match the shine from the production facility, especially in darker granites. So, please choose your slabs carefully.
I would never stand on my granite around my sink or cook-top areas. Large areas with no cut-outs should be okay, as long as you opted for the decking option and have supported your bar overhangs well.
On a daily basis, we recommend warm water and dish-washing soap. For a deeper cleaning, we recommend “Revitalized” by Stone Tech www.stonetechpro.com. It is an anti-bacterial cleaner and sealer, so every time you use it, you are cleaning and resealing your granite. If you use products not made for natural stone, they will break down the sealer quicker.
All natural stone must be sealed. When you purchase your counter-tops from USA GRANITE, our installation includes cleaning and sealing your granite which should last 2 to 3 years.
03 Product Questions
Some granite production facilities are using a resin coating on slabs prior to polishing to fill in small pits and cracks on the surface. This technique makes the colors in the slab much richer looking. But if you look at the side of the slab you will see that the resin only penetrates the slab 1/16″ to 1/8″. Once we start fabricating your edge profile, you will see a difference of lighter, duller colors on the edge. This problem is handled using an enhancer/sealer on your edges after cleaning the granite. The difference is barely noticeable, but we prefer letting you know about this prior to starting your job.
Yes, in fact we prefer that you do make your own selection. Since granite is a natural product, the slabs may not perfectly match any samples you have seen. Also, most samples are too small to really give you a good idea of the movement that occurs in some granites. Please refer to our list of preferred suppliers for names and addresses of slab yards.
No. Corian and siltstone’s are imitations of granite. Granite is a natural stone, while corian and siltstone’s are man-made. Some siltstone and corian salespeople discourage customers from getting granite claiming that the granite needs to be sealed frequently. This is untrue! Good quality granite does not need to be sealed more than once every three to five years and it takes less than ten minutes to reseal an average size kitchen. Moreover, most expensive houses have granite, not siltstone or corian.
Yes, USA GRANITE does all jobs that require granite slabs, such as fireplaces, wet bars, back-splashes, et
Yes, USA GRANITE does back-splashes using granite slabs, which gives the kitchen a very rich look. However, if you have a large back-splash, it may be more economical to have it done in tile. We can do tile work at additional charge.
