Granite?

Hi A.,
We had Master Granite (ask for Matt) of Phoenixville do our countertops in our kitchen and pantry and they did a great job. I didn't think the price was crazy and I'm pretty conservative. We didn't pick the most expensive granite though, either, there are all different levels of granite which you will see if you make it to Tropical Stone in Malvern (enormous warehouse where you choose your slabs). Depending on the size of the job you have, the other thing you can do is see if Master Granite has any spare slabs in their work area from jobs they just finished, that can save you money. You can also cut corners but not getting the fancy edges which cost more money.

They will come out and lay out a template for your counter tops which they will take back to their shop and use to cut your counters, sink openings from. They installed our countertops in one day. I think you have to let the seams dry for maybe a day before you get them wet.

One regret I have is that I chose a dark green granite with flecks of black and gold and I have to say that it shows every speck of dirt, smudge, etc. I really wish I would have gone with someone neutral.

The care of the granite is easy. There is granite sanitizer you can use every once in a while and yearly you will need to seal it but that isn't a big deal either. For daily wiping, I just use a soft cloth and some Dawn, then dry it so there aren't smears (since my counter shows everything).

Email me if you have any other questions.

L.

We recently replaced our countertops and just couldn't justify the expense of granite. We replaced a large L-shaped countertop with a nice textured formica for under $2000. I love it. You just can't put hot stuff directly on it. Care is easy. Good luck! Oh--there are other materials between the prices formica and granite--Corian, etc.

my husband has friend who can hook you up you wont believe therate it is awesome greg ###-###-####....

Hello,
We have Granite countertops also. They were here when we bought the house, so I don't know about the cost to install. About the care or maintainence though; here are some things to consider. You do have to be careful what gets on them. Any acidic cleaners or liquids can harm it, so no bleach, ammonia, etc. So be careful if you have that stuff under the sink for example. My son accidentally spills some window cleaner on the counter..yikes! We got it in time, but you have to be careful. Also, once they are in...that is it. Our dishwasher broke. The previous owners had installed the flooring AFTER the dishwasher was installed, so there was no way to get the dishwasher out without removing the counter or cutting the floor! NO ONE would touch the counter! My husband did manage to cut the legs off the dishwaher and get it out, but it was a royal pain. My point is...if you ever need appliances removed that are under the granite or want to replace cabinets that are under the granite (we have an island that again we can't replace without replacing the granite as well) you to need to consider the options. It is a very nice counter. You can cut on it, place hot dishes directly on it etc. but it does have it's con's too. I wouldn't choose it again if I had the option. That is just my opinion though....which is worth much I am sure (:

Ask if it has been tested for radon and get a reading. Ours was at a higher level so we just had it sealed and will continue to do this every year. Other than that I love it. P.S we have corian in the basement and are just as happy. The corian comes with a seamless sink (built together) and is a breeze to clean!