There
is nothing more beautiful than natural stone (granite) for countertops.
Granite has become the “Standard” of a Gorgeous kitchen, and will
create an inviting environment, as the Kitchen is often the main
gathering spot in the home. PRICE GROUPS OF GRANITE: We will often invite you to visit one or two of our Granite Suppliers to select the slabs. Pricing is grouped from 1 to 5, Price Group 5 is the most expensive. The busier veining and more exotic stone are more expensive. Busy veining also requires more raw stone to make your finished countertop, as the veining needs to be “matched”.
2 or 3 CM (thickness) of GRANITE:
3 CM material is the economy option for granite tops. 3 CM slabs are slightly more expensive than 2cm. It is somewhat stronger material than 2cm, so it can be used by laying it directly on top of the cabinets, with NO plywood subdecks. All edge details on a 3cm product are cut into the edge of the 3cm granite, NO Cabinet Overhang included. The DOWNSIDE: 3 CM slabs sit directly on top of cabinets. There is NO lamination of the front edge. This means there is No granite material laminated to create an overhang. There is no built in way to level or correct the uneven cabinet installation when using 3cm, it goes directly on top of existing cabinets. When looking at the cabinets from a distance or sitting down, you will see directly underneath the Granite slab meeting the cabinet (with 3cm).
3cm
Often requires you to hire a carpenter to supply and stain quarter
round or scribe moulding under new granite against cabinets to cover
“gaps”. That often looks like a “patch” covering up something.
Carpentry to correct the installation of existing cabinets is at an additional charge.2 CM give you 1.6 inches of “front edge”, so nearly ½” overhangs and covers the gap/ exposed joint between the installed granite to the cabinet. 2 cm requires plywood, (more time and material), but it also levels the cabinet tops, a much nicer finish. More laminating and shop time is required for fabricators to create edge of 4cm, but it looks more custom and a nicer overhang covers a lot of cabinet blemishes often found when the entire cabinet is exposed. (Even Formica type laminate tops covers the overhang).
Granite overhangs requires a plan to allow for the dishwasher to have enough height to slide out, and cabinet drawers to open.
Granite is usually sealed from the fabricator, but caution and future maintenance is required.
