[Glasshousebltr]

Anyone have or know where to get some Granite counter top below rate. I really don't think this lady cares too much about color, she had an over run on construction and the banks pushing her not to cut in the counter top dept.

If you do, email me or just reply here.

Thanks
Bob

 

[Mike Finley]

Cheaper granite slab counter top = granite tile counters. Should be 1/2 the cost.

I have also seen cheaper granite slab in pre-fabed lengths, not sure how that would work if your counters don't fit the pre-fab measurements, if you hire a stone fabricator to cut it and polish the cut, but that would seem to negate the cost savings.

There is also the Internet. Skeptical? Maybe, but like everything else that you can get on the Internet now, at one time or another every product you could buy online went through a period of skeptism, granite slab maybe legit online now too.

 

[jvcstone]

What Mike said.
There are a lot of prefabbed granite counters on the market now. Problem is the edge profiles arn't very good, and if you are trying to mate up two pieces, there is no guarentee that the edges will line up. Then there is the issue of cutting sink hole, and polishing those edges if it's an undermount, and driling the pipe holes. Most fabricators are not going to be interested in doing this for you if you are bringing in the stone.
Tile can give a person a granite counter top with a cost savings, but tile is not without it's own problems. Number one ( in addition to keeping grout lines clean) is that it's tile, and does not have the resale value solid stone has if the house goes on the market.
JVC

 

[jvcstone]

A bit of an update. I just became aware that some of the big box home improvement stores are carrying slab granite counters in standard lengths/widths with sink cut outs etc already cut. Just a thought.
JVC

 

[747]

I seen some beautiful granite tiles on a home improvement show. The manufacturer had matching bull nose tiles for the end to give the illusion of a real slab of granite with the bull nose edges. It was black with nice veins in it. They put the tiles together close and went with a black grout. So the grout lines pretty much disappeared. I going to remodel my kitchen next year thats what i'm going with. I'm going to go to the merchandise mart in chicago. They have this one place where interior designers go to get inspiration when they do any kind of tile for a house. Its open to the general public.

 

[bergenbldr]

I seen some beautiful granite tiles on a home improvement show. The manufacturer had matching bull nose tiles for the end to give the illusion of a real slab of granite with the bull nose edges. It was black with nice veins in it. They put the tiles together close and went with a black grout. So the grout lines pretty much disappeared. I going to remodel my kitchen next year thats what i'm going with. I'm going to go to the merchandise mart in chicago. They have this one place where interior designers go to get inspiration when they do any kind of tile for a house. Its open to the general public.

747,you might want check out some of the other counter top options.My personal favorite is soapstone ,you can even get this made into a sink to match you tops,its a very different look from granite.Also richlite is a composite product make from paper good alternative to hardwood tops ,it can be routed and shaped easily .

 

[Floorwizard]

for real granite, with a great profile, I like Bennisimo, but it is not slab.

 

[747]

bergenbldr

I know exactly what your talking about. It the favorite counter tops on this old house. Unfortunately nobody really messes with it in Northern Illinois. I was in a tile shop about a year ago. There was a interior designer walking around with the client and the installer I pulled him along side and asked him about soap stone. He said its big up on the east coast but nobody really messes with it here in Illinois. I did see this one home improvement show called hometime dean johnson he likes to go with solid surface and kick it up a notch but having inlay put in it. But I have never seen any inlay solid surface when I've been in a home improvement center. It really really looked sharp when it was done. I guess that must be real custom ordered stuff. :Thumbs:

 

[Teetorbilt]

Just curious, is this real soapstone? The stuff that our ancestors carved with seashells? The stuff that I'm familiar with is quite soft and porous.

 

[bergenbldr]

Soapstone is softer than granite more on level of solid surface hardness.Found link to vermont marble granite slate and soap stone co. on woodweb.www.soapstone-co.com ph.802-747-7744.They sell prefabed sinks and slabs as both raw or finished tops.Been planning on installing this in my own kitchen remodel.Samples are $25 refundable with order.

 

[jvcstone]

The down side to soapstone is that it is soft--scratches easily. Soapstone is composed of the mineral Talc, which is the type mineral for hardness 1 on the moh's scale.(calcite-limestone or marble is 3, quartz is 7) The upside of soapstone is that it is essentially impervious, and non reactive to everything. It traditionally was used as the work surface in chemistry labs. No staining, no acid etching. Deepscratches can be easily sanded out - not need for exppencive restoration, and minor scratching is hidden by the traditional coat of mineral oil applied periodicaly
JVC