Paramount Granite Blog

Add Some Opulence To Your Home With An Opalesence Granite Countertop…

Over the years, the color, Opalescence, has been popular and one of my personal favorites. It is no wonder. Opalescence is both elegant and timeless. Many consumers are attracted to opalescence because it is stylish and not trendy. While the overall look of Opalescence is black, when you take a closer look, it contains a variety of other tones that give the stone some personality. In bright light, you can see gold, brown and dark green tones that give the stone some warmth and character. Halogen lighting will also enhances the stones depth and beauty. Opalescence goes well with a variety of wood and paint colors and looks good in just about any room, or setting.

Let’s take a look at a kitchen we recently fabricated and installed:

Thanks for reading!

Barb

Posted in Decorating, Granite on March 14th, 2012 by Barb | | 0 Comments

Granite Countertops And Rodding…

Granite and other natural stones are comprised of a variety of different mineral deposits, which are formed deep in the earth’s crust. It is the different mineral make up of the stones that create each stone’s unique look and color. While the mineral composition makes each color stand out, it also determines the stone structure. Most granites are very hard and durable, but there are some that are considered more fragile. When a fragile stone is selected, care must be taken during the fabrication process to prevent breakage. Most reputable fabricators use a technique referred to as “rodding” to provide extra countertop reinforcement in more fragile areas, such as those in front of, or behind a sink, or a cooktop cutout. Rodding involves creating a groove in the bottom of the stone and inserting a metal rod and then filling it with resin.

The rod offers additional support and provides more resistance to bending to the countertop.

Following are a few pictures of stone that has been rodded:

Thanks for reading!

Barb

Posted in Granite, Rodding on March 12th, 2012 by Barb | | 0 Comments

Removing Oil and Butter Stains In Granite…

While staining of granite is rare, we do get questions and some calls on the topic from time to time. Granite is one of the hardest materials available for countertops, and is easy to maintain, but there are some granites that are more porous due to the mineral make up of the stone. It is these more porous stones that may be more susceptible to staining.

Most stains can be removed from granite, as long you know what caused them. In this blog, I wanted to focus on removing oil and butter stains. While I have blogged on this topic before, you can also check out our You Tube video, Removing Oil and Butter Stains in Granite. The video goes through a step by step process for removing a stain.

Hope this helps those consumers who may have a stain in their granite.

Thanks for reading!

Barb

Posted in Granite, Stone Care on March 7th, 2012 by Barb | | 0 Comments

Guide To Choosing A Granite Fabricator…

Most people consider buying granite countertops, a major purchase for their home, as it is an investment, which adds value. That is why choosing the right fabricator is so important. While many consumers, these days, are price conscious, the old adage, “You get what you pay for,” holds true. There are many other factors that should be considered besides price, before making a decision. Keep in mind that you only have one chance to choose a quality fabricator and installer. What happens if you base your decision solely on price, but in the end don’t like the fabricators work? You may be stuck with some shotty workmanship and a custom-made product that cannot be returned. Some fabricators can offer the consumer a lower price because they are cutting corners in one way, or another, and often it is in quality of the product that it shows, or their customer service.

If you don’t want to be one of those customers that get stuck with a poor quality job, make sure you do your homework up front. The process may take a little longer, and your countertops may cost a little more, but in the end, it will be worth your time to know you made a valuable investment and have peace of mind.

Following are some things to consider when shopping for a granite fabricator and installer:

Years in business: Make sure you ask, “How long have you been in business?” There are many start up businesses out there, that may lack the experience and knowledge to perform a quality job. If a fabricator has been in business for awhile, you can be sure that you can find out about their performance and workmanship.
References: One of key questions to ask a potential fabricator is, “Do you have some references that I can see and contact?” Most consumers get caught up in the whole process, and never ask for references and make their decision without hearing of any other customer’s experiences. Testimonials are a great way to find out what others are saying, and what you, as a consumer can expect.
Warranty: It is important to find out, up front, if the fabricator will back their product.
Insurance: It is important to ask if the fabricator has insurance. What will happen if someone gets hurt on your property, or if damage occurs?
Showroom/Fabrication Facility: Does the fabricator have a showroom and a fabrication facility? If no, you may want to ask, “Where does the work get done?” If the fabricator has a showroom and fabrication facility, you may want to take a look around. You might want to ask questions about the equipment and the fabrication process and see their employees in action.
Installation: While most fabricators also install their products, there are some that do not. This is an important question to ask, as the whole process runs much smoother, when the fabricator handles everything from the measure to the fabrication to the installation.
Customer Service: As with any industry, customer service is important. You might want to find out if the fabricator you are considering has a customer service staff to answer questions that may come up. Do they know the product? Can they answer your questions in regards to stone care and maintenance, and color and material questions, etc.?
Supplier References: If you visit a supplier to select your slabs, do you hear the fabricators name being given out? Keep in mind that reputable fabricators pay their bills in a timely fashion. Not all suppliers will work with those that don’t.
Seams: While seams are not always avoidable, they do not have to horrible. Most reputable fabricators are skilled and do their best to make seams tight, smooth, and flat. Make sure you ask questions about how your countertops will be seamed and where. Make sure you ask to see a sample of a seam, if possible.
Edges: Fabricators custom-cut your stone to your specifications and then polish the edges. While the edge polish can never be matched perfectly to the top surface of the stone, a reputable fabricator will provide an edge that is smooth, bright, and blends well with the face polish. Some fabricators do all hand work, and waves and rough spots may be noticeable. Many other fabricators use edge polishers, or cnc mills for edge work. Keep in mind that while equipment saves time and perfects the process, there can still be rough spots. A quality fabricator will go over the rough spots with hand tools to eliminate any waves, or rough areas, leaving only a smooth surface edge.
Bottom polished edges: While the face of a stone slab is polished, and is what you will see for your countertops, the underside is rough to the touch. Most reputable fabricators will smooth the underside of the stone in exposed areas such as island, or peninsula overhangs (usually 4″-6″ from the edge only) . The smoothing process eliminates snagging on clothing, etc. While this process is not necessary, it adds to overall quality of the project.

Thanks for reading!

Barb

Posted in Company, Granite on March 2nd, 2012 by Barb | | 0 Comments

White It Is…

Well—we finally got our first snow storm of the year, here in Minnesota. In honor of the white stuff, I thought we’d look at some more white—countertops that is. Maybe these whites will be more appealing to you than the white outside? They are at least to me.

Let’s take a look at some inside whites: