Granite Countertops options for your home
Consider Granite Tiles as a Countertop option too! By Lisa Peterson
A granite countertop in your kitchen can add a real touch of class. This is a tempting job to do yourself, if for no other reason than to save on what can be a costly job. But do make sure you know what you are doing, as granite slabs can be quite brittle as well as heavy and an accident could be very costly.
If you are building the cabinets yourself too, you may want to build these first before ordering your granite. This way you will be sure you know exactly what size you need the slab cut to. It may take some time for the slab to arrive however, so you may prefer to pre-order. In order to support the full weight of the granite top your cabinets with at least a ½ inch plywood.
Granite slabs are generally edged with what is known as a "Bullnose". This simply means that the edge is curved. There are other variations however one of the most popular is called "Ogee", which consists of two arches, one concave and the other convex.
There are many edging possibilities, but obviously the more complex, the more the cost.
There are a variety of colour choices available for your granite counter top. The basic colours such as silvery grey and beige are the cheaper options. But there are also other varieties with rose, green or gold streaks through the stone. These can have a stunning effect, but the more elaborate you go for the more you will pay.
You may even prefer to go with the natural colours as they can be more neutral and easier to fit in with the colour scheme of your home.
One consideration when choosing a granite counter top is that this is a natural product and you may need to be prepared for some natural variation throughout the stone. A standard granite slab is approximately 108 to 128 inches long and 56 to 72 inches wide. Anything larger than this will need to be seamed. Although you would use a colour closely matching your granite slab for the seams, the seam will never be completely invisible, because of the natural shading of the granite.
One slightly cheaper option for a granite counter top is to use granite floor tiles, which you lay just like any other floor tiles on a base of plywood. You will need to cut the tiles to size, but the larger the better to minimise joins. Use regular tiling grout, but be sure to choose a grout that is the same colour. Be careful to match the grain with your tiles so that they are all facing the same direction.
When selecting your counter top, take into account all of the fixtures and fittings which you will be using on the counter top. This information will need to be known well before hand as the slab needs to be cut according to these requirements.
