Getting a countertop for your kitchen or bathroom is one of the best investments you can make for your home. Of course, we understand your concerns about the countertop as it is not a cheap investment on your end. In fact, you might’ve spent over $10,000 just for your kitchen countertop alone but that’s okay.
Countertops are highly functional surfaces which can make your kitchen or bathroom significantly better. With so many types of materials to choose from, it can be tough picking a countertop that’s perfect for your kitchen. However, chances are that you’ve already chosen one and we have an idea of what that might be.
One of the prime options for countertop materials currently is granite. This natural stone countertop used to be the most popular countertop in the industry. However, it’s been taken over by marble and quartz which are both amazing countertops in their own right too. Despite it’s lowered popularity, we highly believe that granite is still one of the best countertops available.
Granite looks and feels like marble but when it comes to pricing, it’s far from being what marble is. Despite this, granite is still one of the best countertop options available. It’s lowered popularity doesn’t mean that the quality and make of the product has gone down over the past years. In fact, this is a good thing.
Lowered prices means that your countertop is going to be cheaper than usual as well. If you are hoping to get granite countertops, now’s the perfect time to do so. If you are already set on getting your granite countertop, then here are a few things that you need to expect during the installation.
Picking The Contractor
It’s not enough that you pick a good countertop for your kitchen. It’s also very important that the contractors you pick for the job are good as well. There are many contractors who can install a kitchen countertop for you but the question is, are they all worth the money? Of course, some contractors are going to be better than others.
When picking a contractor, the first thing you should do is to ask your friends and family for referrals. They may have had a remodeling done or a countertop installed in their house recently. This is the best way to find a contractor as these people have already had a contractor work with them so they know what to expect already.
If you can’t find referrals, you should instead carefully inspect a contractor’s history. Check out their portfolios, certifications, and their background too. The good news is that there’s a slew of information on contractors that you can see online so you have virtually no excuse to avoid doing your due research when picking a contractor.
Contractors or installers usually charge on a per hour basis and this is the standard in the industry. Of course, some contractors are going to charge more for their service while others charge less. With a high price comes a few benefits of course but that doesn’t mean that cheap charging contractors are going to give you poor service.
A high price point for the service usually means that the contractor is more experienced than others. It’s a very competitive industry after all so you should expect that some contractors are going to charge you higher for premium service. It’s really up to you and your budget on how much you want to spend for your installation. Of course, you need to be very realistic with your budget as you wouldn’t want to be too cheap when it comes to your countertop installation.
We highly suggest doing your research first before you pick a contractor. This is one of the most important parts of your kitchen installation. Good contractors can install the countertop in record time without any issues so it’s always best to make sure that you are only working with the best with the best for your kitchen countertop installation.
You can go really wrong when picking a bad contractor for the installation. Aside from getting poor service, you aren’t getting your money’s worth with bad contractors too. Be open about the contractors you pick as some newcomers offer competitive service at a low price as well. It pays to be very mindful of the people you hire.
Preparing The Kitchen
The first step towards the installation of your new countertop is a general inspection of the kitchen. Your contractor is going to check how to make the countertop work with your kitchen. This is a very important part of the process that cna make sure that you are getting the most out of your investment in the countertop.
If you have another countertop installed, then keep in mind that the contractors are going to have to remove this first. It’s a painstaking process but it’s very necessary that you do this. Removing the existing countertop can be tough work and it usually involves destroying it or crushing the countertop first.
This is when the project fully begins. It’s very easy to remove the existing countertop if it’s made out of tiles or other synthetic materials. However, if it’s made out of other natural stones, then it’s going to take a lot more work to remove it. Ask the contractor regarding how long this process can take as it usually gets finished after a few days.
Preparing For The Installation
Once you’ve already picked your countertop and your contractor, it’s time to prepare your kitchen for the installation. Installing kitchen countertops are no laughing matter and you need to prepare your kitchen well for projects like these. Usually, it means organizing your stuff and placing them in a different room while the process happens.
Your contractors aren’t going to be responsible for any damages to the perishable goods in your kitchen. If you have a pantry, it would be best to put your stuff in there first. The installation process is very painstaking and as such, your contractors need as few distractions on their end as possible. Do your part and clear out your kitchen first.
Another thing you should concern yourself with is the area through which the countertop is going to pass through. Ideally, you want to make a lot of space for your granite countertop in the kitchen. Remember, countertops come in huge slabs so this means that your contractors are going to need more space as they move it inside your kitchen.
This is actually one of the toughest parts of having your kitchen countertop installed. You wouldn’t want the passage to be too small because it can become impossible for your contractors to get the countertop through. Worse case scenario, they can also damage your countertop during the transfer as well.
As the countertop is being delivered to the kitchen, make sure that your children or pets stay off of the area temporarily. Any abrupt actions from them could suddenly force your contractors to drop the granite countertop. Although durable, your granite countertop can get damaged upon dropping because of the sheer weight of the product.
During Installation
The installation process can take up to several hours or days depending on the complexity of the project and the size of the countertop being installed. However, it’s best that you set your mind on the fact that the process is going to take at least several days before it gets completed just so you are well prepared for the days ahead.
As the contractors are installing your countertop, feel free to ask them questions about your countertop. Ask for tips on how to maintain it, and some other important things which can ensure that you can make the most out of your granite kitchen countertop. Your contractors are going to be very knowledgeable about it so they’re the best people to talk to.
Keep in mind that your kitchen is going to be unusable during the installation of the countertop. As such, make sure to prepare pre-cooked meals that you only need to heat up as the kitchen cannot be used while the installation is done. Make sure to contact your contractor about how long it will take just so you are prepared.
These are just some of the things you need to expect when getting a granite countertop. Try to worry less about it. So long as you have an amazing contractor by your side, your granite countertop is going to be installed without worries. Who knows, you might even be able to have another one installed as well.
Once your granite countertop is installed, you’ll have a countertop that will be by your side for years. It’s one of the best investments you can make as a homeowner and you should never skip out on an opportunity to get a granite countertop. Hopefully, your installation process goes as smoothly as possible.
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