When I purchased my second home after outgrowing my starter home, I was absolutely in love with it. However, after moving in, I quickly realized how much I missed having a master bathroom. I didn't think I would miss it, since the nearest bathroom is right down the hall, but since I frequently have guests over for long weekends, I realized that we were "fighting" for much-needed bathroom space. I then looked into my remodeling options and a contractor told me that adding a master bath would be a very easy task to complete. The remodeling process didn't take long, and my home is now perfect. I am very eager to share what I learned about home remodeling with others who need the tips on my new blog!
Are you planning to have granite countertops installed in your kitchen, but not sure what to expect? Here is what will happen during the installation process.
Slab Selection
Everything starts with picking the exact slab of granite that you want for your kitchen. Since every piece of granite is different, you'll likely be selecting the exact slab that you end up using. The slab also needs to be big enough to account for all of the square footage of countertop space needed in your kitchen. You may need to purchase additional slabs of granite spending on the size and shape of your kitchen countertops.
Slab Planning
Your countertop fabricator will take a digital photo of the slab of granite and start planning out how it is used. They'll take the dimensions of your countertops and lay them on photographs to plan where all of the cuts need to be made. The fabricator may try to avoid certain odd streaks in the granite, or simply try to figure out how all the pieces can be cut out of a single slab. This is a bit like a puzzle since you'll want your countertop to have unity going around corners if possible, and to make the seams hidden when joining two pieces of granite that may look very different.
Slab Cutting
With the cuts all planned out for how they will line up on the granite slab, the fabricator starts making all of the necessary cuts. The edges will be rounded off according to your specifications. Be aware that it may cost more money to have a more intricate edge cut into the granite material.
Slab Installation
Each section of granite will be brought into the kitchen when it is ready to be installed. All of the cutouts will already have been made for your sink, stovetop, or anything else that was needed for your kitchen. The granite will rest directly on the countertop and secured in place using epoxy. When you factor the epoxy and the sheer weight of the granite, that countertop is not going to go anywhere when it is in place. A seam setter will be used to hide any seams between the countertops and help it form a solid piece of countertop material.
Have questions about how your granite countertop will be installed? Contact a remodeling contractor in your area for assistance. They'll be able to tell you about the entire process.