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Q: Does remodeling my kitchen or bathroom with a natural stone increase
the value of my house?
A: Yes. Besides customizing your home with the colors and patterns
you like, usually you can get up to 100% invested (or more) back
on a kitchen remodeling.
Q: What stone is best for a kitchen countertop,
granite or marble?
A: Both are good choices, but because marble is based on calcium
carbonate, which is an acid sensitive material, it can be stained
by acidic products such as vinegars or juices.
Q: I want to choose and pick the granite slabs
that will go on my kitchen. What should I look for?
A: Once you pick a color it is a good idea to let your fabricator
choose the slabs since he knows the layout of your kitchen and can
trim out any fissures or pits that a slab my have. But in case you
want to do it, look for slabs that do not have pits or fissures
around its center.
Q: What is granite?
A: Granite is an igneous rock, which means that at one time during
its development, it was melted like volcanic lava. Unlike lava,
however, this melted rock never reached the surface; it remained
trapped inside the earth, where it slowly cooled and crystallized.
The end result is a very uniform, speckled stone that ranges in
color from black and gray tones to pinks, browns, reds, greens and
whites. Granites are quarried throughout the world in the form of
huge blocks and then reduced into slabs. These slabs are then carefully
crafted by fabricators who process them into the final product.
Q: How hard is granite?
A: Granite receives a 7 on the Moh's scale of mineral hardness.
A mineral with higher grade can scratch the ones below. Check the
grades for the different materials:
10 Diamond
9 Corundum
8 Topaz
7 Granite
6 Feldspar
5.5 Knife blade
5 Apatite
4 Fluorite
3 Marble (Calcite)
2.5 Finger nail
2 Hard plastic
2 Gypsum
1 Talc
Q: Can I cut or chop directly on a granite countertop?
A: It is not recommended. Granite is a hard material and might damage
your knife, if you use the countertop as a cutting surface. Always
cut and chop on a cutting board
Q: What products can be used to clean granite?
A: Any phosphate-free, biodegradable liquid dish-soap, soap flakes
or powder.
Q: Does the sample on the web site matches exactly
the stone color?
A: The samples you see on the computer might differ from the real
stone color, since there are variations on monitor tint, scanner
settings, etc. Granite is a natural material with naturally occurring
variations in color, tone, granularity, pattern, etc. These variations
are expected and are the source of its natural beauty.
Q: Can granite stain?
A: Granite has very little porosity which makes harder for a fluid
to go thru. During the fabrication process, the countertop receives
a layer of sealant to insure its insulation. Usage and wear will
eventually remove the protection and sealant application is recommended
every one to two years.
Q: Is granite affected by heat?
A: Granite can not be affected by heat from a hot pot or a frying
pan.
Q: Can granite chip?
A: It can, if it receives a blow from a hammer or other heavy tool.
Q. Can I buy my granite from 4Gs Granite?
A. Yes. We can supply your granite needs. See our samples pages
for more information.
Q. Do you supply splash backs?
A. Yes we do supply splash backs which are available in the same
colors as your work tops.
Q. If I ask for black granite, am I going to get
black granite?
A. If you request black granite you will get a black granite. We
are not like a lot of our competitors who will quote you for a deep
black granite and supply you with a half black half grey granite
of a lower quality/price. You get exactly what you ask for.
Q. Do you do under mounted sinks with drainer grooves?
A. Yes. We can do all styles of sinks including drainer grooves
and accessories.
Q. Do you template before installing?
A. Yes we can do templating although this is not always necessary.
Where templating can be avoided we will, this is to reduce the costs
passed on to you the customer. When under mounted sinks are required
we will make a template from your sink.
Q. Do you need to make a template for my over mounted
sink?
A. No. We will cut out for your sink or hob on installation.
Q. I have had my Granite fitted by another company
and they have made a real mess of it, would you be able to fix this
for me?
A. We would be more than happy to help you, contact us for more
information.
Q. I have more than one kitchen on site, would
you be able to do this for me?
A. We can undertake many kitchens at once, we are very flexible
and can accommodate numerous kitchens on one site.
Q. I have bought my Granite with my kitchen and
had a quote for fitting, would you be able to beat their quote?
A. Contact us and let us have a copy of the quote, we should be
able to beat it for you.
Q. I have had another quote from another company,
are you able to beat their quote?
A. Again let us have a copy of the quote, and if the granite is
of the same grade/quality we should be able to beat it.
Q: What styles of edges do you have?
A: 4Gs Granite has a wide variety of edge styles. We have several
default edges as well as more elaborate, custom edges that you can
upgrade to for a small additional price. Please see our edge details
page for more information about the kinds of edges we offer.
Q: How do I care for and clean my granite countertops?
A: Because granite is a natural surface, cleaning and maintaining
your granite requires a different process than regular countertops.
Do not use normal household cleaning solutions on your granite countertops!
For more information, please see our section on granite care and
maintenance.
Q: What is Granite Shield?
A: To protect your investment, all natural stone products should
be initially sealed. Granite Shield is a product that reacts with
the oxygen in granite to form a crystalline carbon seal which makes
the counters water and stain proof. Granite Shield will last the
lifetime of your granite.
For more information, you can view Granite Shield's website at www.graniteshield.net.
Q: Do you sell any materials other than granite?
A: We will also fabricate and install Cambria and Ceasarstone countertops,
both of which are engineered, quartz-based stone products. Since
we have to special order these materials, there is a significantly
longer lead time than with our granite products. For more information
on these materials, please visit the following web site: Ceasarstone
website.
Q: How often do I need to re-apply stone sealer?
A: Many so-called "experts" advise re-applying stone sealers
on an annual (or more frequent) basis - they are in all likelihood
just trying to get you to buy more of their expensive sealer. Wholesale
Granite Warehouse doesn't advise any preset "calendar"
for re-sealing, and over-application of sealer can build up over
time and cause a haze on the surface of your countertops. The frequency
for re-sealing depends on the type of stone installed and the amount
of use that the countertops see. An easy "rule of thumb"
is to closely monitor the area around the sink. If you begin notice
water that does not bead up or soaks into the stone within 10-15
minutes, then it's probably time to re-seal. Applying a sealer is
easy, you can apply a liberal amount of sealer in the evening before
going to bed and just let it penetrate and cure overnight. We have
sealers for sale or they can be picked up at any “big box”
hardware store.
Q: Does granite harbor harmful bacteria?
A: Both the Center for Disease Control and The National Institute
for Occupational Safety and Health have found no evidence of such.
In fact, in one study; sealed granite was shown to be second only
to stainless steel for resistance to bacteria.
Q: Why is granite popular as a countertop material?
A: First and foremost, looks! Granite comes in some amazing colors,
and is considered to be one of the most beautiful stones in the
world.
Durability: Granite lasts the lifetime of a person's home, is resistant
to chipping and scratching, and is impervious to heat. The color
and polished surface of granite does not fade over time.
Economics: With the new technology available to the miners and fabricators
of granite, the cost of granite has dropped dramatically in the
last few decades. Stone prices are now competitive or lower than
man-made options, and granite lasts longer than any other surface!
Ecology: Although mining is rough on the environment, other products
are far worse in several ways. Man-made products create potentially
deadly by-products which go straight to our crowded landfills. Due
to granite's durability and timeless beauty it does not need to
be replaced or upgraded, whereas man-made counters are replaced
several times over the life of a building, further adding waste
(both environmentally and financially).
Q: Is granite a do-it-yourself product?
A: No, not likely! Granite fabrication is a specialized trade that
requires extensive training and practice in order to produce high-quality
results - not to mention the expensive diamond tooling and equipment.
4Gs Granite employs fabricators and installers with years of training
and experience. Even a small vanity countertop can weigh over one
hundred pounds, so safe handling is another concern that you need
not worry about when buying from 4Gs Granite. Mistakes are inevitable
with DIY projects, and when working with natural stone, small errors
can be VERY costly - you can easily exceed the cost of our installed
prices with just one small slip-up or miscalculation. When you choose
4Gs Granite, you are guaranteed professional results from the initial
design through fabrication and final installation.
Q: Can you re-connect my electrical and plumbing connections?
A: 4Gs Granite is a highly trained and licensed contractor for granite
countertops, but we are not licensed electricians or plumbers. Therefore,
we can not assume any liability for making electrical or plumbing
connections. We can, in most instances however, recommend reputable
and licensed individuals or companies to complete these tasks for
you.
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