Are you building or renovating a new home in the GTA? There are hundreds of small decisions to be made during a build or renovation, and sometimes it seems never ending. Fortunately, one decision is simple: for your kitchen countertop, granite slab is the best choice!

 

 

Visiting a stone supplier’s showroom is the best way to select a granite slab. Some homeowners choose a countertop by looking at a sample, but while samples work well for man-made elements like paint, carpet, ceramic tiles, or laminate, stone is a natural substance, and a sample can never reflect the look of the whole piece. You may choose a sample that looks pearl-white with a few black flecks, only to find that large sections of the slab are black with pearl-white flecks. Colour intensity and patterning may vary from area to area, and only by seeing the entire slab will you get a true idea of what the countertop will look like in your home. It is these variations in the granite that help to give it beauty, so it’s an advantage, not a drawback – but it’s best to see the slab in its entirety before having it installed.

 

Better stone importers have a great deal of knowledge about the stone they sell, and should be able to answer questions about where any particular slab comes from and how it was quarried and processed. Granite is found in nearly every region of the world, and many quarries produce distinctive stone. Much of the granite we use for countertops today comes from Brazilian, Indian, African or Chinese quarries.

 

Stone suppliers usually don’t sell slabs to the general public. But if you find the perfect slab, you can "tag” it. The supplier will then fax all the details about the chosen stone to your fabricator, who will order the slab and make your countertop.

 

Do some online research to find out which showrooms have a good selection of stone, and choose one with a welcoming vibe. Most stone suppliers are happy to show you around. One GTA company even prides itself on having served thousands of cups of espresso to customers!

 

 

Granite is in great demand, for many reasons. One of the main advantages of granite is its natural beauty. Granite is a work of art, designed by Mother Nature. The colours and patterns of natural granite can’t be matched by any synthetic product, thus each piece is unique.

 

Granite is also extremely durable, and will last many years if properly cared for. Unlike other types of natural stone, granite is resistant to stains, scratches, and nicks.

 

Some slabs cost more than others, and many factors go into the price of individual pieces of granite. These include:

• The quality of the stone and the processing.
• Supply and demand.
• The value of the Canadian dollar.
• The size and mechanization of a stone’s quarry.
• The distance a stone has to travel to get to the GTA.

Although investing in granite can cost more than some other countertop materials, natural stone adds resale value to your home.

 

Visit a stone showroom today and learn more about beautiful, durable granite.