Hello AT,
Any experience with prefabricated stone countertops? I am looking for a basic black granite countertop as seen in this Ikea kitchen to finish my work-in-progress remodel.
I understand that prefabricated countertops are the most cost effective option for granite (especially for small kitchens like mine that only have one finished edge). As I understand it, the countertops are manufactured, typically in China, to pre-cut lengths that can simply be cut by a fabricator to fit the kitchen specifications. I have not been able to find a supplier / fabricator in New York City that work with prefabricated granite, any ideas?
I (heart) AT! Kimberly
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Dear Kimberly,
What you are saying sounds right, but we don't know about the prefabricated angle as a money saver. We very much hope there's someone out there who can shed light on the subject.
Anyone??
Comments (9)
Hi, Everybody!
Many people often asked what color are applied for kitchen granite countertop and bathroom vanity top. I would like to say you can choose you like. AL Granite has more than one hundred color for kitchen and bathroom decoration.
But I would like to say different countries and different people like different color.
Today, We talk about American people like natural crazy beautiful color. for example, they like gallio cecilia, butterfly green,emerald green,gaillo forito,river yellow,crystal yellow,golden peach, almond mauve,china green for thier countertop and vanity top.
I found these are color are really beautiful, I like it.
http://www.algranites.com
Hello. My name is Christopher Purnell, and I am the President of EZ Furniture Assembly & Interior Innovations, LLC. We were voted #1 in New York City's choice in professionally assembly, renovation, & kitchen installation services. I spend a vast majority of my time securing contracting, overseeing major projects, and finding the best possible products for our customers. I love Granite countertops and are a great addition to a high end kitchen. You don't want granite counters in a $5000.00 kitchen. We sub our granite work out to a very professional company who comes in after we install the base cabinets and they use a computer system where they trace the back of the countertop running along the wall and the computer transfers that information inti any changes in wall structure or height to ensure that the customer will receive an exact fit. However, we have found that the majority of the kitchens we install are very limited in space and require us to give great thought in the planning to utilize every inch for storage while making it functional. The benefit of a smaller kitchen is the ability to get granite counters at very, very low prices because in most cases we are able to purchase left overs from previous projects from dealers in which the customer gets what they want for sometimes an 1/8 of what they could have paid. I work hand in hand with an interior designer where we both exchange ideas and most importantly the purpose of this kitchen, by that I mean is it only for aesthetics or will it be used on a daily basis, and secondly the customer's budget so we know what we have to work with and can improvise when needed. All in all kitchens are by far one of the most important investments one can make in their home so I strongly suggest that you waiy until you have saved or acquired enough equity to where you can get a top rate kitchen and not cut corners because this will not only result in a poor kitchen but lower your resale value. If you have any questions you can email us or visit us at www.ezfurnitureassembly.com.
Christopher Purnell
www.ezfurnitureassembly.com
ezfurnitureassembly@gmail.com
All,
We fabricate and install kitchens & bathrooms from pre-fabricated granite blanks, 2 cm thick. We have had no issues with using the 2 cm thick countertops. Maybe the contractor who said there were too many problems down the road should extrapolate on specific problems he knows about. I have not heard of any issues down the road, unless the granite is installed incorrectly. Maybe he has experienced installations where the granite is not level on the sub-surface, making it sag and over time crack.
At http://www.GuruGranite.com we have experience working with 2 cm pre-fabricated "blanks", and do not make those types of mistakes.
See what types of granites we offer. We have specials that are 15% off, perfect for the do-it-yourselfer, or for those on a tight budget:
http://gurugranite.com/specials.aspx
Let us know your granite needs, see if we can help you out. Your job can be easily quoted online using software located here: http://gurugranite.com/freequote.aspx
Thanks.
Oriental source ltd is a Xiamen, China based stone manufacturer, distributor, importer and export supplier of marble, granite, limestone, travertine, sandstone, slate, onyx, artificial granite, artificial marble and artificial quartz products. We provide high quality gang saw marble slabs and granite slabs, marble tiles, granite tiles, cut-to-size, wall claddings, flooring tiles, stairs and risers, cube stone and kerbstone, kitchen countertops, granite worktops, marble island tops, bar tops, bathroom vanity-tops, solid wood cabinets and plywood cabinets, door surrounds and stone moldings, window sills, tub surround, marble mosaic and water-jet medallion, stone sinks and basin, faucets, fireplaces mantels/surrounds, granite tombstone and headstone, garden gazebo and fountain, marble carving statues, etc. We sincerely welcome the clients from all over the world to contact us for future cooperation.
Our Products
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Tile
Slab cut to size include marble tile, limestone tile, travertine tile, granite tile, onyx tile, slate tile, mosaic tile, laminated tile, honey comb, size of tile, 12"x12"x3/8", 16"x16"x1/2", 18"x18"x3/4", 24"x24", 300x300, 300x600, 600x600mm, wall tiles, bathroom tile, shower tile, flooring tile, floor tile, fireplace tile, countertop tile, back splash tile, cut to size stone, interior exterior wall cladding, pool tile, roofing tile for architecture, builders, home builders.
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Countertop
Kitchen countertops are also known as worktops and bench tops. There are islands and wet and dry bar tops also in the kitchens. We offer prefabricated kitchen granite and marble countertop and bathroom granite and marble vanity top for any application: edge finishing, edging, prefab, prefabricated, bathroom vanity top, vanities, countertop, granite bathroom vanity top, marble bathroom vanities, backsplash, end splash, vanity skirt, apron, soap dish, facial slot cut-out, toilet tissue cut-out, shape of bathroom vanity tops, straight front, bowed front, banjo front, size of bathroom vanity top, bathroom tub, bathroom shower, stone shower. Most of prefab countertops are sized by 96" x 26"x3/4" or 108" x 25 1/2"x1 1/4", islands are by size 72" x 36" or 72" x 39" or free length x 42". Standard width for bar tops is 18". Standard back splashes are 4", 6" or 18" full height. Standard width of bathroom vanity top is either 19" or 22", some people use 22 1/2". The length can be 25", 31", 37", 49", or 61". Sink clips help put under mount porcelain sinks. Other bathroom products are stone shower pans, trays, shower bases, tub decks, 3/8" tub surrounds and shower surrounds, shower which are mostly in size 60"x30" or 72"x30".
Sink
Solid stone sinks for kitchen sinks and bathroom sinks we have granite sinks, marble sinks, onyx sinks. They can be any shape such as bowl, square or special deign pedestal, vessel and farm sink. Stainless steel sinks, ceramic sinks and porcelain sinks are shipped with hotel and condo projects.
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We help people find source of manufacturers in China for solid wood cabinet, plywood cabinets, bathroom cabinet, kitchen cabinet, hotel furniture, bathroom sink faucets, shower mixer and 16 or 18 gauges satin or brushed finished single bowl and double bowls stainless steel kitchen sinks.
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Eased and polished (straight), half (demi) bull nose, pencil edge, waterfall edge, laminated double ogee, beveled, triple waterfall, rounded corner, trim, cove dupont, chamfered edge, pencil edge bullnose counter.
Who buy from us?
We provide containers loading qualified products and drafting shop drawing service to fabricators, import and export trading companies, distributors, wholesalers, retailers, estimators, installers, hotel owners, condos and resorts developers, general or sub contractors, construction companies, home builders, architects, interior designers and decoration specialists. Our efforts are recognized by customers from more than 30 States in US, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, Southeast Asia, Great Britain, Germany, Spain, Portugal, Poland, Russia, Croatia, Ukraine, and Ireland.
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QUALITY FIRST, FAITH FIRST, CLIENT FIRST and Oriental source ltd will keep on improving our knowledge and technology to offer top quality and golden service to all of our partners.
Alvin Chan ( Mr. )
Export Dept.
Oriental Source Ltd (China) Export Department:
International Sales & Customer Service (Export Manufacturer and Supplier)
Website: www.stone-maker.com
Contact : Mr. Alvin Chan
Tel : 86-592-2029181
Fax: 86-592-2103372
E-mail: Alvin.stonemaker@gmail.com
Skype: Alvin.stonemaker
Oriental Source Ltd (China) Export Department:
International Sales & Customer Service (Export Manufacturer and Supplier)
Website: http://www.stone-maker.com
Contact : Mr. Alvin Chan
Tel : 86-592-2029181
Fax: 86-592-2103372
E-mail: Alvin.stonemaker@gmail.com
Skype: Alvin.stonemaker
Dont always count out domestic suppliers. Watermark Design in Tampa uses a waterjet cutter to make prefab granite countertops. I used Watermark Design for both waterjet cutting of granite and waterjet cutting of floor medallions. When I was there they were waterjet cutiing aircraft parts out of aluminum so I know their work is very precise. The granite I buy from them is first class and priced along side the Chinese granite. I recommend Watermark Design in Tampa for granite, especially waterjet cut granite.
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There are a lot of granite countertop fabricators that do have access to "Prefab" granite pieces (prefabricated granite slabs). The prefab granite pieces are specific sizes so the fabricator can cut them easily to fit a kitchen -- but prefabricated granite does have its limits. It may seem like a cheaper option, but slicing and dicing pieces to fit your countertop has the potential to cost you more and will not look as nice as custom cut countertops.
We do have access to prefab granite pieces, which do work well for small projects, but prefab does not live up to our standards on an installation. (Having a prefab kitchen can also mean more seams, which depending on who cuts the granite, the seams will be very noticable)
We custom cut and installed 3CM Granite Countertops for over 700 homeowners a year. Sometimes a prefab piece may be good to cut down and reuse for a small project, but it has actually been more cost effective to have the countertop custom cut and installed -- not to mention you have more choices in the matter.
Why settle for one granite edge? With custom cut tops, you can choose from many different edge treatments and you also will have the option to less seams. I know prices vary per state, but here in Charlotte NC, we custom cut and install 50 Sq Ft kitchens (everything included) for just around $2099--that even includes taxes, new stainless steel undermount sink, installation, faucet hole cuts and more. http://www.fireplacecarolina.com/granite-sale/
If you are concerned about granite spots from water damage -- you will find that there are easy granite sealer options available. You can seal the granite yourself every 4 - 6 months using a granite cleaner and sealer from Lowes or Home Depot -- or you can have a lifetime or 15 year sealant applied to the countertop. Many of our customers choose the option for $5/ sq ft to have their granite sealed with a 15 year granite sealer. This granite sealer keeps the granite sealed for up to 15 years and does come with a warranty through the manufacturer.
I hope all this information helps you make your choice -- prefabricated granite countertops are an option, but you will get what you pay for. Sometimes the difference in price isn't that much and later on, you may wish you paid the little bit more. :)
http://www.fireplacecarolina.com