You’ve bought the granite, ripped out the old laminate countertops and are about to bask in the prestige of creating your own granite countertops.
Well, before you pick up that caulk gun make sure you think about these 5 tips that will save you a lot of time and money.
Make sure you cut the sinkhole after setting the granite in place
Make sure that when you cut the hole for the sink you use the granite as a tracer. You will want an exact line on the opening so you can follow it with a spade and a jigsaw.
The sinkhole should be about 1/8″ larger than the line you drew. If you end up guessing, you might have to do it again and that granite is heavy.
Get some help for the heavy lifting
A granite slab can end up weighing more than 200 pounds so make sure you have someone to help you lift it. Having a couple of pizzas might help with this.
Even holding the granite slabs in the perfect spot might prove a little challenging so make sure to take it slow and take breaks.
Prepare a place to store the granite
The granite for countertops needs to be stored in a safe place as it is very fragile. Try and store your granite in an upright position. One option is to have cardboard slabs in between each slab of granite to help protect them as well.
Also, make sure to hold the granite in place to stop it from falling over.
Make a template and use it
Your wall is probably not exactly square-shaped, so it’s important to make a template out of light material like kraft paper that you can move around easily and make measurements with.
If you're lucky, you won’t have to worry about too many inside corners. When you are cutting the granite don’t worry about it being perfect as you can polish and use fillers later on to fix the small problems.
Be gentle
Granite is very brittle and expensive, so be as gentle as you can with it. It’s important to be especially careful with longer thinner pieces as they can snap.
Utilizing correct tools can be helpful to form the granite in an intended way. Make sure you have a diamond blade, dye, granite, polishing compound, polishing stone and pad, and a seam filler. Make sure you are gentle on your tools as well, for example keeping your blade sharp and cleaning the tools whenever possible.
Now, wield that diamond blade, show everyone on the block that you mean business and remember to be gentle, get help, cut the hole with the granite in mind, store your granite properly, and use a template.
There are many other things not covered in this guide but the best teacher is practice so go out there and do your best.
