How To Get New Granite Countertops!!

The EASIEST way to get new counter tops???  Have a husband that's in the business!!

 

Even though the granite in our home was only 4 years old, I really wanted something different - when we originally picked out the granite for the house, I didn't think about lightness and darkness, I just knew I LOVED the granite called Paradiso - and it was beautiful, don't get me wrong!!  But it's very dark and I didn't realize how dark it would make the kitchen.................sigh.................

 

So in the back of my head I dreamed of a lighter granite in our kitchen - and it became a reality this week!!

 

The first step is to pick out your granite!!  I found one online at Capco in Colorado Springs so we went to look at it quite a while back - it was amazing how different the picture looked on the computer compared to the actual slab!!  I DISLIKED IT ON SIGHT!!!  But of course I looked around and found the PERFECT slab - pricier of course because I have good taste!!! 

 

We put the slab on hold and the next day talked to the manager and he assured us that eventually the slab would be free!!  He was willing to give us a 5% discount on every slab we ordered for other clients and that 5% off would continue until OUR slab was all paid off - what a bargain!!  Capco is one of our main places we work with so we knew that 5% would add up quickly!

 

I picked out Aspen White!

 

 This part of the process always makes me nervous - putting it on the forklift and lifting it onto the cutting table - I always manage to NOT be in the shop when this happens!!

 The slab is carefully put on the cutting table.

 Templates are made at the house to have a "pattern" of all the different pieces and then the template is laid out on the slab.  Many times we have the client come in to see where they want a particular part of the granite to be on the counter top.  Because of all the patterns and colors, there may be a certain spot you want to highlight on an island or another part of the counter top!  I picked out the piece I wanted for the island and let Glenn decide on the rest!!

I also got to decide which edge I wanted - I chose the chiseled edge for the island and the ogee edge for the counter top - the ogee edge is a little fancier than the regular edge!!

After the pattern is laid out, the big saw cuts it into the appropriate pieces and then the fabrication starts!!!  To be cont'd...................