Granite is one of the most popular countertop materials on the market today and while it is expensive, more and more homeowners and professional house flippers are using it in their homes to give them a refined, modern look.
Before you decide to use granite in your newly remodeled kitchen, there are some things that you need to consider before purchase.
The first thing to consider is whether having granite in your kitchen is going to fit in your budget. If you can afford it, great, but you should be aware that natural stone countertops can cost over $10,000 for 90 square feet of countertop space and that this is the average amount of counter space for a kitchen to have.
Granite is simply not cheap and although some places will try to sell you budget slabs, you may not be able to get the color or pattern that you want or even the quantity that you want it in.
Something else you need to think about is the fact that granite comes in a limited amount of colors and patterns, since it is a naturally occurring stone. Like with budget slabs of granite, you may not be able to get the exact color and pattern combination that you desire.
When it comes to maintenance, granite is a material that you will have to diligently keep clean and sealed. It will be sealed once before installation and then need to be re-sealed at least once a year, but this is a project that you can do yourself and it is not very hard to do. You need to clean it every day and make sure it stays free of things that could stain it.
Installing granite is best left to the professionals. Allow them to take the measurements, cut the granite, and install it for you unless you are absolutely sure you know what you are doing. Doing this wrong could cost you thousands of dollars and once you cut the granite, it cannot be undone.
Something that will cause the price of your granite slab to go up is the kind of edge you choose to have put on it. You could have a simple square cut edge or a beveled one, but the beveled edge will cost you more in labor. Depending on the look you want for the house, one may be better than the other, but consider your budget.
