Approving your material is a critical decision point in your countertop project. Most schedule delays are associated with material procurement. To avoid delays with your project, follow these simple steps to select your stone:
- Samples are a good place to start, however with natural stone colors and patterns vary from slab to slab and even within a slab. Keep in mind that granite samples are a representation of the stone and likely not an exact match of what will be installed. Quartz samples are much more consistent and a very close representation of what will be installed. So, start by narrowing your choices with samples.
- Make an appointment to view the slab(s) of stone. You want to give yourself enough time to allow you to change your mind if need be, and potentially order material that may not be in stock. If the most important thing is to get the exact stone you want, then extra lead time may be critical. If you have a pressing schedule, you will want to limit your viewing to stone that is available and ready to go. Communicating these priorities is important so that we can help you select a stone that is beautiful and meets all of your needs.
- When you are viewing your stone, take your time and look carefully. We cannot emphasize enough how important it is to look at and touch the stone – it will be around for a very long time and we want you to enjoy your choice. We encourage careful inspection of the movement, vein and grain of the stone. Pits, fissures and inclusions are normal occurrences and not considered to be defects. If there is anything about your stone that you are unsure of, now is the time to ask and get clarification.
- Sign the approval after your viewing – and plan to live happily ever after with your natural stone countertops!
If you have a stone with a lot of variation and movement, you want to consider a Slabsmith viewing. This is your chance to see your kitchen layout on your stone slab before anything is cut. You will see the seam locations as well as how the movement in the stone looks across all of the pieces. Depending on which granite you choose, there may be an extra fee for this – talk to your project coordinator and see if it makes sense for your project.
