Selection of granite

Could an individual home owner buy granite from local distributors,without a fabricator? Then hire a fabricator, Would it be finincally beneficial? Could you save money doing it this way?

 

Dear Anthony:

That is what lots of people do.

Do they save money?

Maybe.

Would you be taking chances?

Big time!

Unless you're a stone expert, I really don't know how you can feel comfortable and confident at selecting a slab of a stone that neither you, nor the sales people that you will find at the yard, know what it is – other that this vague classification of “granite”.

My take, as always, is that you should hire the fabricator first and then start thinking about the stone and its selection.

But hey, maybe it's just me!... J

In an industry that's virtually unregulated, how good and reputable the fabricator who's going to process the stone you'll end up choosing is, is far more important than the stone itself. None of the horror stories that get posted in this very site stem from the stone: they all stem from the fabricator. That is why I seldom make final statements about any one particular stone. There may be differences within the same stone (and I'm not talking about looks, here!) from one bundle of slabs and the next. The slabs may have also been either “doctored” (which is bad), or “resined” (which overall is good) by the factory, which would make a big difference. Even more important, what's a good stone in the hands of some “Michelangelo”?! And again: a reputable fabricator will only carry high-grade slabs, not some “special!”

We have available a very comprehensive article on “How to Shop for a Granite Kitchen Countertop” that will give you all the intelligence you need to venture yourself with confidence in the stone industry jungle, and it includes the world renowned “Lemon juice (and oil) test”, which will enable you to determine on your own the suitability of any stone you will consider! It does carry a small price tag, and you can order it by logging on the Educational Literature section at:   http://www.mbstone.com/literature/literature.htm. It's available in pay-per-download format and I consider it a cheap “insurance premium” to pay when there are thousands of $ involved! Not to mention the little and much needed support you'd be giving to the cause, your cause, since every single penny of the cost of the article will be used to support it.

Also, will you please read and e-sign our Statement of Purpose at: http://www.marblecleaning.org/purpose.htm? By spreading the word about this valuable site among your friends & family and the stone trades' people you've been dealing with you will be rendering everybody a valuable service!   

Also, do take advantage of the plethora of FREE Helpful Hints available at: http://www.mbstone.com/HH_promo/helpful_hints.htm. They're on the house!

Thank you.

Ciao and good luck,

Mauri z io Bertoli

 

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