Stone Countertop Process
1. Measure your project and select your stone slabs - we would happily meet you at any of our listed suppliers in order to inform you on any details of stone you select
2. Template - a template of your installed cabinets / or existing countertops will be made in order to cut the stone to your custom kitchen
3. Installation - the installer will install your kitchen typically in one day.
THE DETAILS...
The sequence of events which brings natural stone from the quarry to the home has not changed much since stone entered the homes of the ancient Greeks. Large blocks of stone are cut from the quarry. From those blocks, thin pieces of stone are cut called slabs. The slabs are then shaped and polished and shipped for installation.
Three basic types of machines are involved in the fabrication process: saws, polishers, and routers.
Saws perform several functions during fabrication. A block saw, or gang saw, cuts the massive stone blocks into slabs. These days, diamond wire saws make short work of this task. A metal wire is studded with industrial-grade or synthetic diamonds, and this wire quickly cuts through stone as hard as granite. A bridge saw is then used to cut the stone slab into the proper shape for its application, whether it be a countertop or a sink. These saws typically use circular metal blades studded with diamonds, and water is sprayed onto the blade to cool it during the cutting process. Modern technology has produced a new type of saw utilizing water jets combined with an abrasive material, which cuts edges and holes quickly and smoothly, and many fabricators are upgrading to these machines.
Polishers grind down the naturally rough surface of the stone to whatever finish the consumer desires. Hard stones like marble and granite can be polished all the way to a mirror finish. The polisher consists of rotating pads which are surfaced with an abrasive substance. The finer and smaller the abrasive grits are, the higher the polish. Most modern polishers can produce a variety of finishes, from the smooth, soft look of a honed finish to a slick, shiny mirror finish…even decorative finishes like flamed, tumbled, or hammered.
Routers create edge profiles on a slab, and cut designs on larger pieces like fireplace mantles and hearths. There are dozens of standard edges for countertops and tables, from simple to highly decorative. Routers have a spinning blade covered with diamonds which is water-cooled. It travels along the edge of the slab to shape it.
Today, a countertop begins its journey through fabrication process in the home, where a wooden or plastic template is cut from the existing countertop to ensure that the new countertop is a perfect fit. In the fabrication shop, the template is placed on the stone you have selected and cut out to your custom kitchen. The edges you have selected are then created. Finally what we have all been waiting for the installation of your countertops. On the scheduled day of installation the granite will come on a trailer all precut and finished to your exact kitchen. The installer will install your kitchen counters including setting your sink, cutting any cooktops, setting any seams and drilling any holes for faucets.
14555 SW Juniper Drive
Powell Butte, OR 97753
Phone: 541-504-5650 Cell: 541-948-9514
CCB#179778 - Insured - Bonded
Specializing In: Kitchens | Bathrooms | Furniture | Artwork