Make sure there is a clear path from your kitchen or bathroom to the nearest entrance to your home, as this will reduce the amount of difficult maneuvering the team must do to carry the heavy stone. Children and pets should not be allowed in the area while the stone is being carried through your home. If a cooktop will be installed, covering nearby furniture and belongings is a good idea, as there will be dust. Also, clean out your lower cabinets to help with installation and cleanup.
Get ready for your countertop installation
What to expect if you’re having your countertops installed?
It’s important to understand what you should expect during the installation process, as stone installation is not a fast or easy process. Granite, quartz, and marble installation should always be done by a professional for a flawless result without damage to your home or the countertop itself. Here’s what you should expect and how you can prepare for your new countertops.
What to Do Before Installation
Existing Countertop Removal
The existing countertop has to be removed before the crew arrives to install your stone. If the removal of the existing countertops is included in your installation, the installers should do their best to avoid damage to your walls and cabinets. Sometimes a bit of plaster from the wall might tear off when previous countertops and backsplashes are being removed, but these defects can be patched up or covered with your new backsplash.
Countertop Installation
Once the slabs of stone are laid on the bare countertops, they must be leveled and secured. It’s essential that the cabinets are as level as possible before heavy stone is put in place. Any unevenness in the cabinets must be counteracted with shims under your new countertops. If any extra supports or corbels are necessary for any overhang, you will need to have those installed before the installation crew arrives. Epoxy is used at the seams of your stone to cement the granite, marble, or quartz pieces to each other. Epoxy is typically blended and colored on-site to match your countertop as perfectly as possible. Blocks are used to further secure the stone to the cabinets.
Cutouts, Backsplash, and Sink Installation
If you have a cooktop rather than a slide-in range, a hole will need to be cut. It may be risky to attempt to transport stone with a hole this large to your home. Please have the cooktop on-site so the installers can make the cut-out for the cooktop. Holes for the faucet and soap dispensers will be drilled on-site. Please have all faucets on hand and in the cabinets where they will be used. This will signify to your installers which faucet goes where. Our installers will take steps to minimize the dust and clean up the mess, but it still might occur. Assuming you choose an undermount sink, it will be mounted to the underside of the stone slab with clips. Silicone will be added for a watertight seal. This will need to cure for about 12 hours before your faucet and plumbing are connected.
What Should You Do During the Installation?
Please be on-site and available for any questions the installers may have, but for the most part, please give the installers room to work for safety and time concerns. You will have the opportunity to inspect the job once the installation is complete.
Final Steps
After installation, the sturdiness and levelness of your countertops will be evaluated once more to ensure your counters last a lifetime. Once the seams dry, the excess epoxy and dust will be removed with denatured alcohol or acetone for smooth seams. From start to finish, you can expect stone countertop installation to take about 3 hours if you have a small, simple kitchen. A large or complex kitchen could take up to 7 hours. Once your counters are ready to use make sure to clean them regularly with a specially formulated granite countertop cleaner.