Choosing your Stone

Granite

Granite is an igneous rock and is one of the hardest wearing of all natural materials. It is formed as a result of the slow crystallisation of molten magma deep in the earth's crust. Many different minerals, including quartz, felspars and many mafic minerals; the size and precise chemistry of which gives the granite its distinctive, varied and beautiful colours.

Choosing a worktop material can be a bit worrying, but it need not be so. There are many materials that are used for worktops today, some good, some not so good, and some very expensive. In fact it is probably a lot less expensive than you have been led to believe, and as it costs nothing to get a quote from us, why not find out as others have done that it is not nearly as costly as you thought, and it will also surprise you to learn that it is less expensive than many other materials.

The advantages of granite are very obvious. As well as visually stunning and extremely low maintainance it is also durable enough to withstand the everyday life of a modern kitchen. It is easy to clean and will look as good years from now as it does today. it can turn a good kitchen into a stunning one. We all work hard for our money, so why not spend a little of it on something to be proud of.

We at County Stone only use the very finest of granites from the world's best quarries. There are many cheap imports that are used by some companies that do not have the same high standards as ourselves. so beware of cheap, poor quality granites. The differences are very obvious and, we are sorry to say, become more so when they are in situ.

Granite is a natural stone and there will always be variations in its colour and formation. Great care is taken by County Stone in its selection so as to make sure that all your worktops are made from granite which has been cut from the same block and thus ensure continuity. It must be expected that there will be natural marking in all granites, it is the nature of the material.

Arenastone

Arenastone is a new range of quartz stone noted for it's acceptional resistance to abrasion and staining. The uniformity of Arenastone, together with its excellent physical properties such as a high resistance to shock, abrasion and acid agents make this an exciting stone especially suited to kitchen worktops, vanity and bar worktops.

It is available in a wide palette of exciting and imaginative colours, the perfect combination of a stone that is both beautiful to look at and tough. As well as the usual high gloss finish Arenastone is also available in a semi-matt finish known as Rughe, providing another alternative for your kitchen. Arenastone can be installed in the same way as granite to kitchen worktops, vanity tops and bar tops.

Silestone

Silestone is the acknowledged world leader in quartz surfaces. Silestone has a sophisticated appearance, the touch and weight of a natural stone, but with a superior quality.Silestone is 94% natural quartz, one of the most resistant and beautiful elements of the Nature, which allows it to create everything from the most beautiful kitchen worktop to the most innovative business project. Silestone® is available in nearly 50 colours so it is very easy to find the appropriate colour for your kitchen. Silestone® is a non-porous surface and is very resistant to stains of coffee, wine, lemon juice, olive oil, vinegar, make-up and lot of other products in daily use.

There are only three natural stones (diamond, sapphire and topaz) harder than quartz. This means that Silestone is highly resistant to scratches.Taking in consideration the Mohs hardness scale, the position of the quartz is 7 (diamond is 10). Silestone® has great shock resistance, in most cases considerably higher than of other products used for similar applications (granite, solid surfaces, etc) which guarantees safety in the kitchen when handling very hard objects (pans, trays, etc). This resistance is achieved thanks to its quartz (which gives it its hardness ) and polyester resin (elasticity) and the vibrocompression system used during the production process. Silestone is also the only worktop with built-in Microban® antimicrobial product protection to fight the growth of bacteria, mold and mildew for the life of the product.

As well as the normal high gloss finish a new standard in luxury is achieved by Silestone Leather™ with Microban. This natural quartz worktop offers a distinctive texture that evokes a taste for the exotic. It is the ultimate combination of beauty and practicality, delighting the eye with the unique texture only available in Silestone.

At County Stone we pride ourselves on the high standard and quality of our workmanship and our excellent record of service to our customers. There is a dedicated team here to help and advise you.

Price Bands

There are three bands on the pricing of granite. In each band is a list containing photographs of the granites of a similar price. The bands range from the least expensive (Band One), through the middle range (Band Two), and then to the more expensive (Band Three). The pictures of Arenastone can be seen on the Arenastone page of this site and Silestone on the Silestone page.

Things you need to consider

When planning your new kitchen and choosing your stone there are things that you need to consider. So, please spend a little time thinking about the following points.

Supporting the worktop

It might be necessary to add extra supports. Most kitchen units will take the extra weight of the stone but to be safe it is advised that this is given some thought. A carpenter could advise you or you could discuss it with our templater when he comes to template.

It is advised that undermounted sinks are supported from below. Again, please discuss this with our templater and he will advise you.

The Units

Please also see our section on Templating Conditions

Making sure that the units are level is the most important thing for you to consider.Try to ensure that the units are fixed together wherever possible and that they are secured to the walls. There must be no movement of the units as this could cause the stone to crack or break.

At no time must anyone stand on or sit on the worktops.

Have a good look at your walls. Do you think that they are uneven? Do they need to be skimmed or plastered? Remember that to some extent stone can be shaped to suit the walls and that upstands and/or splashbacks can be used to cover gaps. However, if the walls are badly out then plastering may be the best option. Plastering must be done either before templating or after fitting. If it is done in the period of time between templating and fitting it will alter the measurements for the final fitting. Any alterations to the surface areas must be done before templating, the tiling should be done after fitting.

Thickness of Stone

Stone comes in thicknesses of 20mm and 30mm, 30mm is the norm for worktops and 20mm for upstands and splashbacks. 40mm and 20/20mm are possible by special arrangement, please contact our office direct.

Access into the Work Area

Please remember that the stone is heavy, so do think about any difficulties that may arise for the fitters when bringing the granite into your home. For example, will there be enough room to get the lengths through doorways, up any stairs and around corners etc. This again can be discussed with the templater when he comes and he will be happy to advise you.

Children and Pets

Chidren and pets love to know what's going on and to be involved. Heavy stone, children and pets are not a good combination, so do please make sure they are tucked away safely in another room. Thank you