Stain-resistant…Heat-resistant…Scratch-resistant…Smell-resistant!!
It shouldn't be this unpleasant.
Unlike other countertops, granite doesn’t absorb odors or constantly remind you of your pre-bamboo cutting board period and your serious underestimation of what an 8-inch chef’s knife can do.
Gist: Granite Transformations countertops are an affordable update; moreover, they’re extremely easy to clean and to keep looking clean. Sound good?
The secret is in the…diamonds.
Kitchen counter installation is an involved process, to say the least. When choosing countertop material you’re also choosing how to spend the days of installation – in your home or outside of it. If you choose a thick slab like traditional granite, marble, or soapstone you’ll probably want to escape the confines of your home as the contractors will be ripping out chunks of your island, countertop base, and making a general mess of things for about a week or more. If you’ve got new cabinets to compliment the new countertops then, well, fuggedaboutit!
Looks like a whole lot of disruption.
You have to prepare yourself for the noise and debris and you’ve got to account for your stress levels rising. What if there was a different way?
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During the month of September, most Americans know that football season begins, and unless you are able to travel to every game, that also means the start of football party season. It’s much easier to go to a party than throw one, but eventually your friends will notice that you haven’t hosted one since Brett Favre retired the first time, and it will be your turn.
Get the snacks ready. Football season is upon us.
Day after day the thermometer seems to poke its head annoyingly above 90. With each passing day the commute to work is filled with more air-conditioned car rides, dry air-conditioned offices, fans blasting at a rate usually seen only in wind farms, and yet when we get home we don’t want to wallow indoors. It’s the summertime! And for those of us who live in the northern states this is our chance to soak up our yards, patios, and outdoor areas to their fullest – regardless of the oppressive heat (just whip up some lemonade).
A decadent poolside bar setup.
For many of us this pull-out-your-hair frustrating recession has caused many of us to scrap our grandiose plans for home remodeling. Luxuries regularly seen in homes in booming 1990’s probably wouldn’t get the same positive bat-of-the-eyelash in today’s economic climate. Melinda Fulmer, a columnist for MSN Real Estate, talked about eight home projects that are overrated and that, she predicts, will soon be on their way out entirely. Some of these fading renovation choices might be sitting in your home as we speak. If that’s the case, don’t sweat it – they’re already there and you probably love them, but for those of you thinking of installing one of these soon-to-be home remodeling pariahs you might want to think twice.
Some people just keep adding, and adding, and adding...
It’s okay to eat that Oreo I just dropped on the floor…right? It’s only been languishing on the floor for, what, no more than five seconds! Unless you’re eating a sponge (and you never should) the little bits of sustenance you drop on the floor won’t exactly soak up dirt and germs in only five seconds. Although, the five second rule, just like real estate, is all about location, location, location. You could drop a piece of bologna on the floor next to your bed (which raises the question of why you’re eating slices of bologna in bed – but that’s for another post) and pick it back up 5 beats later and it almost certainly wouldn’t be any worse for wear. Now replicate that butterfingers-like handling of a bologna slice in the kitchen or bathroom and then you’ve got germy variables to consider.
Whatever you do, don't eat it!!
It’s sad but true – there are a lot of people there will try to make a buck by scamming unsuspecting people. You’ve probably been scammed, or had somebody try to pull the wool over your eyes at least once in your life. As professionals in the home renovations industry, we take scams of this nature very seriously and we wanted to describe some common ones here so you will have the knowledge you need to protect yourself from con artists. Most of these guys think they can come in, impress you with verbal knowhow and then run off with cash in hand. Well, they’re a short call to the Better Business Bureau away from prison.
Reputable businesses will never ask you to pay in full for a job upfront. If someone asks you to do this you should view it as a red flag. It is common to have a payment plan with your contractor where you pay a little in the beginning, a little in the middle, and the rest at the end of the job.
We spend a great deal of time on our blog talking about homes, way to upgrade homes, other people’s homes that we think are notably attractive, and basically anything else you could think of that can be neatly filed under the keyword “home.” Well today is your lucky day, especially if you’re someone who prefers the nautical lifestyle to one bound by yards, sidewalks, and driveways.
The revamped English river boat.
Selecting the color for your granite countertop is a personal and ultimately long-lasting decision. Serious thought must be paid to it because, let’s face it, you don’t want to select a red countertop and then realize ‘oh no! I’m a gray person!’ Installing a countertop is a decision that provides great value, as it’s a home fixture that will last as long as you will (not to be morbid), but also doesn’t allow for much modification post installation. So, let’s make sure we get it right the first time.
Some people like to juxtapose light island counters with dark surrounding countertops
Have you ever lived in a house or apartment that was really in need of some counter-space? I know I have. Countertops are easily taken for granted if you have them, but when you’re searching for a place to prepare a meal or place any number of items you normally would in a kitchen replete with countertop space and you’re without it can be maddening. I lived in an apartment in Brooklyn that was a cook’s worst nightmare. We decided to live there because it was in a great location and the price was just right, but the kitchen had a problem we idiotically overlooked in the apartment search process. The kitchen had a four burner stove and a double basin sink, but no countertops! There was nothing. Initially we were preparing food in the minuscule space in between the burners – a paltry situation to be in.
Where's the countertop?
