Selecting Your Stone
When planning your countertops or other projects, one of the most important and satisfying tasks is to select your material—granite, marble, soapstone, or one of the other natural or man-made products.
To get what you want, you have two general decisions and one specific choice to make. You start with the kind of stone and the dominant color you prefer, and then choose the actual slab that will be used. Our Stone 101 FAQ gives you a good overview of the types of material available, their strengths and weaknesses, and their suitability for specific applications.
Online views, such as our gallery or other online resources, can help you understand the color options. Photos and other electronic images are no substitute for actually viewing the slab in person.
Every slab is different, and color variations occur in different light. We recommend that you choose your slab in-person. For exotic stone and other types that have lots of pattern and color variation, it is even more important to see and approve the actual slab before fabrication.
For other types of stone that typically have very consistent patterns and color, a sample can suffice. Many popular stones like Ubatuba, Absolute Black, Butterfly Green, Cranberry Brown and the manufactured stones have very consistent patterns and color. Advised by your designer, you can safely choose these stones from a photo or sample tile. Be aware, though, that colors can vary dramatically even in the same type of stone from the same quarry.
Even if you’re willing to select one of the consistent stones noted above without traveling to view the full slab, you may want to verify the tone. We can usually provide a small slab sample for your approval.
That said, though, the most effective way to select stone is in person.
We stock the most popular colors at our easy-access facility in Temple, NH, where you can view approximately 40 colors in full slab and over 700 remnant pieces. If you have a particular color in mind, please call to verify availability.
Alternatively, you can view up to 250 colors in full slab at the warehouse facilities of a stone distributor. Once you choose a slab they will tag it with our name and yours. They then ship it to our facility in a matter of a few days, where we fabricate your project.
Our craftsmen are expert at choosing where to cut the various shapes of your project from the full slab. For stones with lots of “movement,” this is a very important task, particularly where seams are required. Rest assured that we will make the best possible choice. If you wish, you can direct how you want your template laid out on the slab, though coordinating this may delay your installation.
Since we use a digital layout tool and a photograph of the actual material you’ve chosen, you don’t necessarily need to visit us to review the layout; it’s available wherever you are, on the computer, tablet or smartphone of your choice.
As with every aspect of working with you, we’re available to help with your decision. Please give us a call!