In Galveston, the East End and Silk Stocking historic districts hold 1870s Victorians, and Denver Court and Lindale hold 1920s to 1940s bungalows. A Victorian raised above the street puts a full flight of steps between the sidewalk and the kitchen.
Choosing between the stones
The first choice is natural or engineered. Granite, quartzite and marble are cut from the earth, so every slab is different and you pick the actual slab we cut. Quartz and porcelain are made to a pattern, so a sample shows you what the whole slab looks like. After that, the choice comes down to heat, care and look.
Granite is the working stone. It takes normal pan heat and resists scratches, and it needs a penetrating sealer. Quartzite looks closer to marble and is harder than granite, with the same need for sealer. Quartz asks for no sealer at all and stays clean with soap and water, but it wants a trivet under a hot pot, and it never goes outside, because sunlight yellows its resin.
Marble etches from acids and scratches more easily than the others, and it needs resealing over the years. People who choose it for a kitchen choose the patina too. Porcelain is thin, often 12 mm, and it resists heat, sun and stains. Its printed face can stop at the edge, so a mitered edge is the common fix, and it needs a solid, level base underneath.
Edges and thickness
We cut ten edge profiles in our shop. Eased and beveled edges keep a clean, square line. Half bullnose and full bullnose round the front for a softer feel. Ogee and dupont add a curved, more formal shape. A chiseled edge looks rough on purpose, and a cove edge curves under the top. Mitered and laminated edges add a second strip of stone at the front, so the top reads thicker than the slab. For thickness, 3 cm is the standard for kitchens, and 2 cm is used for vanities or under a laminated edge. On 3 cm stone, an overhang deeper than 10 inches needs support brackets.
Vanities, fireplaces and backsplash
Stone goes well beyond the kitchen. Vanity tops can run in 2 cm stone, and when the sizes work, a small vanity can come out of the kitchen slab. A fireplace surround can match the kitchen or contrast with it, and marble is a classic there, since a surround sees little wear. Backsplash can stop a few inches above the counter or run full height to the upper cabinets, and a full-height splash cut from the counter slab carries the pattern up the wall. Each of these starts with the same free estimate as a kitchen.
From estimate to install
You will see us three times. The first visit is the free estimate. We measure enough to price the job, check the cabinets for level, look at the sink and the cooktop and bring samples, so you can see each stone in your own light. The written price lists the stone, the edges, the cutouts, tear-out and the sink install line by line.
The second visit is the template. It happens once the cabinets are set and level. Our templater records the room digitally, which catches walls that are out of square, and settles the seam placement and the overhangs with you. Nothing is cut before that. In our shop, the slab is then cut to the template, with the sink and cooktop openings cut and the edges polished.
The third visit is the install. The crew removes the old tops and takes them away, sets the stone on the cabinets, fills the seams with epoxy tinted to the stone and sets the sink. Faucet holes are drilled on site at install, where the faucet will sit. Natural stone gets sealer, and the crew cleans up before it leaves.
Humidity, water and the coast
Humidity does not hurt stone, but it works on what sits under it: the cabinet boxes and the subtops. Near the water, we look at both before we template. If a house has been through a flood remodel, we template after the new cabinets are set, not before. Outdoor counters near the coast take salt air, full sun and storm-season rain, so they get granite, quartzite or porcelain, never quartz.
Where we work and how to start
Close to Galveston, we also work in Tiki Island, Texas City and La Marque.
To book a free estimate in Galveston, send the form below or call us. Tell us which rooms, which stone you like and your street, and add photos if you have them.