Manvel is master-planned, with communities built from the 2000s to the 2020s such as Rodeo Palms, Pomona, Bluewater Lakes, Sedona Lakes and Del Bello Lakes. A house that new may still have its builder counters, and a top swap on cabinets that young leaves the rest of the kitchen as it is.
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.
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.
Replacing a builder-grade top
A house in a newer subdivision may still have the countertop the builder put in. Replacing it with stone is a straightforward job when the cabinets are staying: the old top comes off on install day, and the new stone is cut to a digital template of the existing boxes. Builder cabinets can still be out of level, so we check each run before we template.
Tear-out and haul-away
If old tops are coming off, that happens at the start of the install visit, right before the new stone goes in, and an early tear-out is available on request. The sink and the faucet are disconnected first. The crew then lifts off the old laminate, tile or stone, protects the cabinets and the floor as it works, and hauls the old material away on our truck. Tear-out is its own line on the estimate, so you can see what it costs.
Before template day
A few decisions make template day go smoothly. The cabinets should be set, fastened and level. The sink model should be chosen and the cooktop or range model known, since their openings are cut in our shop from the template. Pick the faucet too, because it sets how many faucet holes the top needs. Decide on the overhang for any seating and on the backsplash height. Clear the counters and the sink base so the templater can reach every wall, and plan for someone to be home. A change after the template can mean a second template, so the layout is settled on the spot.
Where we work and how to start
Close to Manvel, we also work in Iowa Colony, Arcola and Fresno.
We would be glad to look at your kitchen in Manvel. Send the form below or call us to set up the free estimate.