Well out from downtown, in Fort Bend County, a newer house on the edge of Needville may still have its builder's counters, on cabinets only a few years old.
The five stones we cut
We cut and install five materials, and each one fits a different kind of kitchen. Granite is natural stone, quarried mostly in Brazil and India. It handles normal pan heat and resists scratching well, and it needs a penetrating sealer. Quartz is engineered: about 90 percent ground quartz bound with resin and pigment. It never needs sealing, and its pattern holds from one slab to the next. The resin is its weak point, since sustained heat above about 300 F, harsh solvents and direct sun all damage it, so quartz stays indoors.
Quartzite is natural stone too, quartz sandstone fused by heat and pressure. It is harder than granite, carries veining that reads like marble and needs sealing. A few stones sold as quartzite are really dolomitic marble and etch like marble, so it pays to know which kind a slab is before you buy it. Marble is the soft one. Lemon, vinegar and wine etch it, it scratches and it wears a patina over time, which is why people choose it for a vanity, a fireplace surround or a baking station, and for a kitchen when they like the patina. Porcelain comes in large, thin slabs with the pattern printed on the face. It resists heat, sun and stains, which makes it a strong choice outdoors, though a chip in porcelain is hard to repair.
Seams and overhangs
A long run or a large island can need more than one piece of stone. Where the layout allows, the seam goes at the sink or the cooktop, where a cutout already breaks the surface. We cut the joint tight in our shop and fill it on site with epoxy tinted to the stone. A seam is visible if you look closely, and a busy pattern hides it better than a quiet one. You see the seam plan at template, before anything is cut. Seating at an island needs knee room, and on 3 cm stone any overhang deeper than 10 inches gets support brackets.
Caring for the stone
Daily care is warm water and a mild soap. Skip bleach, vinegar and harsh solvents, which wear on sealer and dull quartz resin. Wipe oil, wine and coffee before they sit. To test the sealer on granite or quartzite, put a few drops of water on the stone: if it darkens, it is time to reseal. Lighter granites want sealer about once a year, dense dark stones less often. Marble etches from acids, so wipe lemon and wine quickly. Hard tap water leaves spots on dark polished stone, and a dry cloth after the dishes keeps them away.
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.
Planning the template visit
The drive to a house well outside Houston takes time, so it helps to have everything the template depends on ready before that visit: the cabinets set and level and the counters cleared. The install brings the finished tops, the epoxy and the sealer on the same truck.
Where we work and how to start
Towns and neighborhoods near Needville that we serve include Beasley, Rosenberg and Richmond.
To book a free estimate in Needville, 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.