Out past the inner suburbs, in Waller County, an older house in Pattison may stand on piers, with steps up to the door on the carry path.
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.
Picking the slab
Natural stone is picked in person, at any stone yard, and you send us a photo of the slab tag so the slab can be confirmed at template. Stand back first to see how the pattern moves across the whole slab, then look close at the area where the sink will go. Bring a cabinet door or a photo of the floor, since yard lighting flattens color. Yards sell granite by level, and the level reflects rarity and yield, not strength. Quartz and porcelain are chosen from samples, and every slab of a pattern matches its sample. Whatever you choose, we lay the template out on that slab so the strongest part of the pattern lands where you look most.
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 Pattison that we serve include Brookshire, Katy and Fulshear.
We would be glad to look at your kitchen in Pattison. Send the form below or call us to set up the free estimate.