Past the close-in suburbs, in Fort Bend County, a home in Riverstone may still have the counters its builder chose, on cabinets set for them.
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.
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.
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.
Builders, remodelers and commercial work
We also work for builders, remodelers, designers and property managers. Builders and remodelers give us the cabinet date, and we template once the boxes are set, then schedule the install around the other trades. Designers can send drawings with the estimate request, and we check them against the real walls at template. Restaurants, bars, offices and hotels get commercial counters cut in the same shop and set by the same crew. Apartment owners doing unit turns can repeat one material and one edge profile across every unit.
Where we work and how to start
Towns and neighborhoods near Riverstone that we serve include Sienna, Greatwood and Sugar Land.
To book a free estimate in Riverstone, 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.