the Countertop fabrication process

In this first step, our fabricator will inspect your chosen slab(s). 

Stone, being a natural product often contains characteristics indigenous to that particular material, similar to how individuals may be born with birthmarks. Oftentimes, these marks make the stone what it is, unique and beautiful. On occasion, a customer may find certain characteristics unacceptable and the stone fabricator will work to avoid those during templating and the fabrication process. 

Prior to templating, a final inspection is made of the stone, identifying any areas unacceptable to the customer, or areas that are more severe than the normal characteristics described above. The fabricator will mark those areas and work to avoid those during templating, while balancing the effort to minimize waste and therefore cost.

Once the slab is inspected, it is then laid out and the previously created templates are arranged on the stone to ensure the best appearance of vein texture and color. 

The templates are also arranged to ensure appropriate flow for the various countertops in your layout. As an example with an L shaped countertop, or a countertop and an island that is parallel or perpendicular, you want to ensure the overall flow of the countertop pattern will work in your finished project. 

This natural beauty occurs more often in natural stone than in quartz, making this process especially important with granite or marble. 

This is where an experienced fabricator is key, it is a mix of experience and artistry. A beautiful countertop is just that, a piece of art, and you want it to be the focal point you are anticipating. 

The stone is then cut using a variety of tools.  Historically, the bridge saw has been the favored tool, however in recent years the saw jet (combination water jet and saw) has come into play. 

This more specialized tool can be programmed with the parts you need to cut and determines where to use the water jet and where to use the saw, achieving higher quality. 

 The bridge saw cuts with a diamond segmented blade. The water jet cuts with high pressure water with garnet particulate suspended in the water.

The  water jet can cut circles, radius’, or any intricate pattern, where the bridge saw cuts only straight lines.

After the pieces are cut from the large slab, stone countertop pieces are then fabricated.

In this phase of the stone fabrication, the cutouts for your undermount sink, or cooktop, are all made. 

Since every stone has different working characteristics, it is key to have an experienced and knowledgeable fabricator. It is truly a job where artistry and technology meet to produce the optimal finished product. 

Once the holes are cut in the stone, the edge is shaped. There are a variety of stone edges to choose from.

We are approaching the end of the process here, polishing the stone. When the slab(s) arrives from the quarry to the fabricator, the face of the slab is already polished.  What does need polishing, however, is the edge and any cut-outs. 

Regardless of the edge, it will now go through a 7 step polishing process. The industry standard is to use diamond polishing pads of increasing grit from 50 to 3,000 to polish the edge. Think of sandpaper in increasing grit to visualize how this process works. 

Similarly, if your stone countertop is ever scratched or damaged, this process is used to repair it.

At this point, we are almost ready to install our finished product. 

Natural stone slabs are not impervious to moisture migration. By applying one coat of sealer, we improve the stone's resistance to stains. 

Both the edges and face of the stone are sealed during this step. 

Depending on how porous your stone is, you may need to re-apply sealer after installation annually.

 You can pick up a great sealer for most stone types at your local home improvement store and apply it yourself. 

The final step in the process is inspection of the stone. Our fabricator will ensure the edges are uniform around all sides of the stone(s). Then they will be reviewed from multiple angles to make sure the light is bouncing off the edges uniformly, and the color of the top of the stone and the edges match perfectly. At this point, we have a finished product ready to be installed in your home.

 Stone is truly a piece of natural art, and following this extensive process ensures that your finished product is a beautiful focal point of your home. 

Mixing experience, technology, tools and artistry is key to a stunning end result.