Granite or Man Made Solid Surface?

Granite or Man Made Solid Surface that is the question.  Which do I want to put in my new kitchen?  This is one of those questions that can cause much debate between a husband and wife when they are trying to figure out what is the best.  There are so many options out there and seems to be no end to colors and designs.

What makes each material unique and how do you determine what is best?  Well it all boils down to personal preference.  Let's take a look at each material and then you can decide what is best for you.

Granite is REAL ROCK.  It was once molten and it formed as it cooled deep in the earth.  It has kind of a mystique to it to think that your kitchen counter top was once hot and mushy and part of a mountain somewhere in Brazil.  Granite is one of the hardest substances in the world.  In fact the only thing that is harder is diamonds (anyone up for a diamond counter top?).  There are a lot of colors and designs in granite.  Because it is naturally formed no piece is identical and there could be character flaws that end up in your counter top (could be a great conversation starter).

The cost of Granite has come down quite a bit from where it was.  For quite some time there was an oversupply of Granite because a lot was harvested during the building boom and then when the bubble popped there was a lot of supply and not so much demand.  A couple of last thing about granite...It has been known to have traceable amounts of radiation in it and it does need to be sealed and maintained on a regular basis.

Man Made Solid Surface on the other hand is typically very predictable and is usually free of character flaws. The material is a combination of rock, quartz and resins that are all put together.  This makes it a very strong product and some manufacturers even claim to kill bacteria.  This type material is manufactured all over the world.  Some of the most popular brands are Cambria, Silestone and Corian.  The cost could run anywhere from $40 to $120 per square foot.

Your Remodeling Contractor should know these things and should be able to give you good information when he is helping you through your decision process.  In the Central Florida area if you need advice or a recommendation for a great counter top company, call me or just click HERE.  Hope this is helpful.  Until next time.

Respectfully Submitted

Tim Davis

What Should You Look For in A Remodeling Contractor

Remodeling is a very fragmented part of the "Construction Industry".  Many people attempt to do it.  If you can swing a hammer and have a pick-up truck you can be a Remodeling Contractor.  Not so fast.  I have seen many disastrous projects in my career because someone was trying to use a friend, found someone that would do it $10,000.00 cheaper than anyone else, or didn't check to see if the contractor was properly licensed to do what they said they could do.

Is Remodeling really that easy?  No!! It is actually a very difficult process that needs to have a competent professional manage or it could be a huge failure.  I have seen many do-it-yourself handymen get themselves way in over their head because they thought the they could get-er-done.  I have also seen professional home builders attempt to remodel a home and find themselves way over budget because Remodeling is not as easy and cost effective as building a new home.  Here are 3 things to look for in a Remodeling Contractor.

Number one is experience.  Find out how long someone has been Remodeling homes before you invest hard earned money with them.  Experience is the best teacher, and someone with a lot of it is usually going to have the education necessary to do a successful project.  Like I stated earlier, just because someone is an experienced home builder doesn't mean that they can successfully manage your remodeling project.

The second thing you should look for is product knowledge.  If your Remodeling Contractor doesn't keep up with the latest building material technological advances then you may have someone that doesn't really take their business seriously.  There are a lot of products that make projects go smother, look better and last longer.

The last but most important is integrity.  If your Remodeling Contractor has a bad reputation, if he is not involved in his local building association and is someone that is known in the community as someone of integrity, stay away.  I have seen many projects go bad because of this very thing.  Fortunately most of these contractors don't stay in business long but there always seems to be another one that comes along to fill in where the last one left off.

Hopefully this little article is helpful for you.  If you have comments or questions you can contact me at valueproremodeling@gmail.com.

Respectfully Submitted

Tim Davis