WORKTOP INSTALLERS: KITCHEN COMPANY OR WORKTOP SPECIALISTS?

In our third article on different kinds of granite or quartz worktop supplier we looked at some of the advantages of going to a specialist worktop fabricator rather than buying generic worktops from a big shed kitchen company.

We are following that theme this week – a few more reasons why it is worth talking to solid stone worktop specialists. There are areas of expertise that only trained stonemasons will have. Companies which buy pre-made granite or quartz worktops in bulk and just trim them to fit cannot do all that a fully equipped workshop, stocked with big slabs can do. Here we explore just some of the benefits of going with real stone people.

What are the advantages of going to a specialist granite worktop fabricator?

Sub-contracted labour versus fully employed staff

With a specialist stone worktop fabricator of the scale of Affordable Granite, you know that the staff you will be dealing with are all part of the same team. Kitchen companies are effectively sub-contractiong the work anyway, and won’t know the templaters or installers who will visit you, and very large worktop companies also often subcontract their templating. AT AG you can be assured of consistency of work though sales, templating and fitting – coming from a happy team, where we all know and trust each other.

See the stone!

At many kitchen companies, the worktop deal is signed and sealed on the basis of having seen small samples only. Here at Affordable Granite we have hundreds of small samples, of course, but we encourage visiting customers to see full slabs and large offcuts in the warehouse. This is vital in many materials – a little piece can give you little idea of the same material on a big scale – and especially so in the popular veined materials, where seeing big slabs both before and after sale can be vital.

I say before and after – we are happy for customers to visit after the template stage so as to be involved in the planning of their actual slab cut. You want that darker area to disappear in the sink? You want to make a feature of it on your island? Within the constraints of the slabs sizes and the template itself, we try to meet all your requests.

Local and all under one roof

The kitchen companies often use worktop fabricators at the other end of the UK or even on the continent. By coming to a relatively small and local company like AG you reduce the long chains of communication – and the long journeys that your worktops may need to take. Any issues can be dealt with more quickly and the overall carbon footprint is reduced. Win-win!

Wide range of choice of materials

The big shed companies often have a fairly narrow offering of middle of the road stones, chosen with big discounts and large profit margins in mind. A smaller, more specialist fir will be able to source from more suppliers and work harder to achieve the look that you really want.

• At Affordable Granite we keep a range of materials in stock but can also buy in from almost any quality manufacturer of quartz available.
• This means that we can be unbiased and really work to find the customer the best possible material for them, their lifestyle and application.
• At Affordable Granite , we know our stuff and sometimes can offer a more cost effective alternative which will work for the customer as an alternative.
• Recommended by Granite wholesalers. At affordable Granite we work with many high quality wholesalers of natural stone so can offer a wide variety of natural granite where customers can go and select their actual slabs for use in their kitchen.

An example of lousy vein-matching – NOT our work!

Dedication to quality in joints and vein-matching

The Big Shed kitchen companies often use standardised worktop “blanks” – precut slabs – from which to create worktops. By working with larger, full slabs, a specialist firm is able to optimise the number of joins, and to ensure that, wherever possible, the pattern in large-veined materials continues through the join. This is what we call vein-matching, and at Affordable Granite we are proud of our dedication to getting this right!

In the same way, at Affordable Granite we often don’t need to put a join on an island even when big sheds like Howdens do. A join on an island, although really minimal when installed by our stonemasons, is not ideal.

Wider range of edge profiles and finer details

While the big shed companies often have a limited range of standard cutouts and profiles possible, we are able to provide all kinds of interesting finer details. Sharknose edge to complement your handleless doors? Cove Dupont to look stylish on your traditional kitchen? We have the know-how! For us, bespoke means bespoke: we want to hear the customer and achieve their vision. We believe that communication with the end user and not just the builder is key.