Supply only work: Transport - how are you going to get it home?
So – the job is too small and simple, or you are too far away to make a full template and fit service realistic and economical. But we have an offcut that you like the look of, and our price is good. You ask us to make the product for you on a supply only basis. You pay, and a few days later you get the call – it’s ready!Â
How are you going to get it home?
Almost inevitably, when this is mentioned in the initial phone calls, the answer comes, “Oh, we will put it in the car!” I remember one gentleman who was coming all the way from Suffolk. “Can we come on a weekend – if you leave it outside the wife and I can pick it up.” It was a whole kitchen island. “I have to say that I am impressed with both you and your wife, sir – it will weigh over 200kg.” Other plans were made.
It really is worth thinking a bit about the transport issues if you are going Supply Only with us.
Solid stone worktops are heavy:Â with our densest stone weighing in at 95kg per square metre (30mm thick) it is very easy for even a small piece to be unmanageable for many people.
Solid stone worktops can be fragile: although quartz is actually pretty strong, granites vary greatly. But any solid stone worktop with a cutout in it needs careful handling. These are the worktop runs that break for us, people who handle stone every day, and they will break for you too.
Solid stone worktops are awkward to handle: this comes from the first two issues – they are heavy and fragile. They should never be carried flat – always on edge so that the bending forces from the weight operate through the maximum thickness. With a big piece, getting hands under that lower edge is difficult.
Transport in vehicles should always be done on edge: our vans are especially kitted out for worktop transport. They are not just any van: we all remember a builder who picked up a whole kitchen from us and the granite ripped all of the tie points out of the walls of his van on the first corner he went round. £2k worth of worktops smashed, plus damage to his vehicle.
The inside of most cars is not well suited to carrying solid stone worktops: it is rarely possible to transport stone on its edge in a car, and if you do, the sheer mass can tip very dangerously. You have to lie it flat, knowing that this is never a great option, and in most cars with the back seat down there is actually a high point around the back of the seat. A granite section laid across that is in great danger of snapping.
You have to take supply only work home by car – how should you prepare?
Check that the available space in your car is actually big enough for your section: a surprising number of customers who have defined the dimensions for us to manufacture don’t check this bit!
Check how flat the bed is for the granite to lie on: watch for that ridge where the seat goes down. Can you pack to make it flat?
Consider getting some wood or ply sections to duct tape to the work: effectively make a flat bed for your stone.
Bring old duvets or sleeping bags to pad and pack as well as possible: treat this baby with care!
Drive home with caution: do not hit sleeping policemen (or any other kind!) like Eddie the Eagle on take off.
Treat this baby with care!
We do ask you to remember that supply only means supply only. Our workshop-based stone masons will carry your work to your car, but the support, packing and carriage really is your responsibility. If you arrive and decide that you can’t handle it, we may be able to deliver, but will need to charge, and it may not be as quick a process as you had wanted. (For delivery charges please see here.)Â
We are Affordable Granite, the leading granite installer in Surrey, Sussex and across the South East. We appreciate that the Supply Only route is important for many of our customers, and it enables us to sell offcuts at a great discount, clearing space in our warehouse and making some money in the process. For advice and help on all aspects of your supply only stone worktop requirements, don’t hesitate to contact us on 01293 863992 or by email on sales@affordablegranite.co.uk/ .
