Wednesday, February 9, 2011

Upgrading a Kitchen With Granite Countertops - Cost Savings To Be Had While Improving Other Rooms

One of the strongest and most durable of all building materials is a natural stone such as granite. Mostly used as kitchen or bathrooms countertops, granite can serve as a very beautiful focal point of any home. The home owner should not restrict the use of granite to just the kitchen and bathroom. Many of the other areas of the home can benefit from the use of granite or other natural stone.

Certain types of home remodels will pay for themselves when the home is sold. Kitchen upgrades or remodels are a prime example of the home owner receiving close to a 100% return on the investment. After upgrading the kitchen with a granite countertop there are subtle, but effectively simple ways to jazz up the rest of the home in order to tie it all together. Most home owners would prefer the home to not be dated with a brand new standout kitchen, calling attention to other shortcomings in the house.

The key is to balance the use of granite throughout the home. Particular areas which lend themselves nicely to using granite are mantels and fireplace surrounds, built-in shelving, window sills or tabletops. Do not forget about the exterior of the back yard. Most of the time the patio or deck is just outside of the kitchen. Unlike some other types of countertops granite is the ideal choice for creating an outdoor kitchen for barbecues and cookouts. Laminate counters, as well as some porous natural stone materials, are not ideal due to the conditions nature provides. A stone fabricator should be able to advise the client which type of stone will be durable enough to weather outdoor environments.

It is important for the home owner to note that if there is the intention of accenting the rest of the home by incorporating granite or other natural stone throughout in order to achieve an organic flow, it is recommended to select all of the slabs at the same time. If the home owner selects more granite at a later date, it is quite probable that finding a slab with like marbling or veining and coloring will be exceedingly difficult and unlikely due to the ever changing variation of natural stone. No two slabs are alike, but very similar patterning, texture, and appearance can be found on slabs from the same area of a quarry.

Stone fabricators will many times have a showroom for the home owner and remodeling contractor to view. As one looks through the displays or portfolios other ideas on how to best complement the rest of the home may develop. The stone fabricators and contractors may be able to use any excess of the selected slab in the client's home.

For more information on granite countertops and other natural stone, visit Universal Stone Inc. of Shakopee, MN.

Article independently authored by Dan Elliott. The content herein may or may not reflect the views and opinions of Universal Stone Inc. Click for search engine optimization and search engine marketing or visit WebDrafter.com's Blog.