new granite countertops
 

trying to gigure out -if we should go to granite yard like duncan stone or use a contractor like doc's renovation ?-- understand by post that they are both very good -- is it cheaper to go direct seller and installer ??

We just had granite installed in our kitchen and bathrooms. After searching around and reading numerous recommendations, we chose Ultimate Granite on Rolling Acres Rd up in Lady Lake. We found their prices competitive and their selection large. The installers were fast, polite, on time and the results look great. I'm sure there are other places around that are good as well, but we are quite pleased with these folks.

We were about to purchase a stone top when the virus struck and we put it on hold.
tops once the virus goes away and we are comfortable having people in our home.

We had decided to buy quartz as it seems to be maintenance free over granite

We recently had Ultimate Granite do our kitchen counters. Recommend them.

We just stayed out of the kitchen and bathrooms while the installers were here. Our houses aren't huge, but you can manage social distance in them.

We were going to buy quartz over granite for the same reason but once we saw some of the stunning granite slabs, the quartz samples struck us as about as boring and bland as the high-definition laminate countertops that we were replacing. So we're going to put up with a little extra maintenance (we've had granite before and know what that entails) to get the extra beauty. But everybody has different needs and tastes.

Granite
 

Ultimate just completed our whole house with granite. Very pleased from start to finish.

Didnt you need a plumber to take out the old sink and put new one in and do connections? Not to mention the garbage disposal.

Granite
 

Ultimate did the plumbing with the job.

Granite and plumbing
 

Ultimate Granite replaced my kitchen and bathroom sinks, did all plumbing and grabage at no extra cost. I think they way Under charge for what they do.

any competent c-top installers can also handle disposals, faucet h-ware, & sink drains + i'll bet much less $ compared to the plumber who can't do anything w/c-tops,,, matter of fact, any competent diy'er can do the same work - we just can't move heavy difficult-to-balance loads
understand not being extravagant but this is YOUR home & a reflection of who YOU are - same w/all of us

tI got my granite from Ultimate Granite too. The people there are helpful and they have a very large selection.

We used Ultimate Granite in June for our kitchen and baths. They did a great job. Granite is easy to seal, so I recommend to do it yourself.

Definitely cheaper to go direct to granite yard. Doc’s may be the most expensive option.

We had ultimate granite do ours. Docs restoration sent a lady to do an estimate and she was more than 4 times the cost. She also kept trying to up sell. I will never deal with docs restoration.

Docs is a general contractor. They are a one stop shop but hire companies you can directly. Ultimate Granite seems to be the The place to go. Know two who are very satisfied. Wish I had used them.

I believe you cannot put hot items on a quartz surface. Granite is more heat resistant than quartz.

I keep hearing about maintenance of granite. In our last house, we had granite countertops for 20+ years, never touched them, and they still looked like the day we had them installed. I'm not sure how some people use their kitchen that requires all the maintenance.

Depending upon the level of granite you buy, the price can vary greatly, granite is typically substantially cheaper than quartz and the maintenance is far less. Remember, putting something hot on a man-made surface is not recommended where something hot on stone creates much less of a problem.

Docs is very pricey!

I no longer use granite, as I found it chipped to easily around edges.
Dropped a glasss one time an took a corner off. Glass survived!
Dropped knife also chipped an edge.
Using a quartze now, and so far so good, and I think it cleans up easier, and doesn't show finger marks as much as granite.
JMHO.

I wonder what the big deal is too. We've had ours for 8 years and have never done anything to them but wipe with a wet dish rag. They still look as good as the day they were installed. I understand there is a permanent sealer that can applied, or a temporary one that needs to be reapplied occasionally. But that is very easy to do and certainly not considered to be high maintenance.

Duncan Stone best price. Excellent service. You won’t believe how much you will save get your estimate then go to Duncan. That will be your last stop. See Mike Sirasky there.

you just might be making a mistake with granite....it emits radon. Ask anyone from the Granite State (NH), find something else that is as pretty and not so many health complications. If I were buying a house with that in it, I'd reduce what I would pay for the place as I would want that stuff removed.......and you're going to put it in the bathrooms.....right next door to where your bedroom is located and you spend 1/3 of your life. Houses in NH have to have radon equipment installed to vent the radon out as it is such a hazard.

I have used Duncan Stone my Kitchen, Bathrooms and Fireplace Mantle, great work and reasonable prices as well as fast service. I am a realtor and also own a Home Watch Company and always refer them out to my Buyers and Owners.

You check out the quartz options. They have gotten much more varied than when they first started to appear. It is a greener option and quartz requires zero maintenance because it non-pourous. Granite will need to be sealed periodically. Worth at least checking out. Cost is about the same.

We went to burns and got Quartz at half the price Docs wanted for granite.

That was a scare story put out years ago.
The amount of Radon emitted fron worktops etc is too small to measure.
Granite States are built on the stuff, which is why there are higher readings of Radon.
You are truly, a lot more at risk from your cell phone and computer than from Radon from counter tops!

Granite is so passe. Get quartz, better on so many levels.

McCullough Water & Granite
 

McCullough water and granite in Ocala did a wonderful job on our kitchen and two bathrooms in 2013. We still see the quality after 7 years installed.

They do not come any better than, this is a great place.

Ultimate Granite did our kitchen countertops and they took care of everything. The granite came already sealed for us. Great job and nice folks to work with. Love our countertops.

We used Ultimate Granite and could not be more pleased with the job. They have the own selection to choose from and the installation was 1st class

We have Cambria. Never needs resealing. Better on the resale now since most of the US granite supply has run put and now they are quarrying lesser quality granite from South America.
Although quartz is very scratch resistant, they recommend using a cutting board on your quartz countertop. A hot pot or pan can potentially lead to discoloration.
Its a best practice not to put a 400 degree pot on any surface.

They do need to be resealed at least annually. All the high quality granite in the US has been quarried out, so now you get weirder looking colors from Brazil and India.

We recently chose quartz over granite mainly due to the consistent color and pattern plus the maintenance issue. Signed
on with Stone Rise to do the job (kitchen and bathrooms). Awaiting installation around July 23rd. Plumbing chores are included in price. Hopefully all will turn out well.

Since the installers will have to be in our kitchen and both bathrooms we have decided until the virus runs its courses before doing quartz countertops

horsepuckey & baloney ! there aren't that many colors avail at u s quarries -k, dakota mahogany - milbank, sd; grey - barre, vt, & bluish-grey - elberton ga,,, the reason foreign granites are popular is cost & color. many blocks are quarried about the world & shipped to either china/india for processing then polished slabs are send to usa for fabrication. IF u s granite weren't any good, it wouldn't be used for monumental purposes !
besides, all states have radon - since tv houses are built on slabs, exposure to radon, as previously stated, is insignificant. add to this how often we open the doors, air exchanges are often.

True

Granite suppliers
 

Last year we got a quote from Doc's restoration for new kitchen and bath counter tops (including sinks and faucets) and tile backsplash in the kitchen. Doc's has a great reputation for excellent work but their for quote for laminate (not granite) tops was $12,000.

We decided to go with Ultimate Granite on Rolling Acers Road (just north of the Villages Woodshop). We used a separate contractor for the backsplash work. The total for all work came to $6,000, one half of the Doc's estimate and we got granite not laminate! Ultimate Granite has done work for three of our friends and all of us were very pleased with the quality of their work. They are very easy to work with and are great about answering questions and getting back to you when you call. There is no pressure!

Ultimate puts a sealer on the granite that does not have to be continually refreshed.

The only thing we would suggest is that you get your sinks and faucets from Lowe's or Home Depot both of whom have a larger and somewhat nicer selection of products. Ultimate has no problem if you do this.

Have recently used them as well. Great