With 25 years of experience serving Southern Ontarians, we’ve come to understand the process of countertop installation inside and out, and we are pleased to be able to offer the absolute best selection of stone installed quickly and professionally.
Over the years, we’ve gotten a pretty good sense of what our customers think, too—and the questions they have when waiting on a new countertop. That’s why we’ve put together this article. Read on to learn the answers to some FAQs so you’ll know what to expect when you come to us for a counter install.
Slab selection
So much thought goes into the colour, texture, and cut of a countertop, it’s no surprise that people want to select the slab they’re getting. And they can—mostly.
It’s important to bear in mind that while people purchase by the square foot, the stone is quarried in slabs. If the drawings and measurements for their install require an entire slab, they can choose the exact piece of stone they want. Most often, though, the project calls for a portion of a slab. In these cases we choose pieces selected for texture, colour, and grain to complete the project. These stones are precious to us, and we work hard to ensure that as little as possible is wasted.
Luckily for everyone, we have an excellent system in the way that slabs are cut and bundled. When a rock is quarried, it’s cut into slabs that are then bundled into a block. Each block has 10–12 slabs which are nearly identical. Think of a loaf of marble rye. When the bread is cut, you have slices with almost the same graining, texture, and colour. It’s the same with our rocks. Everything in the block has been selected due to consistency, colour, and the direction of the veins.
Our sorting procedure eliminates the need for every customer to come select the exact stone for their project—and allows us to match stone for different projects, which greatly reduces waste.
Templaters and layout
Once we’ve worked with you to find the perfect look, feel, and material, there’s a final step towards your install—templating. Stonex templaters are trained specifically to be able to do final measurements for your layout. These numbers are then sent to the production team for a second round of reviews. Finally, the team selects the slabs and plots your countertops.
Making time for your install
Stonex templaters and installers work Monday through Friday, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Both when the templater visits, and for your final install, you’ll need to have someone on-site during their visits.
At Stonex, we have more than 60,000 projects under our belt resulting in a depth of experience you’d be hard-pressed to find elsewhere. We hope that by letting you in on our process, we can include you more fully in this exciting process. And as always, our pledge to you is an exceptional experience—every step of the way.
