5 Ways To Prepare For Granite Counter Installation

The day has arrived for your new granite countertop installation. It's important to be prepared since working with the heavy stone can provide challenges for the installers. 

1. Make a Path

Granite is extremely heavy, with a single countertop slab sometimes weighing in at 500 pounds or more. A clear path from the front door to the kitchen is a must. Move furniture and clean up any clutter so that the installers won't have to sidestep objects or maneuver around any furniture when carrying the granite. This helps minimize the chances of damage to both the counter and your walls.

2. Clear the Cabinets

Naturally anything sitting on the old countertops, like small appliances, must be removed and placed somewhere out of the way during installation. It's also important that the cabinets and drawers under the counters, particularly drawers and top cabinet shelves, are also emptied. Although granite itself doesn't produce a lot of dust during installation, the removal of old counters, especially laminate, can be quite messy.

3. Cover and Protect

It's also a good idea to cover up any furniture along the installer's path with drop cloths since the old counter materials can shed a bit of dust when being moved. You may also want to tape closed the vents in the kitchen to keep the dust out, both that from removing the old counter and any dust created if the installers need to cut into the granite slab.

4. Provide a Prep Area

Granite is typically installed in slabs, but those slabs must be cut to size, and other cutouts, such as for the sink, must also be made on site. Unless you have a very large kitchen to work in, most of the cuts and preparatory work will take place in an outdoor work area either on the lawn or in your driveway. You may want to move cars or patio furniture to give the installers room to work. It's also a good idea to have an outlet nearby for their tools.

5. Prepare to Touch-up

Small damage to paint and even a cabinet's finish can occur during installation, particularly if a piece of granite goes into a tight spot with a wall at either end. It's simply the nature of installing hundreds of pounds of stone. Have a small jar of matching touchup paint on hand so any small scrapes or nicks can quickly be repaired after installation.

Contact a granite countertop installation service, such as Granite & Marble Depot, if you have further questions.