Choices seem limitless these days, including the material available for countertops. If you’re reading this article, you might be aware of the benefits of using granite for countertop surfaces. It is beautiful, durable, and no two pieces are the same, so your countertop will truly be one-of-a kind. For those of you who have firmly decided on granite, congratulations on selecting this timeless natural stone. The next major question, of course, is “How much do granite countertops cost?” Cost is a major deciding factor in most purchasing decisions. There are many factors that go into the process, which makes every homeowner’s situation unique. Factors include: color, dimensions, customizations, and installation costs. Where you live can also play a role in how much you can expect to pay.

I reached out to an industry expert whose family has been in business since 1932. Dave Syverson, Vice President/Sales Manager of Syverson Tile & Stone in Sioux Falls, South Dakota has been in the family business since 1993. With his years of experience, he was able to offer up some invaluable advice on what homeowners should consider when selecting granite as their countertop choice. “Trust your fabricator and develop a relationship with them,” says Syverson. Syverson Tile houses a showroom, a stone yard, and a fabrication shop where it does custom work for other granite shops in the area. Syverson spoke at length about granite countertops and the many factors that go into the cost of installing granite countertops.

Location

Location impacts costs for stone suppliers. Syverson recommends shopping around, but staying local. “On the coasts, the prices on imported stone will be cheaper because of proximity to seaports,” he notes. Using a local stone distributor will cut transportation costs, which can be added by the supplier if the location is out of their coverage area. Syverson also recommends finding a supplier that will both fabricate and install your countertops, as this could lead to substantial savings on your part.

Color

Blue Bahia granite

Granite is found worldwide and is produced both domestically in the United States and imported from countries such as Brazil, China, Italy, and India. The type of stone you choose will impact cost. For example, Blue Bahia from Brazil is an exotic granite in high demand and can run $90-$100 a square foot, not including installation cost. Blue granites tend to be higher priced, while white and tan granites tend to be less expensive. Local showrooms will carry a variety of choices, so keep in mind that names can vary from one location to the next. What might be commonly called Golden Ray (quarried from Brazil, gold and brown in color) at one supplier could go by a slightly different name at another location.

Square Footage

Knowing the dimensions of your countertop is crucial. Most kitchen countertops will incorporate an L-shaped design and often include an island. You’ll also need to consider the cutouts involved for your sink, faucets, and cook tops. Prior to installation, the fabricator will come to the home and make a template of the countertops to use for cutting the granite in the shop. Smaller projects, such as bathrooms, can be considerably less expensive, especially if granite remnants can be used for the project.

Installation Costs

Photo courtesy Coldspring

One of the biggest elements that factor into the price of granite countertops are the installation costs. These are typically included in the estimate/quote provided by your stone fabricator. Be sure to hire someone who is licensed and trusted.

Check your quote and see if the removal of your old countertops is included in the installation.  If it is not, there will likely be an additional charge for this service. If there are any electrical outlets or plumbing that complicate the removal then there could be additional charges for that as well. Make sure to have your faucets, sinks, and cook tops on site to ensure a successful installation.

Backsplashes and Edging Treatments

Backsplashes and edge treatments come in a variety of selections and can enhance the look of your countertops. Different edge types include mitered, ogee, and bullnose. Common backsplash selections are 4-inch or full height in design. Discuss your plans with your fabricator and expect that there will be costs associated with customizations.

Utilizing Remnants

Remnant slabs at Syverson Tile & Stone.

You can utilize granite remnants for smaller projects such as a bathroom vanity. Some stone yards may refer to their remnant selection as “the boneyard” because this is where leftover pieces of granite are kept. Suppliers offer deep discounts on these leftover granite slabs, so check with a local supplier when completing smaller projects and save some money in the process.

All of the above factors will affect the final cost for granite countertops in your home and should be considered carefully when shopping around. When the day finally arrives to have your granite countertops installed, you can be sure you made a great investment that will enhance and beautify your home for years to come.

Home Upgrades That Increase Your Resale Value

Spring has officially arrived, as has the busy real estate season. First impressions count if you have your house on the market. Even if you’re not selling your home, you might be wondering what updates or upgrades will increase the value of your home.

Many homeowners might pause at the cost of natural stone compared to other materials. What they don’t always consider is that not only does natural stone add more value to a home, its longevity is unmatched. “Stone does not break down and can stand the test of time. Stone features are there for the long haul, which you cannot say for other materials,” says Jan Johnsen, co-principal of Johnsen Landscapes & Pools, a design/project management firm and author of The Spirit of Stone.

Our experts share seven ways that natural stone can help boost your home’s value at any budget, both indoors and outdoors.

UPGRADE #1. STONE PAVING

Using Natural Stone in Your Home’s Exterior

Jerusulem Grey Gold Limestone. Photo courtesy of Lurvey Supply.

1. Wide Stone Walk to Front Door.  Wide walks accent the front of a house and make it appear more stately, says Johnsen.

2. Limestone Details. While limestone may be more expensive than brick or other common materials, it will always add more value and more than pay for itself, according to Derek DiSera, a real estate broker with @Properties in Chicago. He recommends using limestone pavers to create walkways and steps, or adding limestone to windowsills, crown moldings, or front stairs. “All of these have a timeless appeal and a much wider appeal to most buyers,” he says.

Photo courtesy of Jan Johnson

3. Stone Paving to Backyard Patio. Johnsen feels the durability of stone, coupled with its authentic appeal, makes stone paving a desirable feature for outdoor living and definitely a plus to a potential buyer.

4. A Low Stone Wall. For those on a budget, a low stone wall around two sides of a corner of the rear patio creates a “sheltered corner” where people can congregate, according to Johnsen. “It’s very inviting and changes the look of the backyard,” she says.

UPGRADE #2. GRANITE OR MARBLE COUNTERTOPS

Using Natural Stone in Your Home’s Interior

As one would expect, most of the projects indoors involve the kitchen and bath. A complete overhaul isn’t required to increase a home’s value. DiSera often visits tile stores with his clients to pick out materials that will help increase resale value.

“Whether they plan on selling immediately or not, it’s always best to bring someone objective that can give you a sense of the marketability of any of the choices they are going to make,” he says. Choosing the right materials could mean the difference of tens of thousands of dollars in resale value.

1. Cost It Out. “I think many homeowners will generally think [natural] stone will just be out of their budget and most always that is not true,” says DiSera. Many of his clients consider using only ceramic tile when doing kitchen or bathroom renovation but depending on how much square feet you’re covering, the difference in cost might not be significant (maybe a few hundred dollars more). The re-sale value, though, could be much greater than a few hundred dollars in materials.

2. Don’t Dismiss Granite or Marble. DiSera says marble is a prime choice for bathrooms. “Any marble in the white to gray tones with different varieties of veining and patterns (aka movement) are most popular like Carrara White Antique, Italian White, Bianco Carrara, and others,” he says. A little goes a long way.

Marble Mosaic Flooring. Photo courtesy of Walker Zanger

Marble subway tiles need not be restricted to the shower and bath surround walls. They can be used as a backsplash in kitchens, too. Another option is to use larger marble slabs for the walls.

Granite continues to be popular for kitchens, for both its range of colors and designs as well as its durability and strength. While it can be considered a higher-end product, prospective homeowners seek it out as a feature they want in their home.

3. Patterns and Shapes. Don’t overlook different patterns and shapes for kitchen floors. For bathroom floors, DiSera recommends hexagon/honeycomb shapes for their classic looks and basket weave and herringbone patterns because of their popularity.

Many homeowners are choosing different patterns and shapes for their kitchen floors, too, for texture and interest. While costs will vary based on the complexity of the design, type of natural stone and square footage, it’s also possible to keep costs down by incorporating larger slabs of 2′ x 2′ or 1′ x 2′ in between other types of natural stone. Homeowners can still enjoy the wow factor of the pattern or shape without it being overwhelming or costly.

UPGRADE #3. CURB APPEAL

Increasing Curb Appeal with Natural Stone

Whether you’re looking for some new ideas to spruce up your home’s curb appeal or want to update your home for your own enjoyment, incorporating natural stone can be as easy as adding stone planters to your landscaping or including stone accents in a kitchen or bathroom renovation project.

The bottom line is this: using natural stone in an update or upgrade in your home often is a solid return on your investment.

Find a trustworthy contractor for your natural stone project. 

Bluestone outcropping and irregular natural cleft bluestone, full range color. Photo courtesy of Lurvey Landscape Supply.

It would seem like a misnomer to think technological advancements have helped improve a product like natural stone valued for its organic look and properties. Yet those advances are among the reasons natural stone is becoming more popular among homeowners looking to add a timeless classic into their landscape projects.

Technological Advances to Natural Stone

Many homeowners love the look of natural stone but want more options. Thanks to recent technological advances in stone fabricating equipment, once very labor intensive surface treatments being applied to natural stone are now done through computer automated equipment.  This automation provides us increased flexibility in aesthetics and shorter production time due to faster processing. “You could have sandblasted, bush-hammered, natural-cleft, thermalled, honed, polished, the list just can go on and on,” says Daniel Wood, LEED GA, of Lurvey Landscape Supply. The company, with locations in Illinois and Wisconsin, sources natural stone from more than 50 quarries around the world and is one of the largest natural stone suppliers in the country. “We move a huge amount of natural stone,” Wood admits.

Pennsylvania Fieldstone. Photo courtesy of Lurvey Landscape Supply.

Those textural options are just skimming the natural stone surface. “They have ones that they’re making that look like linen,” he continues. “Ones with little chevron patterns in them, and there’s a lot more. Then you can mix and match those designs, too. You can have part of the pattern with one texture, and some with another, and I’ve seen that trend start to appear within the concrete realm, too. They have about five different surface textures and some installations being blended on the same job and it looks really cool.”

It used to be that if homeowners wanted the look of natural stone but couldn’t afford it, or sought options that just weren’t available in the marketplace yet, they’d opt for faux natural stone in the form of concrete.

Pennsylvania Fieldstone. Photo courtesy of Lurvey Landscape Supply.

However, the cost of concrete is rising. This, coupled technical advances for natural stone and the fact that the production of cement (which forms the binding agent of concrete when mixed with water) contributes approximately five percent of the planet’s greenhouse gas emissions have made the real thing more attractive than concrete alternatives.

On the surface level, choosing natural stone might seem straight forward. Wood says it’s anything but and comments on how amazed people are to learn how vast the selection of natural stone can be when considering incorporating it on a project. He admits that even he, a veteran in the landscape design industry, is surprised at how much there is to learn about opportunities that incorporate natural stone with plants, drainage, irrigation, lighting, fabrics, and fertilizers, among other variables. “It’s just constantly evolving and growing, and changing as new technologies are coming in,” he adds.

Valders dovewhite rock faced veneer, Thermal Lilac bluestone paving, coping, and treads. Photo courtesy of Lurvey Landscape Supply.

There is even variation within a certain type of stone to consider, notes Kris Barker, a registered landscape architect, LEED-certified designer and co-founder of Chicago-based Barker Evans Landscape Architecture, who works with clients all over the country. Within bluestone alone you can have a blue bluestone, or a mixed color of bluestone which has some russet coloration in it and is more variegated, not to mention the range of finish options, she says.

Natural Stone Is Eco-Friendly

Valders dovewhite rock faced veneer, Thermal Lilac bluestone paving, coping, and treads. Photo courtesy of Lurvey Landscape Supply.

By definition, natural stone is eco-friendly but looking beyond the fact that it’s a natural product, natural stone can also make a space more eco-friendly. When undertaking a project, Barker takes note of how integrating stone into projects can be part of a solution rather than just aesthetically pleasing.

In areas like California, for example, the drought is affecting hardscapes designs. In some cases, rather than creating tight joints, they’re integrating gravel with stone so there are opportunities for the water to infiltrate in the location rather than allow the water to inundate an area because they’ve put so much impervious surface down. Or they’ll integrate vegetation within the hardscape or look for opportunities to capture water within the hardscape. A side benefit of these types of solutions is that the final product often comes across looking softer and more appealing, Barker says.

On the opposite side of the country, you have other types of climate issues, including heat and rain, with which to contend. Local natural stone is a good option in Florida since decks, in general, are expensive to build and often need to be on pylons.

Natural Stone is an Affordable Sustainable Material

Valders dovewhite rock faced veneer, Thermal Lilac bluestone paving, coping, and treads. Photo courtesy of Lurvey Landscape Supply.

Everyone can afford to have some stone on their projects, says Wood, whether one is planning to blend it into the landscape, as steps, or for something more elaborate like a sculptural piece. Depending on the project, most stone can also be cut to a specific size off-site. The benefits of having the stone cut off-site are significant, according to Wood.

• You get a precise cut. If you order a 12” x 12” stone for a project, it’s really going to be an 11 ½” x 11 ½” stone, leaving a half inch border for a joint or other type of jointing material.
• More environmentally friendly. Less dust and debris on the jobsite.
• Less Labor = Lower Cost. Since the cutting can be done in advance, it’s more cost-effective than cutting on-site because installers can focus their time on installation, not cutting to size. Having the stone pre-cut to a specific size makes it easier to line up stone on-site, making it less labor intensive and, therefore, less costly to install.

Another benefit most homeowners don’t consider when choosing natural stone are its inherent sustainable qualities including that it’s a totally reclaimable resource. “From cradle to cradle, you can continue to use stone again, and again, and again,” notes Wood. “You can’t do that with almost every other material.”

Cleaning, Sealing, Staining & Maintaining | Myths About Natural Stone

Natural stone is one of the most beautiful materials available for residential and commercial design. Each piece is unique, not manmade, and can fit effortlessly into a variety of decors, making it a top choice for consumers and designers. While natural stone is a popular material, there are several myths surrounding its use that cause homeowners to question its practicality.

Photo Courtesy of Delta Stone Products

Myth #1: Natural Stone Stains Easily.

Staining is a big concern for many homeowners considering natural stone. A common misconception is that common products like red wine, cosmetics, or coffee will stain natural stone countertops beyond repair. While staining can occur on any light colored material, including some lighter stones, Carl Vona Jr., president of Paramount Stone in Stamford, Connecticut, says that most stains are treatable: “We can always troubleshoot the problem. If you know the origin of the stain, you can care for it.”

Jennifer M. Foresman, owner of Madison & Wells Design in Atlanta, Georgia, recommends being mindful of material choice if stains are a concern: “If a client wants white marble for their bathrooms, I would recommend using it in the master bath rather than a child’s bathroom. White granite would be a beautiful option for a child’s bathroom—it gives a similar look but is more stain resistant.”

Myth #2: Natural Stone is Expensive.

Natural stone is often found in high-end projects, but that doesn’t mean it is out of reach for more modest budgets. The cost of natural stone depends on a variety of factors, including availability and demand.

Susan Thiel, founder of Susan Thiel Design in Los Angeles, remarked that natural stone is often in a similar price range as many manmade materials. “Prices vary depending on the movement of the slab and the color. Sometimes we find that natural stone is less expensive than manmade materials.”

Photo Courtesy of Artistic Tile

Myth #3: Natural Stone is Delicate and Requires Too Much Maintenance.

Softer stones, such as marble or limestone, can be susceptible to etching or scratching. However, this can be prevented by taking simple preventative measures. Always use a cutting board when preparing food on natural stone countertops, especially with acidic foods such as tomato sauce or lemons. Consider using coasters and trivets under glasses and hot pans. Clean up spills as quickly as possible. Do not use harsh cleaning products on natural stone—instead, choose a gentle cleanser and a soft cloth.

Myth #4: Natural Stone Goes Out of Style.

While particular colors and finishes may come in and out of fashion, natural stone is a timeless, classic material. “You can’t go wrong,” says Thiel. “Natural stone is beautiful and durable.” Natural stone also adds a level of romance not found in any other product, adds Foresman: “It offers a sense of history, nature, or drama to a space while always feeling authentic,” she says. “Stone also brings depth and texture to a space that is hard to replicate. It’s been used for centuries as a building material; while it can change in appearance over time, most styles age very gracefully.”

For more information on natural stone care and maintenance, and to find a stone supplier in your area, visit www.naturalstoneinstitute.org.