| Description: | Showroom samples of either marble or granite will not provide a true representation of what the stone will look like. Marble and granite counters are fabricated and installed in the same way. A template is made of your counter, and this template is transferred to the slab you want for your kitchen. The slab is cut to match the template and given a finished edge and any cutouts. The slab is transported to your home, and a silicone adhesive is applied to the perimeter of the cabinets. The slab is then lowered into place. Some thinner marble slabs may need to have a plywood 1 substrate installed on the cabinets first to strengthen them, but any 1¼-inch (3-cm) slab can be installed directly on the cabinets. Because marble slabs are usually smaller than granite slabs, you may need more pieces to complete a full kitchen if using marble. Granite counters range in cost from $40 to $75 a square foot on average. More exotic stones, such as stones colored blue, may range in cost as high as $500 a square foot. For a 30-square-foot counter, the average material cost is around $1,000 to $1,500. Fabrication and labor add around $330 to the cost of the stone, a sink cutout adds another $100, and edging adds about $10 a linear foot on average. This makes the 30-square-foot granite counter cost between $3,000 and $3,500 installed. |
