Stone World of Tennessee

Granite • Marble • Quartz

Stone World TN

Granite Countertop Installation: Start to Finish

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Granite countertop installation goes much like other countertop installations, but with a few tweaks that make it unique. Home owners in the Middle Tennessee area who are looking to do a granite countertop installation would be wise to follow the general guidelines below to get an idea of the workflow involved in a granite countertop installation.

Granite countertop installation: Designs and templates

You can’t start ripping things out until you have a design in place. Typically, your designer will start by taking measurements of everything. If you’re keeping the same layout they’ll measure your appliances and fixed items. If this is a complete remodel they’ll leave this for later and instead focus on the location of plumbing and electrical wiring.

This is where the designing can really begin in earnest. All of your ideas, thoughts, pictures, and craziest plans start to get whittled down into the things which will actually work for your specific home in Middle Tennessee. For a granite countertop installation, carefully measuring the placements of sinks is important, this is a measure more than twice and cut once scenario as you only have one shot with granite.

Another step here is how thick your countertop will be before you begin the granite countertop installation process. A countertop that’s too thin could literally break your design efforts. One which is too thick could crush your dreams as it crushes your cabinets! Standard cabinets can handle 1 – 1 1/4 inch thick granite countertop installations. If you want something thicker you had better plan for it now during the design process.

With the designing done the team can start moving on to a physical template for your granite countertop installation by using plywood, or photogrammetry. This step may take a couple weeks as plans are perfected and finalized.

Granite countertop installation: Prep work

Getting cabinets ready for granite counters!
Getting cabinets ready for granite counters!

This is when all the prep work happens for your granite countertop installation. Depending on the order of your renovation and how extensive it is, your appliances, sinks, and cabinets will all need to be removed, or protected.

With everything out of the way or covered, the old countertop will come off. This can be difficult to do as they are typically large here in the bigger homes of Middle Tennessee, and L-shaped units are aplenty.

Granite countertop installation: Ready to install

Your granite countertop installation is ready to begin once the actual countertop makes its way to your home in Middle Tennessee. With the prep work done above, and your cabinets already installed if you’re getting new ones, it is time to make it happen.

First the installers will set the granite countertop down without using glue. The sink will be clamped in place and sealed with silicon epoxy to the granite countertop. Holes for faucet pipes will be drilled if not taken care of already. There may be some slight leveling with shims, but a well done design will not need much.

The last step in your granite countertop installation is putting up the backsplash and sealing it along the seams, and sealing the granite countertop to the cabinets with an epoxy. Before everyone walks away, the sealant is applied.

Granite countertop installation in Middle Tennessee

For the best granite countertop installation in Middle Tennessee, come talk to the team here at Stone World. This team has helped on both the simplest, and most complex, granite countertop installation projects in the Middle Tennessee area.

Choosing the Right White Bathroom Countertop Material

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Stone World White Bathroom Counters
Stone World White Bathroom Counters

A white bathroom countertop can be the perfect complement to an already light and airy bathroom, or a striking contrast to a dark floor. How you use a white bathroom countertop is up to your design ideas, but finding the right material is crucial. There are three basic choices in the stone family, and we’ll look at them below.

White bathroom countertop materials

White marble bathroom countertops

White bathroom countertops made from marble have been the A+, number one standard since bathroom design first began. This popular white bathroom countertop material is a favorite amongst Nashville area bathroom designers as they know that their design will get a few easy thumbs up!

White bathroom countertops and marble go together so well because many people automatically think of marble when they think of white countertops. Be sure that the marble slab you’re ordering is as white as you want it to be. Some varieties of marble can have heavy grey marbling, and some others can be brown to black!

We’re not going to say you’ll be royalty with marble as you white bathroom countertop material, but you will certain be stylish!

White quartz bathroom cabinet countertops

With marble being the defacto white bathroom countertop material in Nashville, Quartz bathroom countertops in white can be a refreshing change. You can find quartz in much more pure white forms, without the marbling that marble gets its name from.

You’ll find quartz in a wide variety of whites, which is great from a color selection perspective. From a longevity perspective, nothing will outlast a good slab of quartz. They’re acid resistant, scratch resistant, won’t break or chip, and are non-porous. Quartz may be the most unsung of all the white bathroom countertop materials in Nashville!

White soapstone bathroom countertops

Soapstone isn’t a very popular option for those who want a white bathroom countertop as it never really comes in a dazzling white. It is non-porous though, and this helps it immensely as a bathroom material in general.

There are many lightly colored examples of white soapstone out there so you could possibly find one light enough for your white bathroom countertop plans. What you will not find is one which can be as dazzlingly white as quartz, or as beautifully marbled as marble.

Help deciding on the best white bathroom countertop for your home in Nashville

If you’re still unsure of which white bathroom countertop will be the best for your home in Nashville, contact the team here at Stone World. They know the ins and outs of the design world, and they know white bathroom countertops materials just as well!

Chip and Scratch Repair for Marble Bathroom Countertops

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Marble bathroom countertops are loved all over Nashville for their unmistakable beauty. Freshly installed marble bathroom countertops are incredibly striking, but it takes work to keep them looking that way as they are a softer stone.

Here are a few ways to repair chips, scratches, and nicks in marble bathroom countertops.

Chip and scratch repair for marble bathroom countertops

Wax can repair your marble bathroom countertops

Stone World Marble Repair
Stone World Marble Repair

Wax should be your first choice as it is the least permanent. Find a wax at your local hardware store in Nashville. Rub the wax into the chip or scratch until they are full. Use a 0000 grade steel wool to smooth it out.

While this fix may make it look ‘good enough,’ it will not be permanent. If your marble bathroom countertops are damaged in an unnoticeable area, this is your first choice. Work down for worse problems, or more permanent solutions.

Color-matched epoxies to repair marble bathroom countertops

Marble chip repair kits are common in most hardware stores around Nashville. They are more permanent than wax, but they do have problems:

  • You have to mix a few ingredients together, and can make a mistake when doing so.
  • Application can be messy.
  • The color will never match exactly.
  • The repair is more visible on plain marble bathroom countertops.

Clear acrylic gels to repair marble bathroom countertops

This yields similar visual results to the wax, but is a more permanent solution. You will inject the clear acrylic gel it into the chip or scratch nicks. This natural stone underneath will show through for a nearly invisible repair.

Hire a professional to repair your marble bathroom countertops

A professional can grind it down and re-polish your marble bathroom countertops for the worst problems. This can be pricey, but may be the only way to repair multiple scratches.

Further advice on repairing marble bathroom countertops

For first hand advice, call up the Stone World team. They’ve helped many of our own past customers get their marble bathroom countertops looking nearly new again. If you’re looking to buy your first marble bathroom countertop, they’re the go to team in the entire Nashville area!

Caring for your Outdoor Marble Countertop

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Caring for your Outdoor Marble Countertop
Caring for your Outdoor Marble Countertop

An outdoor marble countertop is not for the faint of heart, or for those obsessed with things never changing. A harsh winter, or even a busy summer party season in Nashville, can do a number on them. Read this article to find out how to care for your outdoor marble countertop.

Caring for your outdoor marble countertop

Use a natural stone cleaner

There are many types of natural stone cleaners available in Nashville that will easily clean your outdoor marble countertops, no matter how dirty they are. A good one will have enough power to clean dirt and grime, but will not be so powerful that it will damage the finish of your marble countertop.

If your outdoor marble countertop still looks dirty after a cleaning with a natural stone cleaner then it likely has stains. These stains are not on the surface, like with other stones, these stains are in the marble itself due to how porous it is.

You can clean these with a homemade poultice, a mix of water and baking soda to a toothpaste like consistency, or purchase a more powerful one from a hardware store in Nashville.

A poultice works by reversing the staining process. It pulls the stain back out of the marble and into itself.

How to polish an outdoor marble countertop

For polished countertops, you can use an etch remover polish in small areas where you notice your outdoor marble countertop dulling.

Larger areas that are dull will likely require a professional as they will need to grind it down and polish it all over again. If you’re in the Nashville area, call up the team at Stone World for help with this.

If your outdoor marble countertop is honed, or a matte finish, a professional must be called to bring it back to its former glory. This fix requires tools, not lotions, to get it back to normal.

With an outdoor marble countertop, you can not expect it to be as perfect as the marble countertop inside your home. It’s not as bad in Nashville weather-wise as it is further north, but you’ll be able to get it decent looking with the advice above.

Help with your outdoor marble countertop

If you have any other questions about your outdoor marble countertop, contact the team at Stone World. We have the know-how and the experience to get your outdoor marble countertop looking better.

Caring for Quartz Bathroom Countertops

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Caring for Quartz Bathroom Countertops
Caring for Quartz Bathroom Countertops

Quartz bathroom countertops are famous in the Franklin, Tennessee area for being nearly indestructible. They do, however, have their limits and a few care tips that will help them last their longest.

Read this article to learn more about caring for your quartz bathroom countertops.

Cleaning your quartz bathroom countertops

Cleaning up quartz bathroom countertops is simple thanks to their non-porous nature. You don’t need to dump a bunch of chemicals on them to get them clean. In fact, all you really need to clean a quartz bathroom countertop is a soft cloth or sponge, mild soap in warm water, and a dry cloth for drying it off. This will handle 99% of your quartz bathroom countertop cleaning needs.

For more stubborn messes, start with a putty knife and scrape carefully at any residue. Then use a mild household cleaner. 409 and Fantastik are two options that are readily available in the Franklin, Tennessee area. Soak the dirty area for as long as ten minutes in these solutions and then clean them away with lots of water and a dry cloth. A Scotch Brite pad that doesn’t scratch can be used to wipe it away at first to really get at the mess.

Cleaning products to not use on your quartz bathroom countertops

While quartz bathroom countertops are tough, it still isn’t a good idea to use harsh cleaners on them. Yes, they can stand it every now and then, but time and repetition can ruin anything.

Avoid using any high alkaline, or acidic cleaner on your quartz bathroom countertops. Examples of this that are found in the Franklin, Tennessee area often are Comet, Soft Scrub, and SOS. All are terrible choices for cleaning your quartz bathroom countertops.

Paint strippers, silver cleaners, sealers, and furniture stippers are all things to keep off your quartz bathroom countertops as well.

Installing quartz bathroom countertops in your home

If you read the above points and thought that quartz bathroom countertops weren’t strong or durable enough for your home, think again. The advice above is given as a precautionary step, they can handle anything at least once or twice. Time and repetition can ruin any material so avoid using these on your quartz bathroom countertops and they will last longer than the rest of your home!

Call up the Stone World team today to start your bathroom design, and get the long lasting quartz bathroom countertops that will add value to your home.

5 Reasons to Choose Quartz Countertops

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5 Reasons to Choose Quartz Countertops
5 Reasons to Choose Quartz Countertops

It wasn’t too long ago that granite and marble were the only two stone countertops that Nashville area homeowners wanted used in their home remodels. That trend is slowly starting to turn towards quartz countertops, and for a few good reasons – five of them!

Let’s look at why more homeowners in Nashville are moving towards quartz countertops so that you can understand the trend, and possibly bring it into your design.

Five reasons to choose quartz countertops

1. Low maintenance

Quartz countertops do not need to be sealed, will not stain, and can have any number of cleaning products used on it. Quartz is a non-porous material that is manufactured, and it is made to act exactly this way. You’ll save time and money as you don’t have to buy and use sealer over and over like you do with granite and marble.

2. How durable quartz countertops are

If you thought your granite was durable, wait until you try quartz countertops! Not only will it not stain, as mentioned above, but it is scratch resistant – making it perfect for cutting vegetables on. If you cut things in your kitchen, which I’m willing to bet everyone in Nashville does, quartz can be the best choice for durability alone.

3. Quartz countertops have a more uniform look

Quartz is made to look a certain way, meaning that the homeowner in Nashville who chooses it can plan for paint and other color choices well in advance. This can save time during the design process as you don’t have to wait for your slab to be delivered to know for certain how it will look.

4. Quartz countertops are now sexy

When quartz countertops were first introduced they were bland. Boring. Lackluster. No one in Nashville saw them and went “Wow! That looks interesting enough to install in my home!” You can now get the same level of excitement from quartz countertops with great patterns and marbling as you can with other stones.

5. The cost of quartz countertops is lower than you think

The average cost of new quartz countertops is roughly the same as mid-level granite. This can differ depending on the design and current market fluctuations, but you’re getting all of the above points for roughly the same price as any other material you could choose.

Installing quartz countertops in your home

If you’re ready to install quartz countertops in your home, call the design team at Stone World today. If you have a few more questions you’re still welcome to call and ask so that you can make the right decision.

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Stone World is Green

Stone World of Tennessee is proud to be the first granite fabrication facility to become a member of the Waste-to-Value “Greene Stone” Program. This program will enable us to recycle up to 90% of our waste, provide additional products to our customers, contribute to green building and add value to our customer’s homes.