Granite, which is crystalline in its structure, always has tiny pits and spaces between the various mineral crystals. You don't see them on a larger piece because the overall appearance is polished and mirror-like. Granite sometimes has natural fissures as well, which may look like cracks, but are not structural defects and are a naturally occurring result of the immense heat and pressure which formed the granite eons ago. These characteristics are part of the natural beauty of stone and will not impair the function or durability of the material. A product of nature cannot be expected to look manmade.

The samples you see on the computer have been scanned and saved as digital images. The color tones may not be absolutely correct due to variations in computer systems, monitors and compression algorithms. Also, granite is a natural material with naturally occurring variations in color, tone, granularity, pattern, etc. These variations are expected and are the source of its natural beauty.

Granite is formed by extreme heat and pressure combined beneath the earths crust. It can not be affected by heat from a cook top or frying pan. A lit flame placed under the granite will have no melting effect and will not leave any burned or scarred marks.

Only in cases of sever abuse with a hammer or impact tool. A chip can be filled with a granite dust and epoxy mixture. If a chip occurs on your countertop, do not throw out the chipped pieces. We can use them to fix the countertop, so that no one will be able to tell it was ever chipped.

Seams are done where the two pieces of stone are put together. The seams are joined with epoxy that is mixed with the color that matches the stone. Then the joined area is smoothened, leaving only a very thin line visible.

No, not with regular use. Granite is most susceptible to cracks during shipping and installation. Normal use will not overstress this durable material.

You can cantilever granite up to 14" with sufficient support on the fixed end and with a large enough piece. Never cantilever unsupported granite where it might receive excessive stress like someone sitting on a counter or stepping on a counter to change a light bulb. You must have support underneath for these situations.

The main difference between granite and marble is that granite is a highly dense material composed deep inside the earth's core while marble is formed from sediments under the seabed. Both solidify into stone after millions of years but the mineral composition of the two stones makes marble and granite react differently to various chemicals and household cleaners.

A kitchen countertop should be an inch and a quarter thick for structural reasons. Bathroom vanity tops can be thinner.

Yes granite has natural pits and fissures that are part of the stones natural structure. Some types of granite have more of such characteristics than other types, and pits can be minimized by applying sealer to the surface of the counter.

It is very hard to damage granite. If any damage occurs it can be sealed with a mixture of epoxy and ground up chips of granite.

Granite is an igneous rock of visible crystalline formation and texture. It is composed primarily of feldspar, quartz, and mica. It starts off as liquid magma deep within the earth’s core where it is cooled and compressed over millions of years under tons of pressure. It is then quarried, cut and polished. After that process it can be applied in various ways like kitchen countertops, vanity tops, fireplace surrounds as well as Jacuzzi surrounds and other custom designs.

With our CNC technology we have the ability to cut any sink or surface unit cutout with computer aided design files. Undermounted sinks (sinks that are mounted under that countertop so as not to show any rim) are fully cut out, then the inside of the hole is polished. The countertop is then flipped over and reinforced with metal rods for extra support. Self rimming cutouts are cut 6" into each corner leaving some of the straight section to be cut in the field to facilitate safe shipping.

Because granite is a natural material and is mined from the quarry in blocks usually no more than 10? long, you will most likely end up with seams. Also, because granite is sold in rectangular pieces, you may want to use seams to reduce your costs, such as in an "L" shaped corner. The visibility of seams will depend on the granularity, color and pattern. A small, uniform grain (such as Uba Tuba) will not be as apparent as a larger varied grain (such as Peacock Green). A dark color (Platinum) will be less apparent than a light color (Imperial White). A dramatic pattern with swaths of color (Kinawa, Paradiso) will show more seams than a uniform pattern (Dakota Mahogany). Most customers have found that the beauty of natural granite outweighs the concern of seams.

Granite is a very durable stone. It is also much harder than marble. Granite has been used in the past in the commercial industry. Some of the obvious applications have been panels on the outside of buildings, walls, and floors of "high-traffic" areas. Granite will withstand almost any element it comes up against including heat and cold. Granite itself is approximately 95-98% stain resistant but, we use a special impregnator on all of our natural stone products. This will insure lasting life and beauty. Polished granite should receive the same cleaning care as polished marble, preferably using specially formulated Daily Cleanser or using a mild phosphate-free, biodegradable liquid dish-soap, soap flakes or powder which contains no aromatics. Followed by a thorough rinsing and drying with cotton-flannel or chamois. If you are going to go with just plain soap and water, keep in mind that this can lead to soap build up. This, in turn, will dull your countertop’s finish significantly and you don’t want that. Also, plain soap and water will not bring your countertop to a beautiful shine like our daily granite cleaner will. When using a granite cleaner, let it sit for about 30 seconds and then wipe it off well using a soft cloth. This will work best.

In general, no. All stone, however, is porous to some extent, but Granite has very little porosity. Most colors will never show any moisture. A few colors may show some moisture if exposed for a period of time. For example, a puddle of water left on the counter for 30 minutes for some colors, may show a dark spot when the water is wiped away. This spot will then dry up and no evidence will show. Only a few colors demonstrate this trait. Our installers will seal the countertops after they are installed.

No. You can’t burn it with ordinary use. Granite does not stain. The only caveat is that a few colors may absorb some moisture with prolonged contact. Usually, no evidence remains when the liquid is removed and the granite dries, but could be a problem with dark pigmented liquids. Our installers seal your countertops with a specially formulated stone sealer that is recommended for all granite after installation.

We require our potential clients to provide Hardroc Stone with the general overview of the project along with personal information such as name, town, state, zip code, a phone contact, and if known, the name of the stone and the desired edge finish. We can then process the specific measurements and respond with an approximate estimate for the job. This information can either be faxed to us or brought to our showroom when the client comes in for a tour of our facility.

1. Getting a Quote

• Come in for a visit to our facility in Huntley (directions) Bring along samples of your cabinets, tile and any other helpful interior pieces that will help you select the stone for your home. Also come with a layout (or just a simple drawing with measurements) so that we can price out your project on the spot. During your visit to our showroom we will show you samples of granite, marble, Cambria, other quartz products and other natural stone. We will then send you to our suppliers to choose the exact slabs that will be used in your home.
• Fax over a layout or email us using our contact form with measurements of your project. Please provide us with as much information as you can, regarding your project. This includes:
  
  • Layout and measurements
  • Stone ID ( if known)
  • Edge ( if known)
  • Personal information including the job address, contact information, and any other details that will help us determine the quote of the job.

* All estimates are based on the dimensions provided to us.


2. Placing an Order

To place an order with our company, we require you to have the following steps complete in your home.

• Cabinets need to be installed.
• All of the appliances in the kitchen need to be on location. That includes the stove, dishwasher, fridge etc.
• The sink needs to be on location so that we may take it back to the shop and use it as a template for the sink cutout.
• We can remove old countertops for an additional charge but we are not licensed in plumbing or electricity. We can put you in contact with licensed plumbers and electricians at your request.
• Once the above requirements are satisfied, you can give us a call and we can be out to template your kitchen the next day! Our installers will provide you with any technical information and will work with you to make sure all the specs and technical details are taken care of, so please have someone knowledgeable present. At the end of templating we require a 50% deposit based on the estimate price.

3. The Final Price & Installation

• The final price will be calculated based on the measurements taken on the jobsite. We will also verify the stone and the edge selected. The project will be installed within 2 weeks from the time of measure. The final balance of your project is due at installation.