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Cutting the Granite Countertop

Bob visits with David Ingram of Aldrich Stone and they cut a granite counter top with a cook-top cutout.

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Playground Construction, Part Three Now Playing

Playground Construction, Part Three

Cutting the Granite Countertop Now Playing

Cutting the Granite Countertop

Kitchen Cabinet Installation Now Playing

Kitchen Cabinet Installation

Clip Transcript For:

Cutting the Granite Countertop

computer-generated transcript - may not be 100% accurate

" -We need to cut out a square so that we can install this very contemporary cooktop and boy, this is thick granite. You're going to cut it with that?"

" -Yeah."

" -What kind of a blade is in there?"

" -It's a diamond-impregnated blade."

" -Uh huh."

" -It runs at about 11,000 rpm."

" -Uh huh. And wouldn't it heat up right away and cut wrong."

" -No we cool with water, Bob. It helps to cut better and also keeps the dust down."

" -Oh, I see, that's why you've created this little dam."

" -Right."

" -with duct tape around the whole thing."

" -Right. That keeps all the water retained into our cutout area. We'll plastic the inside of the cabinet so the water is trapped below."

" -So you've protected everything?"

" -Yes."

" -Good."

" -We've cut all sides and save he saves these relief cuts because of course, the circular blade can't move all the material found in there. And the, now the suction cups, because the minute this whole is going to wanna drop and we want to be able to fix it right out. There you go and everything is neatly cut in the plastic that was in place. Now, how do you clean up these corners where, for example, you know, there's still some material left there?"

" -Well, I take the grinder, Bob, and I just go in and I will clean the little excess debris out of the inside of the corner."

" -Wonderful. Well, thanks for the lesson Ron."

" -Okay."

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Kitchen Countertop Options by Price

Here s another great tip from BobVila.com. Countertops are such a big part of any major kitchen remodel and there are so many new options, deciding on the best choice can seem a little daunting. Starting with the budget can make the decision easier. Countertop materials range widely in price, anywhere from $11 to $200 per square foot installed. Generally speaking, while high-end countertops can boost your kitchen s look, you don t want them too far out of sync with the price point of your cabinets and appliances. Heavier materials like concrete and natural stone can also require added support, so cabinet and countertop quality should be consistent. Once you ve decided what you can spend, you can narrow your countertop options. For smaller budgets, get creative with ceramic tile at $11 to $30 per square foot. Or, check out some of the new high-tech options in laminate, which can be fabricated and installed at $36 to $45 per linear foot. Solid surface countertops offer lots of creative color options from $40 to $60 per square foot installed, and an integral solid surface sink is a great easy-care feature. In the $50 to $100 range, there are many choices. Among them are wood and butcher block with its warm beauty and natural antimicrobial properties; natural stone like slate, soapstone, marble, travertine and granite with all the quirks of nature built in; and engineered quartz countertops with a wide color range and more consistent patterns. Stainless-steel and concrete countertops are generally the most expensive at around $100 on up per square foot. But they can also be fabricated with integral sinks and they re great if you re going for that restaurant or industrial look. Find out more at BobVila.com: the ultimate home improvement web site! 2008 BobVila.com

Installation of the Marble Kitchen Countertop

Bob and Chris Vila enter the penthouse apartment to look at the installation of the kitchen countertops. This particular kind of Italian marble-like stone is a schist called Pietra Cardosa, from the area of Cardosa, Italy. It is fairly porous, with great abrasive resistance, but may require a bit more care than the average countertop as it cannot be polished to a shine. Nick Tagios from Tagios Tile and Marble explains the attachment of the countertops to the Cherry Craftline island cabinet. First a bead of silicone caulk is laid down to adhere the stone to the wood. Tagios and crew level the top with shims. To install the bridge that will become the kitchen�s island sink surround, steel bars are added between the slabs by sawing out a line and then sealing the bars inside with the stone-colored epoxy. Supports are attached to the sidepieces of stone and the bridge is laid between. To eliminate the line and space between the two stone slabs a dyed two-part epoxy is added. After the epoxy dries the counter top is sanded to remove any excess epoxy.

Installing Quartz Kitchen Countertops

Dupont has provided a new product for the solid surface kitchen counters called Zodiaq, which is made of natural silica, quartz, and about eight percent polymer. Zodiaq quartz surfaces are made of a naturally refractive material that gives it a subtle sparkle. It is extremely hard making it resistant to scratches, chips, cracks or dulling and not porous making it hard to stain. The man-made stone countertops are easier to care for than 100% natural stone and are installed in the same manner. In our kitchen the installer used a technique called a mason�s mitre that gives the joint between the pieces additional surface area for the polyester epoxy to bond. The epoxies from Dupont are specially formulated to match the countertops color. David Miller from Desavino and Sons is on hand to explain the countertop installation. One of the unique things about a Simplex house is the exacting consistency of measurements. A digital image is sent from Simplex to the countertop fabricator and they either create a template from the image, or cut the countertop directly from the image provided by Simplex.

Installing Corian Countertops and Sink

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