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Installing the Marble Kitchen Countertop

Evan Zgonis and the crew form Olympia Marble and Granite are on site, installing the marble countertops in the kitchen. The slabs weigh about 300 pounds and the crew takes extra care in lining each piece up correctly. Once each slab is in place, a bead of silicone is applied to the bottom to secure it. In addition, a silicone-based sealer is applied to the top to help prevent staining.

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Manufacturing Marble Kitchen Countertops Now Playing

Manufacturing Marble Kitchen Countertops

Kitchen Cabinet Installation Now Playing

Kitchen Cabinet Installation

Installing the Marble Kitchen Countertop Now Playing

Installing the Marble Kitchen Countertop

Kitchen Cabinet Design Now Playing

Kitchen Cabinet Design

Clip Transcript For:

Installing the Marble Kitchen Countertop

computer-generated transcript - may not be 100% accurate

" How big a system it's a legitimate. Well it's gorgeous look at it from this side. And a beautiful color. It's a great color match here's the cabinets -- that kind of and T. Distressed look to them. The the brothels pick up the highlight on the cabinet room and it works very very well of course there's room here for four people the city stools. And what's nice is that these two corner posts. Bracelet. This film nicely and so we could put we're adding -- reading a couple of court rules on the side of it. What bracket here and a bracket very decorative pieces yet organized and and will handle the seating properly. Yep I'll hold it up yeah I got it. And that the silicone acts like I saw that footage of cushion. And that is exactly. Yeah. Now is there finisher of sealer that's applied to the granite. There is a sealer that's applied in that it's silicone based sealer that really protects it from staining. Now they've got bring in the third piece which will come. Into here and butt up against the section that hasn't been policy writing it's the Elvis thought there's the radius polish. Right then. -- Now this is about a ten foot length what do you suppose that way is about 300 pounds. We have the sickness until -- and thought well probably yeah but you've got a support bar and suction cups that's just through life travel purposes right exactly and also the if you all these -- who also what it's in the stone all the steel rods that infamous oh they are. Yeah when you look at the amount of detail and work that has to go behind the scenes where you have an understanding of what white cost but it does. The line. We've seen. Perfect. But Evan. It looks gorgeous thanks a lot thank you look at pleasant."

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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

Bob is with Andrea Johnson from Corain as Scott Lawyer of Solid Surfacetops arrives to install the shop-fabricated Corian countertops in the Punta Gorda kitchen. This counter features an integral sink that is attached to the counter by the fabricator in his shop. The seam between the sink and counter is made with liquid Corian that forms an impermeable and invisible seam between the sink and the counter. These integral sinks have no edge or grunge line, which makes for easy cleaning and a sleek look. The Canyon color chosen by the homeowners is dark, like the Porcelanosa metallic-look tile. Johnson remarks what a good job the homeowners have done matching the counter color to the tile. Bob adds that the cool, dark colors bring a soothing, cooling presence to the interior spaces of this hot-climate home. Bob then watches as the crew from Solid Surfacetops installs the counter pieces and creates an invisible seam. The two sections of Corian are fitted with wood blocks that will hold the clamps as the sections are glued with liquid Corian that matches the countertop and clamped tight to set. Once the glue has set and dried for about 25 minutes, the clamps are removed and the seam is sanded to give a seamless look to this two-piece installation.