Is it time to replace your countertop with a high quality granite countertop? The installation itself is not something we’d recommend that a homeowner does on their own. Fabricating and installing these heavy, incredibly dense countertops should be left to the professionals. That said, you can take care of some of the prep yourself if you want to take part. Read on to learn more and then reach out to Mission West Kitchen & Bath at (626) 799-3503 to learn more about our high-quality countertop options.
Start by getting your tools ready
The first step is to gather everything you need. You’ll likely have a few of these things around the house and the rest can be found at most any hardware store:
- Screwdriver
- Safety glasses
- Putty knife
- Pry bar
- Utility knife
- Pliers
- Wrenches
- Bucket
Start by removing your sink and faucet
Before you begin this step, be sure to turn off the water supply. This can be done at the valves under your sink. Once you’ve turned it off, disconnect the water supply line from the valves. At this point you can remove the drain lines. Make sure you have your bucket handy to trap all the water that’s going to still be in the p-trap.
Now get under the sink and loosen the clamps that are holding the sink to the countertop. There will be more than one and you’ll have to be sure that you loosen each of them. Then grab your putty knife, cut through the seal between the two, and pull the sink out. It’s possible that there won’t be any clamps if the sink itself is very heavy – like a cast-iron sink.
Remove your countertop
Next, remove and get rid of any appliances under your countertop. From there, get rid of the screws that are holding your counter top in place. You’ll then lift the countertop off your base cabinet. If this doesn’t happen easily, then you may need to grab your pry bar to get it lifted.
Once you’ve removed the countertop, it will be ready for the countertop installation team to measure and get the measurements they need. They may create a wooden template to test out their design and make sure it works for you. They’ll then take the template back to their shop and mark the granite for cutting.
A diamond-bladed bridge saw is used to cut the granite. Once it’s the right size, they’ll use an edge treatment to carve into the stone. Finally, they’ll polish the granite so it’s ready to be installed. At that point, the installation team will come to your home and install it. They’ll use shims to aid them while they adjoin all the pieces and make sure that everything matches up correctly. Their final step will be to apply color fillers and silicone sealant.
Of course, you can let the installation team handle everything. Regardless of your choice for installation, make sure you’re buying your kitchen fixtures and other items from a company that offers the quality you need. Mission West Kitchen & Bath is ready to help you find the perfect, unique pieces you’re looking for.
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