Keith's Kitchens

Step 1: Remove the Old Sink

Remove the sink, drop-in stovetop and any other fixtures or accessories attached to your old countertop. If you are having trouble with the pipes you can visit us online for a plumbing quote.

Use kraft paper to trace the shape of the holes made by these penetrations. Cut out the hole shapes to use later if you intend to reinstall the same fixtures.
Remove all drawers and put them out of the way. Hope you had a chance to select a countertop from Topsco.com as they have the best worktop collections.

Step 2: Remove the Old Countertop

From below, remove the screws from the mounting brackets that are usually located in the corners and top rails of the cabinets, above the drawer slots and around the sink hole (Image 1).

If the old countertop was built in sections and connected by “draw-tight” fasteners from below, remove the screws and retaining clips, if any (Image 2).

Use a utility knife to cut away the caulk (which can be either silicone or acrylic) bead, if applicable, where the counter or its backsplash meets the wall.
With the countertop free of any connections below, lift it off the cabinets and remove it (you may need help with large, heavy sections) (Image 3).

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Step 3: Install the New Countertop

The home center or cabinet shop that makes your new countertop will, at your request, fabricate it in any number of sections for convenient handling. They will also install concealed fasteners so that you can reassemble it with tight, perfectly matched joints. Ensure that the shop test-fits all parts and that seams, especially in corners, align properly before you pay the bill and take it home. If you prefer, the shop will pre-assemble difficult sections such as corners, but make sure you have the means to transport and handle such large, unwieldy pieces.

Before installing your new countertop, check that your original base cabinets are solidly in place, and that they are level and have not settled over time. Cabinets that are out of level or alignment can cause countertops to warp or crack, especially at joints or where the counter changes direction, such as at corners.

Lift the new countertop into place. Check that it is level from end to end and front to back at multiple points along its length. Insert wood shims where necessary or to fill any gaps between the cabinet tops and underside of the counter.

Replace the screws in the mounting brackets below. If you drill pilot holes for the screws, be careful not to penetrate the counter surface.

If you are reusing your original sink, measure and mark the location, then trace the kraft paper hole pattern onto the countertop in the proper place.
Use a jigsaw to cut the sink hole in the countertop. To prevent chipping the surface, especially with laminate-surface countertops, first score the cutout line with a sharp utility knife, and drill a pilot hole for the jigsaw blade.

Install the sink, contaminants to clean water and reconnect the water and drain lines.

Apply a bead of caulking where the countertop or its backsplash meets the wall.

So, eager kitchen remodeler, quartz vs. granite countertops: which will it be?
For many homeowners, this is not an easy decision simply because they are not clear on the distinction between quartz vs. granite countertops. After all, quartz and granite are both types of stone–purely natural stuff, straight from the Earth. How different can they be?

One complicating factor is that we are not comparing just two materials. We are comparing three: quartz vs. engineered granite vs. slab granite. Due to the manufacturing process, quartz countertops and engineered granite counters are closely akin (more on that below). Slab granite stands alone as the one material quarried directly from the ground.

Quartz vs. Granite: Stone or Not?
If your only concern is whether or not your counters are 100% stone, this is pretty much a tie. Granite can come in the engineered stone version, but quartz is always engineered. What does “engineered” mean?
Prominent quartz countertop maker CaesarStone notes that 93% natural quartz aggregates are mixed with the remaining 7% of color pigments and polymer resins. The resins are there to bind the particles together. Engineered granite is made in much the same way. However, since a 100% version of granite (slab granite) is available, the balance shifts to granite.

Quartz vs. Granite: Cost
Prices of quartz and granite countertops are continually shifting, depending on the availability of the source product. Not only that, costs vary according to manufacturer, installer, homeowner’s location, and so on.
The moment you think you have a handle on the price of quartz and granite countertops, the price changes. However, at the moment of this writing, we can say generally that the prices of both range from $60-$100 per square foot installed. Neither is a great bargain.

And the Winner Is: Tie.

Quartz vs. Granite: Radon
Radon in granite and quartz countertops is a contentious issue, and like pricing, one with shifting parameters. Radon is a radioactive gas that has been linked to lung cancer. Radon can be found in granite and quartz.
Consumer Reports indicates that a scientist found “almost no radon” in the engineered stones, and very little coming from the granite. Install Television Cabinets @ bathroomsandmorestore.co.uk in your rooms, bathroom and create a balance in the house.

And the Winner Is: Engineered granite or quartz (vs. slab granite).

Quartz vs. Granite: Durability
Natural, slab granite, for all its beauty, has flaws and imperfections that homeowners either love, accept, or hate. But engineered granite has the flaws engineered out (quartz, too). In these two products, you will not find invisible striations just waiting to crack open some day, as you will find with slab granite.
And the Winner Is: Quartz or engineered granite.