Planet Granite: FAQ

FAQ's

Q) How do I calculate the measurements for my project so I can use the search engine to find the right size stone?

A) I will give a couple of examples in the answer. The first example will be for a guest bathroom vanity. First, I always recommend that you draw out a sketch of your project on a clean letter size sheet of paper. Draw out the rectangle shape of the vanity and note the depth and width. Draw or note any walls if you plan on using some of your slab material for a backsplash, (average height is 4"), but you can have whatever height you want.

OK, let's say your vanity countertop is 22" x 48" and it fits into a corner of the bathroom and you want one long and one short 4" backsplash. You would add 4" for the backsplash, so 22" plus 4" adds up to 26". I would add an extra 1" or 2" to play it safe for a total of 28" minimum for the depth. For the 48" width of the countertop, I would also add 4" for the backsplash plus 1" or 2" extra inches for safety. You would need a slab remnant with a minimum width of 54". Now that you know the depth, 28", and width, 54", you can type those dimensions into the search engine, click on greater than. Hit the search button, and only slabs that are that size or larger will show up with all the needed information you would want including a thumbnail size photo. Click on the photo to enlarge it.

Now, say that you want to have a laminated edge (two pieces glued together on the edge to make it twice as thick). You would need to add 3" more to each finished edge. Using the example above, you would need a minimum of 31" by 57".

The second example will be for a kitchen island. Once again, sketch it out and write down the dimensions of the cabinet. If you are going to have a laminated edge on the island, you will have to add 6" in the depth and 6" in the width to make sure you will have enough material. Ok, let's say your cabinet dimensions are 48" x 72" and you want a laminated edge on all four sides, every side will need 3" of extra material to be able to fabricate the island, 3" and 3" equals 6" for the depth, same for the width, add the 6" to the depth and the width and your minimum dimensions for the slab are now 54" x 78", then add one or two more inches to make your fabricator a little bit more happy. You would now need 55" x 79" to fabricate this kitchen island. These are the dimensions you would put into the search engine to find material that is large enough to complete your project.

Q) Can I use marble in my kitchen?

A) You can, but we and most stone fabricators don't recommend it because marble scratches easily, and is also prone to dulling and pitting on the surface when exposed to acidic materials such as soda, lemons, limes or any other acidic food. We really recommend granite in the kitchen.

Q) What do I do when looking for a remnant of material that Planet Granite does not recognize by the name.

A) This can be a challenge at times. Many suppliers are putting their own names on the slabs that they sell. This is making it more difficult for us to match up stone or find a stone for a client. If you know the supplier of the stone, ask them if the stone is known under any other name, preferably, the quarry name. If you have a sample, please bring it in since we may have the stone listed as another name. If you live too far away, carefully scan the stone if you have a scanner and e-mail the image to me if you can't find it in our search engine. If I don't have it, I will start looking for it when I am out buying stone from my suppliers.