Granite is a crystalline igneous rock composed primarily of quartz, mica and feldspar. It forms from slowly cooling magma that is subjected to extreme pressures deep beneath the earth’s surface. Usage in construction dates as far back as 2600 BC when it was used in Egypt’s famous Red Pyramid.

Marble is a metamorphic rock composed mostly of calcite, aragonite and/or dolomite crystals. It forms when existing limestone deposits are subjected to changes in heat, pressure or chemicals through a process called solid-state recrystallization. Marble has been used as a building and sculpting material for centuries; if you’ve ever seen the Taj Mahal or Venus de Milo, you’ve seen an example of marble in action.

Granite is one of the strongest naturally occurring materials on earth, measuring an eight out of ten on Mohs hardness scale. It is an important building stone and is extremely resistant to weathering. To give you an idea of granite’s strength, diamonds, the hardest natural material, are required to cut, shape and polish granite. Marble is relatively soft when compared with granite, which explains its use in sculptures since classical time. It scores a six out of ten for hardness. It is still suitable for use in the home, but more care is required to avoid chipping, staining or scratching.

Yes. Generally, limestones, sandstones and soapstones are the softest natural stones, followed by marbles and finally granites. There are also hardness variances within each individual stone category. Among granites, the lighter colors tend to be 'softer', and the hardest tend to be blacks and reds. However, even the 'softer' granites are extremely hard.

There are a number of answers to this one. Acquisition cost of the material basically determines the stone price. Final install prices are affected by material, thickness (2cm or 3cm) and edge detail. We try to maintain a good selection of affordable, attractive stones for our clients. We also stock some unique stones that are only available through All Stone, including our custom colored De Colores collection. Since we import most of our inventory directly from overseas quarries, we are able to offer attractive materials at very reasonable rates.

Beauty leaps to mind. Natural stones such as granite and marble are quarried all over the world, and since each quarry produces a unique palette, there are literally thousands of distinct colors of granite available. Synthetic alternatives such as Corian and Permastone are created in factories and cannot reproduce the variable look of granite since they are manufactured with consistency and repeatability in mind. Granite, on the other hand, can vary in color and texture both within a single slab and from slab to slab. Every granite countertop is unique and nothing compares to the beauty of nature.

Another advantage of granite is its durability. Granite can withstand temperatures of 1,300 degrees Fahrenheit, so you can place hot pots and pans directly on your counters, or even use the countertop as a cutting board! Manmade alternatives simply cannot match the strength, durability or longevity of natural granite, despite what their promotional materials say.

Most synthetics are 92% quartz and 8% polyester resins (aka, glue). They are strong, but they are generally monochromatic. Colors are achieved by tinting the soft polyester adhesives. The resulting "stones" burn, scratch and fade much more easily than granite. The real name should be Engineered Gravel because that is exactly why it was invented. See my blog entry for details on this.

As you might imagine, we monitor that market quite closely. We find that consumers prefer natural products over synthetics and most stone buyers tend to prefer stones with at least a little movement. Synthetic materials simply don't offer the scratch and heat resistance, pattern and color variations, or proven investment returns of natural stones.

Based on my experience as a General Contractor in both the new construction and remodel market, I know first hand that natural stone is a tremendous investment. Two things sell homes: kitchens and bathrooms. Nationally, the payback for remodels on kitchens and bathrooms is over 90% of your investment. In Tulsa, where granite prices are less expensive than the national average, your return on investment will be even better. If you are trying to sell an upscale home that has existing tile or laminate tops, you will likely hit market resistance; installing new natural stone countertops will be a lasting investment that you can also enjoy now.

Caring for granite is simple. There are many products on the market that can be used to clean your countertops, but mild soap and water is usually sufficient for daily cleaning. A few times a year we recommend a professional 3-N-1 stone cleaner, which will thoroughly clean and polish your natural stone countertops, and also help to protect and reseal the surface. Cleaners are available at most supermarkets, and we have one available for sale in our office as well.

At All Stone Granite, we seal all our tops with a new imported sealer that is guaranteed for 10 years, and likely provides protection for close to 20 years. Most other fabricators will use a considerably less expensive sealer which is good for one to three years. The problem with conventional sealers is that they break down with repeated use of cleaning products, especially those containing ammonia. Every time you use them, you're breaking down the sealer, making your counters more vulnerable to staining. The molecular structure of our sealer is significantly smaller, which for you means a much greater resistance to sealer breakdown and an increased lifespan for your countertops. If you are still concerned about sealers, let us know and we’ll be happy to show you a range of granites that never require sealing.

This is the question we are asked most often. The answer? It depends. There are a number of factors that we take into account when preparing an estimate. What material do you like? Some stones cost $8/psf, others cost $80/psf. Where is the material going? Are you remodeling a small kitchen with simple rectangular countertops, or building a new house with a large kitchen and a twelve foot island? Is it a master bath with a tubdeck or a fireplace surround? What kind of appliances and fixtures are you putting in? Is your sink a drop-in or an undermount? Is there a prep sink? Do you have a slide-in range or a drop-in cooktop? What kind of edge do you want? Would you like a custom finish?

And the list goes on. This is why we stress the importance of getting a full estimate when you are shopping around, to ensure that you are comparing apples to apples. While other companies will quote lower per square foot prices to get customers in the door, they will charge significantly more for add-ons like undermount sinks, cabinet bumpouts or radiuses, faucet holes and upgraded edges.

Our preference is avoid seams if at all possible. That said, a typical slab of granite is about 70 inches tall by 105 inches long. If you have a countertop run which exceeds either of those dimensions, you will have seams. This is something to keep in mind if you are purchasing new cabinets. If you prefer not to have seams, it is possible that your builder or designer can take this into account in the design phase of a kitchen. When we lay out the countertops for fabrication, we consider several factors in determining the very best placement of seams.

When they are necessary, we top-polish the seams. Most fabricators will place the two pieces to be seamed together, put a line of color-matched glue between them, and then set the pieces using a vacuum pressured seam setter. Any glue which is pressed to the top during this process is scraped away, and the job is done. At All Stone, our fabricators take it one step further, top polishing each seam to ensure it is perfectly flat and practically invisible. You’ll see examples in our showroom. We’re the only company in the state that top-polishes. It makes a world of difference.

It depends on the material. Stones which are primarily one color, like Opalesence or Uba Tuba, and those which have a tight, repeating pattern, like Santa Cecilia and New Venetian Gold, are simple to match. Other stones, like Crema Bordeaux or Snake Brown, have a large variance in color and pattern from one part of the slab to the other, and therefore, care must be taken when matching seams.

To ensure the best pattern match possible on exotic stones, we use a program called Slabsmith, and we are the only fabricators in the state able to offer you this service. The Slabsmith process involves combining the digital template we take of your countertops with high resolution digital photos of your slabs to create an image showing you how your kitchen will look before it is even cut. We do not start fabricating the job until you approve the layout. Not only does this guarantee a great match on any required seams, it gives you peace of mind knowing there won’t be any nasty surprises come installation day. You can see examples of customer Slabsmiths in our gallery section.

It can, but it is not advisable. Simply put, marble will stain. It is not a matter of if but when and how much. The reason for this is that the shine on a marble is achieved by applying an acid during production. Thus, if you spill anything acidic [soft drinks, orange juice, tomato juice, etc.] and it sets for a few moments, your shine will be gone. We can bring the shine back, but it is tedious and time consuming, as well as expensive. In spite of this, some customers love the look of marble enough to accept these inherent limitations, and that is fine by us as long as they are aware of the risks.

The most common are undercounter, using undermount sinks, top mount or drop-in, which uses self-rimming sinks, and increasingly, the vessel, which sits partially recessed into the countertop. A unique application that only All Stone does is a flush mount. A solid surface sink is mounted to the underside of the granite countertop. We then polish the inside rim of the granite so there is no gap between the stone and the sink and the sink appears integrated with the counter. You can see an example in our gallery section.

There is no durability or integrity difference between 2cm and 3cm stones. Budget, availability and finished edge preferences are considerations in the selection process. A 4cm/6cm edge is achieved by cutting the countertop, then cutting another thin strip of the same material and laminating them together. With the greater availability of 3cm material, we recommend using 3cm over a 4cm laminated edge. 3cm is not only less expensive than the 4cm, but also avoids having a seam in your edge. Some customers have a strong preference for a thick edge or are interested in a stacked edge, and in those cases we do recommend 4cm or 6cm lamination.

No. The pattern and color variations of granite cannot be represented in a small square. It’s like buying a car by looking at only the hubcap. We are a stocking fabricator. You see the entire slab in our yard, so that you can better determine what the finished product will look like. We write your name on the batch from which your slabs will be taken. That way, you know that what you’ve selected is what you’ll see installed.

There are many different methods for cutting and polishing stone, from manual to sophisticated automation. We are believers in the precision that digital solutions provide, and our process reflects this. The first step for any fabricator is to take a template of the area to be covered. While some shops will use paper or wooden rods to construct the template, we capture this information using a digital laser template system. From there, the digital template is fed to an automated KMT Waterjet which uses a high pressure stream of water mixed with garnet to make the cuts on the slab. From there, your pieces are sent to two Prussianni CNCs for edge profiling and sink work, and then finishing touches are put on by our experienced fabricators. As a result of our investments in technology, we are able to offer edges, finishes and custom inlays which are not available anywhere else. We're constantly working to improve our quality and to distance ourselves from the competition.

All Stone Granite & Marble offers many advantages, including:

• Wide inventory of 2cm & 3cm stones; many unique to the Tulsa area
• Lifetime warranty on both the stone and the installation
• Slabsmith technology to ensure customer satisfaction
• Top polished, perfectly flat seams
• Competitive pricing and free estimates
• Digital fabrication technology
• Prompt production turnaround
• Outstanding customer satisfaction
• Dependable installation schedule