If you want to install new kitchen countertops but are unsure of the time and steps it will take from start to finish, then you are at the right place. This guide is going to tell you exactly how much time you need for every step of the way. Of course, you have to start by choosing the right surface, so begin looking for various samples of quartz and granite countertops.
Kitchen Countertop Replacement Timeline
Choosing The New Countertop Materials
The first thing that you want to do when deciding on installing new countertops is to get your hands on said countertops first. This is the first step in this whole timeline and if you get this step right, then everything will breeze by smoothly. The reason why you want to get this out of the way first is to ensure that you stay on top of the schedule.
Choosing and getting countertop materials is not hard per se, but if you have no idea which countertop material to go for, then you will need some time to do the research, you will need to find out different retailers who sell the type of material you want for your kitchen, and then you have to go and visit and see the samples for yourself, and then finalize everything.
This is really important because you want to know exactly what you’re getting. This might take you anywhere from one to four weeks, but it usually doesn’t count in the timeline because you’re not exactly in the middle of work.
This is like the beginning, in which you are trying to get everything sorted, and then the real work starts later on. So, what you want to do is browse the internet and get what you want by thoroughly researching the materials and finding out which one suits you the best.
Measurement
Before you go ahead and buy your new countertops, the first thing you want to do is to measure the existing countertops as well as the space. This is key when it comes to a perfect fit of your countertops and you won’t be stuck trying to make something too small or too big fit into the designated space.
What you want to do is measure the length and the width as well as the height of the countertops, if you’re not changing any of these things too. This is going to really help you out in the long run and you will know exactly how big and wide and high your new countertops need to be.
So, measure once and then measure once again, and don’t just remember the numbers in your head. Write them down and then use these measurements to buy your new countertops. They will surely fit like a glove. This might take you anywhere between 30 minutes and an hour, maybe even less if you know exactly what you’re doing.
This will be a rough measurement because the fabricator or installer will then take measurements themselves as well with proper tools.
Ordering Your Countertops
Now that you have the measurements in your hand and you also know where to go to get your new countertops, the next thing to do is to order your new countertops to be fabricated. Now, this is the step that can vary in time, depending on the specific retailer you’re going for. Some can have the countertops ready in a couple of days, whereas some can take weeks.
The main reason for this time span can be because of the material being exotic and not easily sourced, or it can be custom fabrications that you’re looking for. The point is – you want to first get your countertops fabricated and then move to the next step after choosing your desired materials like quartz countertops Rockville. You might not want to move too fast unless you want to be sans countertops in the kitchen for some time.
Fabrication
This is the process in which the countertops are made and this is on the retailer. This includes getting the material of your choosing, getting it cut to the desired measurements, and then making the design, the edge profile, the cavities, and all of the other things that go into making a countertop perfect for your kitchen.
You want to give it anywhere from 2 weeks to a month, depending on which stone or material you’re choosing, where the retailer is, how much time the retailer generally takes, whether it’s custom countertop fabrication, and others. You want to ensure that everything is done before you move on to the next step.
And until you get your new countertops to your kitchen, you don’t even want to touch the existing countertops. If you want to be on top of your game, then make sure that you keep in touch with the retailer and ask about the progress, so that you have a rough idea of how much time it will take for your new slabs to get ready.
Old Countertops Removal
Next step is removing the old countertop. This is done after you have your new countertops ready to go. Once the old slabs are removed, the new ones will be installed, so you want to do it at the very end. This removal will take anywhere from an hour to three hours max and then you can move on to the next step.
New Countertop Installation
Speaking of the next step, it is the installation of the new countertops that you have spent the last few weeks working on. From planning on what material to go for to actually giving the retailer the details and then finally having the countertops in your hands, it is time for installation.
New countertop installation will take anywhere from a couple of hours to a day, depending on how many slabs you need to get installed and how big your kitchen is. Also, certain countertop materials are harder to install than others, so you best believe that it will take some time.
Final Touches
The next step involved in the perfect installation of your new kitchen countertops is to get them polished and looking all nice and pretty. Some countertop finishes are polished before installation. However, it is best that you get the final touches in after the installation, because you never know if the material can be damaged or scratched in the process of installing it.
So, even if there is a scratch or divot somewhere, you can polish it or fix up any mistakes once the installation is complete. You will see that the end result is so much more professional and clean that it will look amazing. This will take anywhere from a couple of hours to a day if there are too many mistakes to cover and perfect.
Clean Up
The last thing to do in the new countertop installation is to clean everything up. Removing and installing new countertops isn’t exactly the cleanest thing in the world, and there will be a lot of debris. So, you want to get everything cleaned up so that the kitchen is usable. This will take you less than a day to get your kitchen all tidy.
Conclusion
Countertop installation doesn’t take that much time at all, and if you break it down, then everything becomes so much easier. Consult a granite countertop installer Potomac for starting the process.