Granite worktops off-cuts

In the course of fabricating first quality granite worktops we end up with a lot of granite off-cuts. For example say we have a customer who wants a granite that we don't have in stock. To make their worktops we need one and a half big slabs of granite. We have to buy in two slabs to do the job. We are then left with half a slab. A few months later we get another job in the same granite and again we need one and a half slabs, but our supplier has sold all of the last block we had and we have to buy two slabs from the new block otherwise the colour won't match. Now we end up with more off-cuts. The same goes for quartz engineered stone worktops.

We literally have tonnes of off-cuts in our yard with absolutely nothing wrong with them. As granites are on average 300-400 million years old a few years sat in our yard is not going to affect them.

These granite off-cuts are ideal for smaller jobs such as window sills, fireplace hearths, small tables, vanity tops etc. We are now doing a special offer on the off-cuts just to try and clear some space in our yard. Take a look, you'll be pleasantly surprised.

Robert Shaw

Your granite worktop, your choice

Mike our templater has been on holiday this week so I have been covering for him and going out to do the templates. One thing I've noticed this week is that many people do not realise the amount of choice they have when it comes to their granite worktop or quartz engineered stone worktops. When asking questions like how big do you want the overhang people say well what do the worktops come? They come whatever size you want within reason. I have to remind people that we are making a bespoke product exactly to their specification so although we can offer advice as to overhangs, where the sink and hob should go or which side to have the drainer grooves ultimately the choice is yours.

Robert Shaw

How heat resistant are granite worktops

I often get asked this question. In reality nothing is completely heat proof, heat it enough and it will react. Granite is no different, after all it was originally formed from super heated magma being pushed up through the earths crust.

What about your kitchen? Well I should say never put anything hot on your granite worktops and then we are completely covered but that is a bit like saying 'may contain nuts' on a packet of peanuts. Granite is very very heat resistant and it it very unlikely to meet the extreme temperatures that would be needed to damage them in the average family kitchen. I have had granite worktops at home for many years and I put pots straight off the hob and trays straight out of the oven on the worktop, and yes I do do the majority of the cooking at home. In the fifteen years I have been in the stone industry

I know of only one instance when a granite worktop was damaged by heat and that was when someone lit a disposable barbecue directly on the worktop and left it on there for a few hours and it cracked the granite. Lets be honesty thought, that was a bit stupid!

So the short answer to the question is don't worry about putting hot things on your beautiful new and shiny granite worktops.

Robert Shaw

Why we stopped using 'Blanks' for Granite Worktops

For many years Shaw Stone used granite blanks. In fact when we first started out it's all we could afford to use as as a new business starting from scratch we couldn't afford a forklift to lift full size slabs or a bridge saw to cut them so we lifted and cut the granite worktops by hand. The quality of the blanks was okay but wasn't as good 1st quality full sized slabs. Don't get me wrong, we did some very good jobs back in those days quite cheap but it was very much you got what you paid for.

Things are very different now, we have one of the most technologically advance factories in the South with huge investment made into state of the art CNC cutting and polishing machinery. Over the years as the demand for blanks imported from China and India grew the quality got worse , slabs were chipped and filled with wax, colours was poor and blanks were bowed so could never achieve a level joint when they were fitted. We tried several different suppliers but they were only interested In selling a container and couldn't really understand the high quality granite kitchen worktops demanded in the UK market.So last year we decided to stop offering blanks as to be frank they were more trouble than they were worth.

We now only offer 1st quality full sized slabs which give us a lot more flexibility with the sizes we cut and a lot higher quality granite worktops. The cost of this Superior material is obviously more expensive but we believe that we still offer the best value for money granite worktops in the South taking into consideration the superior quality material, cutting, polishing, fitting and service that we offer.

Robert Shaw