Stone Fabrication
Our Process / Stone Fabrication
The Best Stone Fabrication Contractor in Caldwell, ID
Select Stone Service is a family-owned, local stone fabricator in the Treasure Valley.
Stone fabrication involves inspecting and preparing a stone slab, and turning it into the custom piece your project needs. The process starts with choosing the best type of stone for your purposes and preferences.
Choosing the Best Stone For You
At Select Stone Service, we work with a range of beautiful and durable materials. Each stone offers unique pros and cons that can help you decide what would be a good fit for your project.
Granite:
A natural stone, granite is an igneous rock made of various minerals. Granite itself is generally heat-proof, though it's still generally advised that you should use pot holders rather than setting hot dishes directly on the stone as the sealants used on granite are not necessarily heat-proof.
Pros - Durable, a natural stone, unlikely to crack, polishes beautifully, generally heat resistant.
Cons - Porous, needs sealing to prevent hard water buildup and stains, susceptible to chips, heavy, one of the more expensive options.Quartz:
This engineered stone is made from a mixture of quartz minerals (one of the hardest and most common minerals on earth) and resin. Quartz has a softer look than granite, polishes beautifully, is generally easier to care for, and is lighter than most natural stone options.
Pros - Lower cost than natural stone, very low maintenance, strong, durable.
Cons - Resin is not heat resistant, susceptible to chips and cracks, can be damaged by prolonged exposure to sunlight.Porcelain:
A man-made material, porcelain is derived from clay and can be mixed, stained, or painted to look like just about anything. This is a much harder type of porcelain than a China doll and will not break at the slightest touch, though it is more brittle than stone.
Pros - Less expensive material, lightweight, thin, mimics natural stone at a lower cost, wide variety of appearances, most heat resistant material.
Cons - Brittle, higher installation cost.
The Fabrication Process
Once you have selected the slab for your project, it will go on to the fabrication process. Fabrication refers to the creation of your new natural stone countertop or other stone product. To start the fabrication process, your slab will go through design.
Design: The dimensions, size, and cut of the slab are carefully determined – including aspects such as your desired edge profile. If your slab is intended for a bathroom vanity, kitchen countertop, or similar, we can visit your location to take accurate measurements and create a custom template for your project.
After the design and measurements are finalized, we move on to inspection and cutting the stone.
Inspection: The fabricator will conduct a professional inspection of the chosen slab. It is laid on a table and we use white template strips to show where the veining and character will be positioned optimally after cutting the slab. We make necessary adjustments to showcase your favorite parts of the stone’s character.
Cutting: We use specialized machinery to cut the slab or slabs to your project specifications and finish with a beautiful edge profile.
Sealing and Polishing: Depending on the material and the intended use for the cut slab, it will be cleaned and sealed to prevent future water damage. The slab will then be polished to perfection ensuring a stunning final product.
Preparing for Your Stone Installation
You can expect the whole process of selecting a slab and fabrication to take approximately two weeks.
Once fabrication is finished, the shaped slab will be ready for installation in your home or business.
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