Tips for Getting the Best Results

When installing marble, granite or stone in a home or commercial business, for Timm & Van Dyke Stone Company, customer satisfaction is their goal. Timm & Van Dyke is an offshoot of Trinity Stone and Fabrication. Timm & Van Dyke installs countertops, floors, walls, fireplaces, windowsills and thresholds.

Experienced in residential and commercial installation, the company knows the importance of efficiency and communication, and strives for an honest relationship with its customers. With that as the goal, the company offers these tips for buying stone and finding a qualified fabricator:

• A stone fabricator can help you choose the stone or granite for your project.

• Once you’ve chosen your slabs, inspect them thoroughly for any unnatural cracks or pits. Veins are natural in stone and add beauty, but some material could have hairline cracks that your supplier might have overlooked.

• Get all costs up front before committing to a contract. Some fabricators advertise granite at below-average prices. But beware of hidden costs, such as additional charges for sink cutouts, faucet holes, radius corners, edge upgrades, and the removal of existing countertops.

• Unlike solid-surface materials, natural stone may have visible seams once it’s installed. A quality seam should be 1/16'' or smaller, and leveled with an epoxy that’s colored to match the stone.

Finally, to keep your stone looking beautiful for years to come, ask your installer exactly how to care for it.

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Timm & Van Dyke Stone, 210 North St., Longwood; 407.276.6852.