NEW KITCHEN COUNTERTOPS

 Yes, that’s the new project!  We’ve been finishing and re-finishing the old concrete countertops almost every year and getting tired of the routine and the struggles to keep it looking nice.

In mid-September, we requested a quote for granite countertops from 7 companies in Kelowna and received 5.  The owner of one company stopped in to assess our project and we were impressed with his knowledge and skills.  As he had excellent reviews, access to granite slabs that we liked and a reasonable quote, we signed a contract for the work.

We were the responsible for taking out the old countertops and doing the prep work and that was extremely challenging.  We had to jack up the edge of the concrete at multiple spots to get it to release from the cabinets below.  Sometimes the silicone/glue gave way cleanly and sometimes it took a piece of cabinet with it.  The next step was to break the concrete into smaller pieces that we could handle (about 100 lbs was our max).  The concrete had wire mesh and reinforcement rods inside that had to be exposed and cut away.  What a messy process!  We got it done without any serious mishaps or strained muscles.

We had to live with makeshift countertops from time of the demolition to installation which was about 3 weeks total.  Stuart had melamine boards from another shelving project that he cut to size and that worked very well.  He also rigged up a board for the faucet so we could use the sink which made everything easier.  Check out the cardboard for the breakfast bar.

The installation process included half a day to make templates of the countertops and backsplash and then 2 weeks until installation.  Due to the configuration and size of our countertops, we had to purchase 2 slabs of granite so that’s why we decided to do the backsplash as well.  There wasn’t much granite left over.

Installation day was exciting and stressful.  They had to do some fancy maneuvering to get the first piece in and up over the breakfast bar.  It took 4 guys including Stuart, but they got it done without problems.  The rest of the job went well, and they were working on it for about 6 hours.

After the installation, there was more work for us to do.  After putting the faucet back, we had to re-install all the under-cabinet lighting and valances (they were removed to enable the backsplash to slide into place).  There were little paint touch ups and some caulking under the breakfast bar to fill some gaps.  A little more work and we are now fully enjoy the beautiful countertops.  We love the colour and the pattern and durability.  What a privilege to be able to do this project!