Common Questions About Stone Benchtops
1. Which areas do you service?
We specialise in stone, marble and granite benchtops in Perth, but we also service all of Western Australia.
2. Where am I able to view the Stone Slabs and colours?
Before choosing a kitchen benchtop or bathroom benchtop for your Perth home, you may wish to view some samples. We have many samples of both natural stone and engineered stone for benchtops in our office. To view natural stone slabs (which we recommend you to do), we suggest that you visit CDK, Granite Warehouse or Zuccari, which are all in Malaga, Perth WA 6090.
3. Can a bar overhang be over 300mm?
No. The maximum overhang is 300mm. If you have supports every 600mm you can go up to 450mm. If you need stone countertops in Perth, for residential or commercial projects, get in touch for a quote.
4. Are you able to Router/Groove out the drain area for the sink?
Yes. This can be done although this can be a rather costly exercise and by doing this you will also void your warranty, so we do not recommend it. For more information about our fabrications and installation, contact us.
5. Will you need my Under Mount Sink on the day of Check Measure?
Yes. Your Under Mount Sink will need to go back with the Stone Mason to be fitted into the benchtop in the factory and will be delivered fitted on the day of the delivery and or install. Check our showcase for samples of our benchtops in Perth homes & businesses.
6. Can a Mitre Join be done on the ends of a Waterfall?
Yes. This is done by a Stone Mason in the factory and cut on a 45-degree angle.
7. How long will my Stone Benchtop installation take?
It varies depending on the size of the job, but in most cases we ask you to allow between a couple hours to half a day.
8. What’s the average turnaround time on a Stone Benchtop to be ready from ordering it?
We ask you to allow between 10-15 business days from the time of template. It may be longer during busier times.
9. Do you arrange the disconnecting and reconnecting of appliances and sinks?
No, customers will need to arrange a local plumber and electrician if needed. A lot of the new cooktops have a standard power point plug, so often an electrician is not needed if a power point is already installed.
10. Do you remove old Stone & Laminate benchtops?
Yes, we do. Contact us for a quotation.
11. What is the weight of a 20mm Stone Slab?
On Average a slab is approximately around 220kg for engineered stone, natural slabs can weigh up to 400kg.
12. Why are there different prices for different colours?
The two main factors for this are the combination of the detail in the pattern and the rarity of the colour. Browse our great range of granite and marble in Perth on our website.
13. Why do you sell and price the Stone per Slab and not per metre for the main Stone benchtop brands?
This is the way that Stone Masons within Australia purchase the stone. We can only order material by a slab.
14. Can you do an angled designed Stone benchtop?
Yes. It needs to have a template done on site, extra costs may apply. Contact us to find out more.
15. Is there any colour difference on each slab or does it varies between batches?
Yes, due to the nature of the stone being between 94-97% a natural material it can have slight colour variations between batches. See our marble and granite benchtop range on our website.
16. Is Quantum Quartz and Caesarstone a Stone material or a brand?
Both Quantum Quartz and Caesarstone are brands of stone and are the same type of engineered stone. They both come with a 10-year warranty.
17. Will I need to seal my Vedastone or Caesarstone benchtop?
No. It already comes sealed and polished and this is done within the manufacturing process of the slabs.
18. Will my Engineered Stone Benchtop be resistant to staining?
Yes, although you should always wipe up any mess as soon as possible. Some strong curries may stain the benchtop. If Red wine is left overnight on white material it may leave a blemish.
19. Do I need to avoid putting hot items directly onto my stone benchtop?
Yes, try to avoid putting hot items directly on the stone as the intense heat can fracture the stone.
20. Can a Stone Benchtop Chip?
Yes it can with sharp or hard surfaces contacting the edges.
21. What is the difference between Engineered, Marble and Granite?
Engineered Stone is made in a controlled environment which gives it consistent strength without the slab when it’s constructed. Marble is porous and softest of all stone surfaces and requires constant sealing and maintenance to keep its appearance up. Granite is the hardest of all three materials, with excellent heat resistance. It will require sealing once a year.
22. What Grade of material do you use from the natural and engineered stone brands?
As a top supplier of stone benchtops in Perth, we always use A grade on all slabs.
23. Do you repair or install Stone Benchtops purchased from other stone mason companies?
Yes, we can repair any type of stone kitchen countertops regardless of where they come from.
24. What deposit do I need to put down to order my new Stone Benchtop?
We require a 50% deposit to start an order and the remainder when the job is complete.
25. What Payment types do you offer?
We accept Cash and Direct Transfer.
26. What is Caesarstone?
Caesarstone is brand of engineered stone / resin quartz that’s made up of 97% quartz and 3 % resin and is one of the most popular engineered stones in Australia.
27. How much does a stone benchtop cost?
Pricing of stone benchtops consist of a few variable factors, Material selection would be the largest fluctuating pricing cost (some material may cost $50 per square metre others can go up to $3000 per square metre). If your benchtop price does exceed your budget and you are flexible on your colour selection, call and ask if there is an alternative stone. The other main factor that would affect the price is edge detail; the simpler your edge detail the cheaper (20mm square being the cheapest – 80mm double bullnose can be 5 times the price), and also how difficult that material is to work with.Do not hesitate to get in touch for a quote on new benchtops for your Perth home or stone countertops for your Perth commercial venture.
28. How much does stone cost per lineal meter?
Here at Medici Marble and Granite, we custom quote all of our jobs to ensure our customers are getting a fair price and can break down the price where needed. In special circumstances, we have assessed a project and given a price per lineal metre that applies to that project only. If you have a large commercial job and would like a lineal price please call our office to discuss.
29. Do I have to seal my stone benchtop?
Yes if you have any type of natural stone benchtop. Marble has to be sealed frequently because it is quite porous – from every 3 months to once a year, depending on how much it gets used and material. Granite needs sealing about once a year, again different granites can vary substantially. Ask our stonemasons about yours – we are experts in granite and marble in Perth.Engineered stone benchtops do not require sealing, one of their great advantages.
30. Can I use my existing cabinets?
Yes, you can. There shouldn’t be any problem using your old cabinets, as long they still provide sufficient support they will be fine. We will be able to assess your cabinetry for you, get in touch for a quote.
31. Do I need to remove my old tiles (splashback)?
No, it’s not necessary for you to remove your existing/old splashback. Tiles and glass splashbacks may chip when removing old benchtops, but can be covered up when the new benchtop is installed. If you wish to keep your splashback while replacing the benchtop, let us know on measure up so we can evaluate. Contact us to book a quote.
32. Do you do splashbacks?
Yes, we do. We can do marble, granite and resin quartz splashbacks, they range from 5mm to 20mm depending on the material.
33. Do you come out and measure for quoting?
Yes, we do. We travel to most Perth metro areas to quote on our granite benchtops and stone benchtops for Perth.
34. What kind of support do I need for my stone benchtops?
General cabinetry is sufficient to support most stone benchtops. If you are using other materials such as timber, stainless steel or aluminium, it will need to withstand a weight of 50-100kg per square metre.
35. Where can I view the slabs?
We purchase all of our granite worktops and marble countertops in Perth from reputable local suppliers whom only import A grade material. You are able to visit the slabs at their warehouse in Malaga, give us a call and let us know what material you are looking for and we will be able to advise you in the correct direction.
36. What’s the difference between stone and Corian?
Corian is a brand of acrylic top. Stone benchtops are heat resistant and scratch resistant, whereas acrylic can melt under heat and scratch easily. Acrylic tops only come in a matte finish, stone tops can come all different finishes including matte, high polished, brushed, flamed, and leather.
37. Can I stand on my benchtop?
No, it is not recommended that you stand on your benchtop. Although your stone benchtop is very strong and can handle a large amount of weight, it’s just always safer to stay off.
38. What is the cost difference between standard, mid, high and exotic range?
This is only a very vague categorisation of stone into price levels, the standard being cheapest to exotic the most expensive. However, is only a general guide to help you with your stone selection when visiting the slabs at warehouses. We have some pictures of various types of stone on our website, including marble, granite, Quantum Quartz, Q stone, Caesarstone and Essastone.
39. Where can I get a sample?
If you are looking for a sample of engineered stone such as Caesarstone, Essastone, quantum quartz, or Vedastone, we have samples in our office in Wangara. However, if you are interested in a natural selection such as granite or marble, please visit one of our local suppliers, Granite Warehouse, CDK, or Zuccari which are all located in Malaga.
40. Can I use stone for my BBQ/ Barbecue/Alfresco area?
Yes, you most certainly can. We recommend using a granite worktop in Perth as it has the best properties for outdoor use (very durable against most elements). Engineered stone can be used but cannot be exposed any direct sunlight. Marble is not recommended as it is softer and porous.
41. Can I cut on my benchtops?
Granites and engineered stones are highly scratch resistant but not scratch proof. Cutting onto a stone benchtop may also blunt your knife.
42. Can marble be used in the kitchen?
Yes marble can be used in the kitchen, it is often quite a standout feature, but it must be kept in mind that it will require more maintenance compared to granite and engineered stones. Often a combination of engineered stone bench and marble splashback complement each other really well -you get the luxury of a marble and the practicality of the engineered stone top.
43. How big are the slabs of stone?
Engineered stone /resin quartz / composite stone mostly come in a standard size of 3000mm x 1400mm but some companies now are making slabs 3200mm x 1600mm but in select colours. Sometimes the larger slabs can alter the price significantly, meaning you might not have to purchase as many slabs -in some cases it can save thousands of dollars. Natural stones such as granite and marble vary slab to slab but are approximately 3000mm x 1700mm, however some slabs are 2000mm x 1000mm.
44. Is the more expensive the better when it comes to stone benchtops?
No, not at all. Natural stone prices are dependent on supply and demand, so depending on how rare/scarce that stone and how popular it is can affect the price. With Engineered stone, the harder it is to make the more costly it will be – for instance a plain off-white will be cheaper than a marble imitation. Pure whites are also difficult to make; imagine how hard it to keep a white shirt clean and how hard it is to keep a whole production line clean without any dirt falling into the slab being made!
45. Do I have to buy a whole slab?
In most scenarios yes, you will require to purchase a whole slab to make a kitchen benchtop. However, if you are just doing a small area such as your bathroom benchtop or bar you can use offcuts / factory stock. You can come to our factory to view the material.
46. Can I put a hot pan onto my stone top?
Granite is the only product that won’t be affected if you put heat directly onto it. Engineered stone is heat resistant but under a lot of heat will crack and discolour. However, it is still a lot more heat resistant than acrylic tops.
47. Do I have to have joins in my kitchen?
Predominantly yes. Due to the size of the slabs, we are limited to certain lengths, however some kitchens are lucky enough to fit within slab sizes. We always try to limit the number of joins that will be in your kitchen benchtop and before we fabricate your kitchen we can identify where your joins will be.
48. What is etching?
Etching is the reaction when an acid is left on a polished surface and removes the polish which makes it feel rough. This can happen with any benchtops other than Granite, which will not be affected by any household acids.
49. Can marble be used outside?
Yes, marble can be used outside, it just needs to be kept into consideration that marble is porous and will require sealing – the frequency depending on where about it is located and how much use it gets. We recommend granite for outdoor use.
50. Can my join be fixed if it has popped?
Although no joins shall never pop or open, it may occur due to a number of factors such as weight on the bench or cabinetry movement. Joins that we install, we will repair up to two years. If your benchtop wasn’t installed by us, we could still repair for you. Call the office to find out how much.