FAQ's

 FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS?

Granite is an igneous stone made up of Quartz 35%, Feldspar 45% and Potassium and measures 6 on the hardness scale. (Diamonds measure 10 on the same scale).

Marble is a recrystallized limestone made up from calcium and dolomite and measures 3 on the hardness scale (which is why we don’t recommend for bench tops).

Engineered Quartz slabs are made from approximately 91-95% natural quartz chips and 5-9% resin.

Q. How much will my bench top cost?
A. Material is sold per square metre.  This rate is based on country of origin and availibilty of the material, we only source the best quality material that is available from Italy, Brazil, India , Madagascar, etc. Then there is additional costs for polishing, templating and installation etc.

Q. What colours can I choose from?
A. Bramco Granite & Marble keep a stock of approximately 24 Granite colours at any one time.  We can also offer engineered stone like Caesar and Silestone in 20 colours and a selection of Marble. Bramco highly recommends viewing all natural stone in slab form prior to making a final decision. (Sometimes we will make this a requirement) our Slab Gallery is available Monday to Friday and Saturdays by appointment only.

Q. Can I choose what sort of edging I have?
A. Yes, there are a number of styles to choose from with square edge and pencil arris being the most popular and cost effective.

Q. What options are available for mounting  sinks?
A. The most popular and recommended method is under mounting, there are a few extra options available like drainer flutes etc, these can be discussed at our show room. **Please note we will not under mount an over mount designed bowl with a drainer tray.

 Q. How long will it take to get my bench top?
A. Our lead time is generally 15-20 working days, but this time can vary depending on work load.
**  Please note prior to accepting a job into our production schedule we need the following :
1. Bowl, Tap and Hob or anything requiring a cutout is on site for our  templater.
2. Material must be available in our yard
3. 50% deposit has been paid
4. All temporary tops have been removed prior to templater arriving.
** The lead time starts when we have all the above finalized.

Q. How do I keep my bench top clean?
A. Bramco recommend using an E-Cloth which is given to you when your bench top is installed. Hot soapy water or an E-Cloth do the best job.

Q. Will my bench top scratch?
A. Under normal conditions – No.  Granite/Quartz is largely scratch resistant. 

Q. What thickness does the stone come in?
A. 20mm and 30mm are the standard thicknesses.  Not all colours come in both thicknesses. Thicker sizes can be achieved by having the edges mitred or laminated.

Q. Where will the joints be located?
A. This is subject to slab sizes (Granite approx 2800 x 1700 – Quartz 1340 x 3000) and location of sinks and hobs, but will be generally on the internal corners of a U shaped Kitchen.

Q. Will the joints be noticeable?
A. Our joints are 2 mm wide.  They are then filled with a coloured epoxy to make them unobtrusive. There is still the need for some flexible joints around the perimeter.

 Q. Is Granite porous.
 A. Yes but if sealed correctly prior to installation it will give years of pleasure. ** Prolonged exposure to oils is not recommended.

Q. Will the surface of the stone be like a mirror?
A. While the stone has a high gloss finish the surface finish can vary subject to the structure of the stone when is has formed in the earth. Black has the smoothest finish but with this, its also the hardest to keep clean.

Q. Will the colour vary within the slabs?
A. In some colours depending on how that were formed in the earth there will be movement of the colours within the slab, but this is not in all cases.
** Please note there could be natural veins / vents / fissures / enclusions and pitting viewable on the finished slab. (We recommend the viewing of slabs prior to cutting).

Web-Edge-Details-Model-080610.pdf