I have a new least favorite activity: shopping for granite countertops.
Yes, I know they're pretty and shiny. I know that it's like wandering through nature's art gallery.
I don't care- it sucks. And I'll tell you why: the human element.
Let me walk you through How To Pick Your Granite in 20 easy steps:
Step One: Wander around every home improvement store you can find looking at all the solid-surface, quartz- fail to get excited and decide you want granite.
Step Two: Tell your General Contractor so he can get the allowance in the budget.
Step Three: Wander around every home improvement and tile store you can find, discover that everyone carries the same 10 types of granite- none of which get you that excited. But it's an improvement.
Step Four: call your GC to find out where you can go to look at actual slabs you might want.
Step Five: Your GC calls you back with a list of the tile stores you just looked at. Clarify the question.
Step Six: Your GC calls and tells you to go to the fabricator your cabinet company uses- you need to set up an appointment.
Step Seven: take off from work in the middle of the day- drive to the fabricator (40 miles) where they tell you "we have about 10 standard types we carry in stock". They look awfully familiar.
Step Eight: Fabricator gives you names of 4 suppliers where you can go look at actual slabs of types that the stores don't carry. Finally!
Step nine: go to first supplier (20 mile drive): discover they have hundreds of slabs in a poorly-lit warehouse.
Step ten: Find 4 slabs you like- Give list to salesperson
Step Eleven: Salesperson tells you that your 4 options are a) all damaged and unusable, b) on backorder for at least 2 months, c) only one of that kind left, and you need 3.
Step Twelve: count to ten. Twice.
Step Thirteen: Go home angry. 25 mile drive.
Step Fourteen: Find another supplier on the list who is open until 8. Drive 20 miles to that one.
Step Fifteen: Find well-lit showroom with full slabs from each available lot (you don't want to mix lots!), each of which is clearly marked if there are 5 or fewer slabs in stock.
Step Sixteen: Finally enjoy the beauty of the stone, knowing that if you find one you want- you will know if you can get it immediatly.
Step Seventeen: kill 90 minutes just looking
Step Eighteen: Find The One
Step Ninteen: realize that you have no clue how much this will cost you because: the supplier sends their price to the fabricator, who sends their price to the cabinet people, who send their price to the GC, who tells you how much it actually costs.
Step Twenty: Decide you just don't care at this point because you're fed up- sign the forms and go to dinner. We'll deal with it tomorrow.
Much happening now on the jobsite, but I haven't had my home PC up in days (electrical work), but photos coming this weekend!
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2 comments:
Congratulations! What the slab warehouse should have given you was a list that groups stones A-F or some similar categories. "A" being the 10 you have already seen all over town. "F" being the totally cool and most expensive options on the planet. At least you avoided one of my other least favorite warehouse policies: "Make an appointment at least one week from now and when you come back we will move the stone for you so you can actually see it".
Granite = Very cool. Can't wait to see the finished product. It's really sad that the earth produces hundreds of different gorgeous granite options, yet you have to be willing to search all the different fabricators to find the really cool ones. Around here, I take clients to Des Moines to find cool full slab granite options. Glad you found one closer to home!
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