How To Find The Perfect Countertop For Your Space

Bad Lizard provides high-quality installation and fabrication design for your stone countertop needs. We care for each project as if it were for our own home.

Are you interested in learning more about countertop design? You’ve come to the right guys. Let Bad Lizard Granite & Quartz be your premier guide.

For starters, when it comes to choosing the right countertop for you, consider your budget and the style you’d like for your home.

At Bad Lizard, our goal is to help you find a stone countertop for your needs and within your budget. At our countertop fabrication and installation company, we work with granite, quartz, marble, soapstone and other natural stones. Which stone option would be best for you? 

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Choosing a Countertop that Fits Your Budget

Many variables can have an effect on your countertop pricing. Your final quote should include material, fabrication and installation that you agreed on with your sales consultant.

We suggest that you consider the following when it comes to your final cost factors:

– Type of material chosen
– Grade of the granite
– Color and pattern
– Preferred edges (eased, bull nose, half bull, ogee, etc.)
– The complexity of labor to fabricate

When we purchase our stones, we get them in bundles of six to 10 slabs consecutively cut from the same block of stone. This allows us to create custom fabricated countertops for your project that ensures the specific look you want.

At Bad Lizard, we provide the following countertop options for your ideal project:

– Granite
– Quartz
– Marble
– Soapstone

We suggest listing out all of the details from design, style, color to the overall theme. Then, let our team do what we do best – install and fabricate a countertop that fits your goals and budget.

Choosing Between Natural Stone Countertops

We want you to feel comfortable with your countertop decision-making. It is our job to instill confidence in your next project. Let’s dive into the difference between granite and quartz countertops for more insight on what you might prefer.

Granite

Granite is known for its robustness and variety of colors and textures. It’s a versatile choice that works wonders in kitchens.

Pros:
Stain, heat and scratch-resistant
-Unique slabs with varying lines, colors and patterns
50+ shades of granite to choose from
-Provides added value to your home
-Durable and long-lasting
Renewable resource and does not contain harmful chemicals
-Low maintenance

Cons:
-Porous material
-If unsealed or poorly sealed granite counters are installed, it is prone to absorbing liquids
-Prone to cracks and chips
-Heavy material

Quartz

Quartz is an engineered stone. Its small crystals bound with resin reinforce the resilience of the material.

Pros:
– Durable
– Doesn’t require sealing
– Low maintenance
– Stain and scratch-resistant
– Wide range of color options
Non-porous material
– Easily cleanable
– Available in solid colors
– Lighter
– Can be used in more difficult applications

Cons:
– Scratches easier than polished granite
– Not as heat-resistant as natural stone
– Not for use outside

Soapstone

Soapstone is made from quarried stone with a high talc content.

Pros:
– Ages well, actually changes color over time
– Heat and water resistant
– Easily repairable
Design versatility
– Non-porous
– Easy to clean
– Low maintenance

Cons:
– Softer material, making it more susceptible to scratches and deep indentations
– Can’t cut directly on the stone

Marble

Marble is an igneous stone with a wide variety of colors and hues that brings an elegant look to your kitchen or bathroom.

Pros:
– Durable
– Heat resistant
– Maintains cool temperatures
– Unique slab designs and colors

Cons:
– Porous
– Not suggested for high use kitchens
– Surface can get scratched easily
– All materials are excellent, viable options. You just need to find the one – that best fits what you’re looking for in a countertop.

Between quartz, granite, marble or soapstone, which material is more of an ideal fit for your countertop needs? Let’s talk about it. Give us a call at 304-472-6483.

Choosing Countertop Colors for Your Home

It’s safe to say that you need to choose a stone that’s going to make you happy – and we can help you with that. We specialize in custom fabrication of natural and engineered stone surfaces for your home improvement projects. Depending on the color you choose, each slab size will vary. With natural stones, colors and patterns tend to be more sporadic. Whereas, with engineered stones like quartz, they can be more simplistic.

What color-scheme goes with the theme in the room of this countertop installation? Here are your options with granite and quartz.

Natural Colors

No two single granite slabs are alike. They are all unique with its color, pattern and overall appearance. It is a natural rock, so the color scheme is from mother nature herself. Granite colors range from earth tones to more vivid blue, green and red.
Quartz has a variety of colors and patterns. This material is made of crushed natural stones mixed with resin and color additives. From white marble colors, to many colors that simulate natural stone, you can get more creative with a quartz countertop.

Soapstone colors range from dark green, gray to black. While the classic look of marble is known for having hues of white, black, golden, red or even brown.

Check out our gallery for more pictures of what we offer in West Virginia’s largest indoor selection.

How to Clean Your Countertops Effectively

There’s a mix of answers explaining how you should and shouldn’t clean your stone countertops. We’ll clear that up for you. Check out our recommendations below:

Don’t Use Harsh Cleaning Products

Do not use abrasive cleaners on your countertop. Stay away from products like:

– Windex
– Acidic cleaners (vinegar, lemon, lime)
– Cleaners with ammonia
– Bleach

The use of these chemicals can weaken the sealant in the long run.

Do Use Warm Water With Dish Soap

Use hot to warm water with gentle dish soap and a microfiber cloth to wipe your countertops clean and damage-free. Wipe away your crumbs or any spills.

If you want a stronger disinfectant option, combine distilled water and alcohol in a 50/50 mixture. Spray on the countertop, let sit for five minutes, then dry until clean.

Just a tip – you don’t have to use granite-specific cleaners. Some water and soap will do the trick just as well!

Becky Sabatilli’s Countertop Installation Experience with Bad Lizard

Becky Sabatelli and her husband built their house 34 years ago. When it was time to renovate their kitchen, they called Bad Lizard. Our team at Bad Lizard was understanding, helpful and patient when it came to the Sabatelli’s project. We were able to come in and redo their cabinets without having to buy new cabinetry or kitchen materials.

“We went to Bad Lizard and we couldn’t be happier. I would recommend Bad Lizard to anyone I talk to. I’m very pleased with their work, their professionalism and how they worked with me to get the job done right. Matter of fact, I’ve already recommended them several times,”

said Becky Sabatelli, satisfied Bad Lizard customer.

Watch Becky’s story.