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Call Us: 716-741-1800

Italian Marble and Granite

Call Us: 716-741-1800

Outdoor Entertaining Areas

Outdoor Entertaining Areas

Your outdoor entertaining area can start off as a dream. With the help of Italian Marble & Granite your backyard can be turned into the private retreat you have always wanted. From fireplaces, BBQ pits, countertops, tabletops, and fire pits you could turn your backyard dream into a reality.

With summer coming up quickly, we all dream of a relaxing place to spend our beautiful summer evenings. One of the best ways to achieve this dream is by creating your outdoor entertaining area out of our wonderful selection of stone. With the help of our amazing staff we can help guide the process of turning the slab of stone into a beautiful and well-crafted piece of work.

The type of outdoor countertops that we can create here at IMG depends on your liking. You are able to customize everything about your granite, from the edges to the style, shape, and color. Our fireplaces, BBQ pits, fire pits, table tops, and countertops are our ways to get your backyard patio looking it’s best.

Below is a list of the most common applications and the types of stone we would recommend.

  • – Outdoor kitchens/BBQs- Diresco Quartz, Granite, Soapstone, Dekton, Geolux, Porcelain slabs/Sapienstone
  • – Outdoor tables- Diresco Quartz, Granite, Soapstone, Dekton, Geolux, Porcelain slabs/Sapienstone
  • – Fireplaces/Firepits- Dekton & Geolux

     

      

 

A Closer Look at Dekton

A Closer Look at Dekton

Dekton is one of the many new manufactured stone lines that Italian Marble & Granite is proud to carry.  Dekton is made by the same company that makes Silestone, Cosentino.  Dekton requires special certifications to work with the materials.  Italian Marble & Granite has been trained and certified to work with Dekton.

Dekton is made up of a complicated blend of glass, porcelain, and raw materials.  These materials go though a high tech process that mimics the metamorphic change that natural stone undergoes over thousands of years.  The result is a durable product that can be used in a multitude of applications.

Dekton Trillium vanity

There are a number of advantages to using Dekton:

  • UV resistant – this makes Dekton ideal for indoor and outdoor use
  • Scratch resistant
  • Resistant to stains, including household chemicals such as bleach and drain cleaner
  • Resistant to heat and fire – Dekton can be used for outdoor fireplaces and hot pans can be placed directly on the surface
  • Resistant to ice and thawing – perfect for our cold Western New York winters
  • Comes in multiple sizes, even tiles

There are some disadvantages to working with Dekton.  The material can be harder to work with for the fabricator.  It also can be difficult to repair.  The material itself most often come in 2 cm thickness.  For a thicker look, the material would need to be built up, adding additional cost in both labor and materials.  Cosentino has just started producing slabs of Dekton that are 3 cm thick, but there is a very limited selection available at this time.  Dekton slabs are also not “full bodied.”  What that mean is that the design on the slab is only on the surface.  For example, a slab with veining on it that replicates the look of marble will only have that veining on the surface.  The sides of the slab will just appear white.

Kitchen with waterfall panels featuring Dekton. Spectra was used for the island and Halo was used on the perimeter.

Close up of Halo Dekton.

Though there are a few drawbacks to working with Dekton, we think that the advantages far outweigh the disadvantages.  We have enjoyed working with this material so far, and are looking forward to many more projects that feature Dekton.

News from the Quartz Industry

News from the Quartz Industry

In light of the current uncertainty in the market regarding the price and availability of quartz, we decided we should reach out with a statement that shares our thoughts and feelings with you.

As many of you already know, there are tariffs set to take effect that will greatly increase the cost of any quartz imported from China.  Cambria has argued that the import of Chinese quartz has been unfair for American businesses.  Cambria’s president says that he is merely seeking to level the playing field for his company.  We feel that rather than leveling the playing field, this will deal a huge blow to the industry as a whole.

In the past, we reached out to Cambria’s headquarters and expressed an interest in fabricating their product.  We were told that they already worked with someone else in our area and they weren’t interested in working with us.  Luckily we are able to carry a variety of other quartz lines because it seems Cambria isn’t interested in us or our clients. We do our best to accommodate all of our clients, but we fear we will not be able to do so if quartz prices continue to increase.

We are not talking about a small increase in prices. In case you have not already heard, the U.S. Department of Commerce announced on Wednesday the preliminary antidumping (AD) determination on quartz surface products from China.  The AD preliminary duty rates are very high, ranging from 242%‑ 342% depending on the supplier.  The AD duty will be imposed on quartz surface products from China in addition to (1) the 34.4% countervailing duty (CVD) rate (or higher for certain exporters), and (2) the 10% Section 301 tariff (scheduled to increase to 25% at the end of 2018)—both of these taxes were imposed back in September.

We feel that we have finally reached a point where quartz products have become affordable for the average consumer.  With these duty rates, quartz will once again be out of reach for many of our clients.  A lot of the quartz that replicates marbles are going to be effected, which is unfortunate because this is the look many of our clients are looking for.  Unfortunately many of the other lines do not carry quality marble imitations including Cambria.  We strongly feel that Cambria’s insistence on these outrageous tariffs will be harmful not only for us but for our customers.  This may be good for Cambria’s bottom line, but the industry as a whole is going to suffer.  We do not want to see our clients and our fellow businesses harmed by increasing prices.

The following quartz lines that we carry will be effected: Q-Stone, Daltile, Corian Quartz, Aurea Stone, Zeal, Colorquartz.

The following quartz lines will NOT be effected:  Caesarstone, Silestone,

To hear more about it check out this interview with MS International.

https://www.stoneworld.com/articles/90406-tariffs-and-the-fabricator-a-discussion-with-rupesh-shah-of-msi

Patio Season in Buffalo

Patio Season in Buffalo

Outdoor patio with SmartDesign Architecture

Outdoor patio with SmartDesign Architecture

Hopefully in Buffalo the weather will begin to change and all the snow will start to become sunshine. With this in mind many people are beginning to plan their outdoor patios, outdoor kitchens, and other outdoor living spaces. When making selections for your outdoor patios their are many things to keep in mind when determine what surfaces to use:
1) The type of stone. Many people like quartz, but for the most part you cannot use it outside. Quartz cannot be used with heat, such as a firepit, and it cannot be exposed to the outdoor elements like rain and sunshine. This is due to the fact that there is dye used to produce the stone and the elements can change the color of the stone. Granite and soapstone are the most recommended for the outside, soapstone being the best material. The soapstone can handle heat the best, where as some granite are too brittle for outdoor use. This is especially important in Buffalo. Buffalo experiences all four season therefore the stone will be expanding and contracting with the weather.
2) Color of the stone should also be taken into account. Black stones can be very HOT during the summer. Think about getting your car in the summer with a leather black interior. Your black granite can be like that outside. Therefore if using black stone make sure it is not in the direct sunlight.
3) Consult your granite sales person/fabricator about the integrity of the stone outside. As mentioned earlier some stones perform better outside than others. Granite with a lot of crystal is not ideal for the outdoors because of the expansion and contraction as mentioned earlier. Let your sales person and fabricator be a part of the conversation when picking the perfect outdoor stone.
4) The temperature outside matters when installing the stone. Certain epoxy and glues only work in certain temperatures. Unfortunately that can mean delaying an install by a day if the the temperature decides to drop below 50 degrees.
5) Lastly, start planning early! If you are thinking you want to use this new outdoor living space for memorial day weekend, make sure you shopping now.

Buffalo Home and Garden Show

Buffalo Home and Garden Show

home show
Recently Italian Marble and Granite had the privilege to work on the Buffalo Home and Garden Show with the Interior Design Association of Western New York. The Interior Design Association completed an entire 1000 square foot pre fabricated home that was staged on the second floor of the Buffalo Convention Center. The home was decorated beautifully by many of the designers and strategic partners of the Interior Design Association. The bedroom furnishings were supplied by Ethan Allen. The living room and dining room was completed by Kittinger Furniture. Italian Marble and Granite completed the kitchen with Creative Storage. The countertops were a white quartz from Q-Stone, a Quartz supplier. Creative Storage supplied white cabinets that were innovative and maximized the space and storage.

The Buffalo Home and Garden Show is a great way to get ideas for your home and see some of the latest trends. Make sure to check it out next year!