Sourcing Granite Slabs.

Before anything happens in the way of fabrication of your granite countertop, you start with choosing and buying a granite slab. Granite slabs for granite countertops are imported from Italy and South America. The granite is cut at the quarry into slabs that are about ten-feet long, six-feet wide and two-inches thick. They are then imported by granite wholesalers, and are sold to granite countertop fabricators, installers and do-it-yourselfers. Thousands of slabs in hundreds of colors are imported weekly... so if you know where to look, you can get a fabulous granite slab for a competitive price. Hundreds of colors and styles of granite slabs are available from which you can select. Ideally, make your selection for your countertop by choosing the actual slab from which it will be fabricated. Avoid relying on samples if you can. Since granite is a natural stone, no two pieces are exactly alike. While a sample may be similar to the slab it represents, the actual slab could be darker or lighter than the sample. And, the variation could be enough to throw a decorating scheme out of whack.

Chances are you will not find or see slabs... or even photos of slabs at your local home improvement store. But, you can find a great selection on the internet. And, if you're close to a wholesaler, you can go there to select the slab you want. If there are no granite wholesalers in your immediate area, the internet is the next best thing.