What You Need to Know Before Visiting a Natural Stone Showroom
Visiting a natural stone showroom to select a new countertop can be a very exciting and eye-opening experience for homeowners. Being able to browse through various stone slabs and see them in person is totally different from viewing photos online. With a lot of stone, it’s very difficult to capture the colors, patterns and textures accurately in a photograph and for this reason, it’s essential that you view and select the slabs you want in person.
You may have some questions on how to browse our gallery here at Hari Stones, particularly with the current pandemic causing anxiety for a lot of people. This article will give you the run down on what to expect when you visit one of our showrooms and the steps you can take to make sure you are fully prepared to take an exciting journey into the world of natural stone.
Safety First
Firstly, we need to cover the safety essentials in regards to the global pandemic so both our staff and any visitors minimize risks. At this time, wearing a mask inside our locations is required and it is also now officially a law in the province of British Columbia. If you arrive and do not have a mask or have forgotten yours, we will be able to provide you with one.
We also ask that you sign in and provide some information, such as phone number and address for tracing purposes should an outbreak be detected in our location. We will keep the information on file for 30 days and it will not be used for any purpose other than contact tracing.
We will be taking your temperature from your forehead using a temperature gun. If your temperature exceeds 37.7 degrees, which is considered a fever, you will not be able to enter the store.
Social distancing plays a role in keeping everyone safe. Please maintain a distance of 6 feet apart from anyone outside of your immediate group when visiting us.
We have a hand sanitizing station set up at the entrance to our locations and also in our showrooms, so please sanitize your hands upon entering.
By following these safety procedures, your visit to Hari Stones will be as low-risk as possible.
Browsing the Gallery
We have some of the largest natural stone showrooms in Canada and so it can be quite overwhelming to know where to start. For this reason, it is recommended that you first make some initial choices when it comes to the kind of material you are looking for.
We carry marble, granite, quartzite, onyx, limestone and manufactured quartz slabs. If you can narrow your choice down to one or two of these materials, the selection process will be more enjoyable and stress-free. We’ve written plenty of articles about these materials so be sure to browse our blog to get a good idea on the characteristics of different kinds of stone before you come to a decision.
As we already mentioned, social distancing is an important safety measure so please be mindful that although our sales staff is eager to assist you, we ask that you maintain your distance to keep everyone safe.
Although we do have samples of some of our stone available, we advise that you take photos of any slabs you are interested in. This is both in case we don’t have a sample of that stone in stock and even if we do, it may not be from the same batch of material as the stone in our warehouse. Samples are also small compared to a full-sized slab so although it can give you a good idea of general color, full-sized slab photos will be a better indication of what the slabs actually look like.
Making Your Selection
To ensure you make the best decision when it comes to the slabs you want to have installed in your home, you will need to be able to compare them with the colors of your other design elements, such as cabinets and flooring. If you have a sample of those elements with you when you visit, that is ideal. If not, color swatches can also do the trick to hold up to the slabs and ensure the colors either blend together or contrast in a pleasing way.
Although it is possible, and more efficient, to make your final selection on your first visit, most customers narrow it down to a list of three to five choices. Then, any available samples are taken home, along with photos of the slabs, and some more thought is given before making a final choice. Of course, consulting with family members is also an essential step to ensure that everyone will enjoy the countertop because you’ll be living with it for years to come.
If your budget allows for it, you could also hire an experienced interior designer to help transform your ideas into the most ideal possible design outcome. The best designers have a keen eye for how different design elements can affect the overall feel of a room and also, how different rooms can be tied together in a house to create a truly spectacular effect.
Some customers like to come back for a second visit to take another look and make their final decision, while some don’t require this step and are ready to make their purchase. Either way, the final step is to contact your stone fabricator (the stone industry professional who cuts and installs your countertop) and let them know which material you want and also, which specific slabs you have chosen.
The fabricator will then pick up your slabs from our warehouse and bring them to their shop, where they will cut them to size based on the measurements previously taken of your space. The stone will then be transported to your home and installed.
Enjoying Your Countertops
Once your countertops are installed, there is one more step to take before you can fully enjoy them and that is to seal the stone. A sealer will reduce the likelihood of scratches, stains and etching and will give you some peace of mind so you can relax and admire your beautiful stone countertops, in addition to putting them to good use.
There are a lot of sealers on the market but our recommendation is to do some research and buy a premium sealer to ensure it provides maximum protection.
Stop by one of our showrooms in Canada to get a full tour of our warehouse and explore the available options for a natural stone countertop. Our experienced and knowledgeable sales staff will be able to answer any questions you may have and help guide you towards a slab that will meet all your requirements.
Written by Jesse Day, Inside Sales @ Hari Stones