Kenny’s GraniteWorks is now offering pre-cut granite starting at $17.99 a square foot. Pre-cut granite is a great way to get granite countertops installed at an affordable price, however, not everyone qualifies.

Pre-cut granite is only 25” deep so if you have a large island, pre-cut granite for your countertops is not really an option for you. Have an estimator come out to take a look and recommend a better solution.

Kenny’s pre-cut granite comes in 6 different colors. Come check it out while it lasts!

Visit our campus and showroom floor or call for details 816-765-0400!

The Grout has microscopic pores that dirty shampoo and body oils like to embed themselves into. This is the kind of stuff that mold can feed on!

The first step in sealing your tile shower is to thoroughly clean and re-open the pores of the Grout/tile. I recommend hiring a professional to do the cleaning and sealing but if you are a DIYer then we will outline some tips for you below:

Cleaning The Tile & Grout

Go to your local tile store and purchase a good tile and Grout cleaner/degreaser. Follow the instructions carefully to thoroughly clean the tile and Grout. Be sure to rinse off all the cleaner from the surface. It is very important to thoroughly clean the grout. You would not want to trap in the dirt and mold.

Apply a Clear Seal on the Grout

There are sealers that are solvent-based and water-based. Check out this article on the sealers. If you use a solvent-based sealer you must wait 24 hours for the grout to completely dry before applying. If you go with a water-based sealer, the grout can be wet when applied. Both sealers are very good and neither one is better than the other. We prefer to use the water-based sealers and have very good results with them. The clear sealers come in a bottle usually with a wheel or brush on top. Simply brush or roll over the top of the grout line extracting the sealer on the grout. Allow the sealer to sit for up to 5 minutes to completely work it’s way into the pores of the grout.

Now, if you use a solvent-based sealer, you must NOT allow it to dry on the tile or it will leave a haze. Should this happen, simply put more sealer on to reactivate it and wipe it off. Water-based sealers will evaporate off the tile surface. And lastly, buff the entire surface to a shine.

Prevention

In order to protect your newly cleaned and sealed grout in your shower, there are a couple of tips you should follow.

1. Keep a squeegee in the shower and be sure to remove all water off the walls and glass before exiting.

2. Leave the shower doors or curtain open to ensure proper ventilation and reduce the opportunity for mold and mildew growth.

3. Reseal the grout every year to keep your shower looking it’s best (repeat if necessary)

Does Charlie Daniels play a mean fiddle?

You’ve probably seen the Geico commercial and if you haven’t click on the image. Long story short…Yes, it is fact that granite does emit radon. However, the amount emitted is very small.

The Environmentally Protection Agency (EPA) has stated,  “You are far more likely to have a fatal fall from bed than to develop a health problem related to radon in granite countertops.” In most cases, studies have shown that high concentrations of radon found in kitchens has been due to extra high levels of radon gas being found in the basement, the leading place radon is found.

In reality, excess radon gas is seeping from the foundation and soil underneath of the home, not the countertops. To test for radon gasses you can buy a test kit at most box stores for less that $30.00. It is always wise to have your home tested for radon. If you find high levels you can have radon extracted from your home at a reasonable cost. Graniteworks stands behind all of our slabs, helping customers with any problems, and claiming harmful levels of radon gasses will not be emitted for the slabs alone.

The first step in removing moisture in any hardwood flooring is to understand where the moisture is coming from. In most cases the moisture is due to a leak in a door seal, flooding of some kind, dishwasher leaks, plumbing lines that lead to water sources or some kind of seasonal variation. The problem needs to be isolated and solved before any constructive reconstruction can happen. From here the area needs to be completely dried.

With excessive moisture, a call to a water extraction professional should be given high priority.

Not only will these professionals remove water but install industrial fans that will speed up the drying out process. Dehumidifiers are also helpful and should be used below the sub-floor in basements if applicable. This will help facilitate drying of the sub-floor if the amount of water is excessive. Properly drying of a hardwood floor may take a few weeks to two months. The longer drying period is necessary to remove moisture from underneath the flooring. In some cases, with proper drying, the floor will return to its original state with no signs of damage. In other cases, moisture from underneath is the primary reason for the rippling effect you may see, or what is often termed cupping. If “cupping” is still present after a few weeks of drying it is time to begin the tear out process. It is best to consult with an experienced floor finisher who can better asses your issue on a visit.

Moisture in hardwood flooring is not something to take lightly and it’s not recommended that you attempt to DIY. You will spend far less money by fixing the problem the first time. In most cases moisture has spread beneath your flooring over several linear feet. If any moisture is left behind, you will have molding along with cupping problems down the road. Water extraction professionals have special tools to measure the moisture content in the wood flooring which gives a better idea of how much flooring you will need to replace.

Fiberglass and acrylic bathtubs are the two most common bathtubs out there. They are very similar; essentially they are both molded plastics. Acrylic bathtubs have fiberglass backing and fiberglass tubs are made from more than just fiberglass.

What makes them different, though, is the process by which they are created.

Fiberglass is laid out on a bathtub mold and mixed with a gel-coat to create the basic form of the bathtub. Acrylic bathtubs are heated, stretched out on the mold, and then vacuum formed into their final shape.

The final products look almost identical, but they are anything but identical in durability and quality.

Acrylic bathtubs are more durable and more scratch-resistant. Scratches, dents, cracks and holes can also be repaired. Fiberglass bathtubs on the other hand, have a porous layer which allows for the build up of mold and causes the bathtub to fade over time. Because of this color change, fiberglass tubs are near impossible to fix!

Although you may pay a little bit more for an acrylic bathtub they tend to look better and far outlast a fiberglass bathtubs.

Check out Kansas City’s, only acrylic bathtub manufacture, Carver Bathtubs. With 26 models to choose from they can create a custom jetted bathtub tailored to your needs!