How to Cut Granite Counter Tops

Understanding how to cut granite countertops is an important way to protect your investment as you install expensive items. Granite is a strong stone, but improper handling can lead to chipping or cracking at the point of your cut.

How To Cut Granite Countertops With Confidence

• Protective gear. Cutting granite countertops will produce plenty of dust and could generate flying chips. Wear gloves, goggles and a protective respirator while making any cuts in your granite countertops.
• Diamonds are forever. To cut granite countertops, you'll need a circular saw equipped with a continuous diamond coated cutting blade. Edges can be smoothed or rounded with a grinder equipped with a diamond coated grinding wheel. Diamond wheels and blades can generally be found in the tool section of most home centers.
• Wet or dry? You'll have to pick your poison when it comes to time to cut your granite counter tops. Using a wet cutting blade will result in fewer chips, but produces plenty of spatter and granite mud. Dry sanding generates a lot of dust and you'll have to take special care when cutting indoors. Generally, dry cutting is preferred for granite countertops that are already installed, while wet cutting works better with countertops that can be moved to a location where the mess won't be a problem.
• A little help. Make sure you support both sides of any granite countertop cut. The weight of the material could cause unsupported pieces to snap off prematurely, leaving an unsightly projection or void at the point of the break. Granite is heavy, so make sure your supports are stable and strong enough to take the weight.
• On edge. Once you've made the cut, the edge of your granite countertop can be finished with a grinding wheel. Several passes with finer and finer-grit wheels will leave a smooth finish that can be polished with buffing wheels attached to the grinder.
• All this and the kitchen sink. You'll save yourself a ton a time, money and aggravation by having sink cutouts handled by a professional granite fabricator. The investment in specialized tools alone will make the cost of hiring a pro to cut out a sink opening seem like a bargain.