DIY Maritaca Granite

Maritaca granite is prized for its green hues.

Maritaca granite, like all other granite, may be installed by an experienced do-it-yourselfer. Maritaca granite is also known as verde maritaca granite or verde San Francisco granite. It comes from the Minas Gerais province in Brazil. It is uniquely patterned with black and green swirls and the general green appearance is greatly desired by consumers. Granite is an ideal product for kitchen countertops and tiles because apart from being attractive, it is heat-resistant and does not absorb stains.

Things You'll Need

• Tape measure
• Level
• Roll of brown paper
• Pencil or marker
• Wood saw
• Silicone
• Tile mastic
• Tile saw
• Tile spacers
• Tile grout

Instructions

1. Measure your project. It may be a kitchen or bathroom counter, or wall or floor tiles or something other than that. For solid countertops, draw and cut out an exact template with brown paper with accurate cutouts for sinks, faucets and other items.

2. Research local suppliers of maritaca granite. Visit the showrooms and choose your granite. Tiles may be available in various sizes and you should be able to choose from large granite slabs with different hues of green. For a solid granite countertop, provide your template and have the supplier cut it to fit exactly. Ask the supplier to bull-nose the edges and polish the granite.

3. Prepare the surface. Cover your countertop with plywood and make certain it is level. Cut out holes for sinks and faucets in the plywood with a jig saw. Solid granite slabs usually come in sections and have to be joined. Have someone help you lay each section in place on top of the plywood. Make certain each section is level. Apply silicone to each section to join them up. If done correctly, the seams should be virtually invisible.

4. Install maritaca granite tiles as you would install ceramic or other tiles. Prepare the surface and make certain it is clean, smooth and level. Measure and draw lines on the floor, counter or walls. Apply the tile mastic using a toothed trowel. Place the tiles on the mastic and press down. Use spacers to keep the spacing between the tiles even. Use a tile saw to cut and fit tiles if necessary. Once the mastic has dried, remove the spacers and use grout to fill the gaps between the tiles.

References

• Stoneply: Verde Maritaca Brazil Granite Pa
• Do it Yourself Granite: FAQ's