MATAKA NEWS AND ARTICLES

Six must do steps when buying stone

1. Reputation. Select a company that has reputation to uphold. Word of mouth is everything!

2. Advise. When purchasing stone, the sales staff should have the experience to offer advice, as there may be a better alternative, or the stone may not be appropriate for its designated area.

3. Selection. You should be able to view samples directly from the crates. Companies can keep the perfect sample piece in the showroom, this may not be indicative to the stock in hand.

4. After sales service. Having a good rapport with the sales staff. Over time you may require one or more pieces to repair or finish your project it should be no problem for the sales staff to help find a stone that will match your purchase.

5. Price is not always right. All importers with buying experience buy stone for the same price. There is no such thing as my stone is cheaper because I bought volume. It is cheaper only because it is from a lower grade selection. A high quality block of travertine will have only a small percentage of high quality material within the block. It is up to the manufacturer to grade the material as it is being processed. No manufacturer will buy a first grade travertine block and sell at a reduced price as they have already paid top dollars for the block.

6. Installation. The stone company must be able to provide tradesman they can guarantee, or at least offer numbers of installers that can do justice to your stone.