1. CHOOSE YOUR SLAB IN PERSON: Don’t choose a slab of granite from a picture, especially not off the Internet. Make a trip to the slab yard and see the actual slab that’s going into your house. There is so much variation from slab to slab and lot to lot (see below) that you MUST personally view the exact slab you’re purchasing. You never know if the slab you want out of the middle of the bundle might have a nice goose egg of brown in the middle that you will hate. Look at it. All of it. And if the slab yard won’t move it for you, for ANY reason, go somewhere that will. You’re spending too much money on this natural stone to be surprised by something you didn’t see during selection.
2. GRANITE COMES IN LOTS: Granite is mined from the Earth in big blocks and then sliced like a loaf of bread into slabs. Veins, dots, patterns and other characteristics of the stone will usually be consistent throughout the block from which a slab was cut. If you need more than one slab for your project, you will need to choose your slabs from the same lot, especially if the slabs will need to be seamed together on a continuous run of a counter. It’s even better if you can get slabs from the same lot that are numbered consecutively. This means the slabs have an even better chance of being identical because they were cut right next to each other.
3. YOU WILL PROBABLY NEED MORE THAN ONE SLAB: Granite slabs AVERAGE about 55 square feet per slab. They generally measure about 9-10 feet wide by 6-7 feet high. Companies that fabricate slabs are pretty good at cutting out the puzzle that is your countertop, but if you have a nice-sized L-shaped kitchen plus an island, you can pretty much count on needing more than one slab to accommodate your needs. And keep in mind, a fabricator will generally cut about 3-4” off the edges to square the slab. If you’re at the slab yard with a tape measure, remember to subtract this amount off the sides while doing your calculations.
4. GRANITE VARIES WILDLY IN PRICE: The rule of thumb is – the more patterning and veining in a slab, the higher the cost. Granite is priced according to groups, with A being the cheapest all the way up to “exotics”, which can be more than $200 per square foot depending on your location. And –
5. GRANITE’S PRICE IS MOSTLY IN THE FABRICATION: “Fabrication” is the cutting and shaping that goes on to make a raw slab into a countertop. Material costs don’t vary from place to place all that much, but each fabricator will have their own profit margin goals. The cost to put a bullnose edge on one slab of Black Pearl for Fabricator A might be 25-50% less than Fabricator B. It’s a good idea to get quotes from different fabricators for the same material and compare.
6. GRANITE CAN HAVE MANY NAMES: If you found the perfect granite online and its name is something like Brown Antique, don’t despair if you can’t find it at your showroom. Each showroom, quarry, importer, and even fabricator can have different names for the same granite color. Try Googling the name of the granite you like plus “alternate name” and see what comes up. (Hint: Brown Antique is also called Marron Cohiba.)
7. CHOOSE YOUR GRANITE FIRST: It’s best if you start your kitchen or bath remodel by choosing the granite you want first. It’s the showpiece that will stand out in the room and set the tone of your design. You can work paint, cabinetry, flooring, the backsplash, and other elements around the colors and patterns of the slab you choose. BUT, if you have your heart set on a certain cabinet or floor, or have to work around existing finishes –
8. BRING YOUR OTHER ROOM FINISHES WITH YOU TO SELECT GRANITE: I can’t tell you the number of people who say “I should have brought my cabinet color with me” when they’re at the showroom selecting their countertop, a major investment that can’t be changed easily and needs to be right. It’s nearly impossible to match cabinet, paint, or flooring colors to a tiny sample of granite. Plus those samples are probably not from the same lot, and more than likely not even from the same quarry, as the granite you will choose. Bring a cabinet door, paint chip, tile or wood flooring plank, or other design elements in the room with you when you go to the slab yard. I REPEAT: Bring your other design elements WITH YOU to the slab yard.

Some other interesting facts about granite: Most slabs are imported from Brazil, India, China, Italy, and South Africa. Other countries that provide granite include the US, Spain, Norway, Russia, and Portugal. India tends to produce the largest slabs with fairly straight edges. Blue and red are the least common colors found in granite, and therefore add to the expense of a slab. And, yes, quartzite is a form of granite with more quartz content and therefore has the same properties as granite.

So the next time you find yourself wandering through a slab yard, keep the above in mind to help you with your choice. And enjoy your new, long-lasting, and beautiful granite!

Hewn from the earth, cut with diamond saws, polished like glass, and shipped around the world, stone makes the most cosmopolitan of counters. It exists everywhere in the world, yet nowhere is it the same. Even from the same quarry, no two pieces are identical.

Stone is extremely dense yet also porous; to prevent stains it must be sealed every three to five years. Its very permanence makes it difficult to work and shape, but technological advances have made it possible to cut and polish stone near quarries around the world, a money-saving development that enables unusable pieces to be discovered before they are shipped abroad.

Granite, the most popular stone for counters, is an extremely hard rock formed by volcanic activity. Its shimmering beauty lies in the crystals of quartz, mica, and feldspar trapped within. So-called consistent granite has the same pattern throughout. Variegated granite has veins that vary from piece to piece, which add character and natural beauty. Emco williams has a large selection of granite to choose from for your new  granite countertops at the location in Sevierville Tennessee. 

Soapstone and slate are much softer than granite but also less porous. Slate was formed from clay on ancient sea beds and generally has a solid gray, black, or green hue. Soapstone, which is composed primarily of the mineral talc, has a similar color but often contains light striations of quartz. Both stones scratch and chip easily, especially on the edges; the marks can be sanded out or left to add character. Combined with a sink of the same material, slate or soapstone counters can create a classic farmhouse look or a sleek, refined look. It’s not generally necessary to seal these stones, but a periodic application of mineral oil will make them glow.

Marble and limestone are warm and soft but less practical for kitchens because food acids stain them readily. Still, many homeowners don’t mind stains that add a patina of age. And marble is a classic surface for rolling out pastry; serious bakers often include a section of marble countertop in their kitchens for this purpose. Marble is generally polished like granite; limestone is often honed to a matte finish

The benefits of granite bathroom countertops and why the question most homeowners face when trying to choose granite countertops for their kitchen is whether to air on the side of practicality or go with designs and patterns they’ve fallen in love with. The truth is, your kitchen countertops are going to be used more heavily on a daily basis than any bathroom countertop ever will.

While kitchen countertops are the place meals are prepared, presented and served; bathroom countertops host nothing more than soap dispensers and hand towels in the majority of homes. That being said, when it comes to decorating your bathroom, granite countertops are not only a viable possibility, they are a creative reality as well! Those concerns for durability you may have for kitchen countertops are simply not applicable when it comes to choosing countertops for your bathroom. Without the stress of needing to protect your surfaces, you are free to choose from any number of colors, designs and patterns of granite to adorn your water-closet counters.

If you’ve made the decision to invest in granite countertops for your bathroom, you can also rest assured that in addition to being visually pleasing, granite countertops prove themselves to be strong and sanitary. As a stone surface, granite is extremely durable and holds up to normal wear and tear with great resilience. As mentioned before, bathroom countertops tend to be lightly used in general and therefore; a granite countertop in your bathroom is guaranteed to last you many years. Granite is also an easy surface to clean. The bathroom is one household room that is notorious for collecting germs and bacteria. Providing granite countertops that accommodate fast and easy clean-up is a bonus for a bathroom in any household! While it may not be the first room you think of promoting when considering selling your home; adding granite to your bathroom can increase the overall value of your sale. Granite countertops have earned a solid reputation for their quality, beauty and investment value. Being able to provide prospective home-buyers with not only granite kitchen countertops, but granite bathroom countertops as well is an added bonus and may benefit your pocketbook in the end.

At the Emco Williams Sevierville location we have a large selection of remnants to pick from for your bathroom countertops. Remnant materials are all sold at a reduced price.

We want to thank you for visiting our website.

Your project is the most important priority for Emco Williams and we want to make it an easy and memorable experience.

Prices are one of the most important factors that most people look at first, this is why we try to make it a top priority

for us as well. We have no extra hidden cost like the big box stores do. Because we are a small family owned company

it is very important to us to keep our prices honest and affordable.

Emco Williams granite countertops are one of the most affordable in the Knoxville area and we continue to bring down

the prices wherever we can.

Granite countertops are also now very competitive will all other countertop materials.

We are now in our 50th year doing business in East Tennessee and will continue to be the high quality, low cost provider

of granite countertops in Knoxville, Sevierville and surrounding counties.

Give us a call and see for yourself , you will not be disappointed.

     Emco Williams inc. is now the MEDITUB walk-in tub dealer for the East Tennessee area.

Meditub Therapeutic walk in tubs will bring back the safety and security of peaceful bathing once again.

If you have been depriving yourself of a luxurious bath or shower because you are unable to step over your tub or you are afraid of the risk of slipping, then Meditub is your solution. Meditub lets you enjoy the luxury of a simple, safe, comfortable and convenient way to get in and out of the tub to those who thought they would never enjoy  bathing on their own again.

Meditub has 16 different tubs to chose from with various options and accessories. All  the tubs come with a 15 year warranty.

Emco Williams can offer you just the tub or a complete turn-key job. We will handle all aspects of the job from start to finish.

We can also provide you with financing using our flexible financing solutions by GE Capital, giving you several affordable and convenient payment options.

When shopping for granite and quartz make sure you compare Apples to Apples.

Lesser quality at a lower price is no bargain.

At Emco-Williams we guarantee the best price ,quality products and superb fabrication/installation for you complete satisfaction.

Bring us any legitimate written estimate and we will meet it – “Apples to Apples”