After finding a marble slab, you may have decided that it would make a beautiful countertop for your kitchen cabinets. However, since the slab is too large for the space, you will need to cut it. If so, use the following tips below to ensure that the marble is measured and cut properly. This will ensure that your marble countertop installation goes smoothly. 

1.  Make a Stencil out of Kraft Paper

When you go to cut the marble slab so that it fits the space, you do not only need to take into account the edges. You will also have to make holes for your sink or any other appliance that must stick up through it.

To make the measuring easier, create a stencil out of kraft paper by laying the paper on your existing countertop. Then, trace the lines and indentations with a pencil. Once you have your base stencil, go over the pencil lines with a black marker. Secure it to the marble slab with tape, and use these trace lines as your cutting guides.

2.  Use a Diamond Blade on Your Circular Saw

Because marble is extremely hard, you will need the right blade to cut it. If you use any other blade other than a diamond one, you risk not only breaking the blade but splitting the marble, as other materials are too soft to make smooth cuts.

Also, make sure you use a circular saw instead of a handheld electric one. The circular saw makes it easier to follow the guidelines, and the rapid rotations from the saw are needed to fully cut through the marble.

3.  Keep the Marble Wet While Cutting

While you are cutting marble, the friction between the diamond blade and the marble generates a lot of heat. If too much heat is generated, the marble may split or shatter, causing irreparable damage to the stone. When cutting, keep the marble ahead of your saw as wet as possible to help cool down both the stone and the saw.

Because you are working with a wet surface using a power tool, make sure you plug the saw into a GFCI (ground fault circuit interrupter) outlet for protective grounding. These outlets are the ones that have their own breaker switch that you typically see in bathrooms and kitchens.

Even when using the above tips, you still run the risk of cracking or splitting the marble while cutting the slab yourself, which would ruin it for your project. If you are not completely confident with cutting the marble, you may want to contact a marble countertop installation service instead of trying to perform the task yourself.