WJR Kitchen

8/11/2019 WJR Kitchen

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WJR

Find a local customer cabinetmaker in the phone book, preferably one that also doescountertops of all kinds. That way there is no finger pointing on issues. Kitchen dealersare ordering factory cabinets and marking them up, they have to to cover their services.

For some people, a designer is the way to go, we refer people to designers from time totime rather than doing their work. ig bo! stores are using guys like me and againmarking up their work, or getting it at a low margin.

Regardless, a custom shop will build you better cabinets and get them done "uicker. Findone that also installs, again, no finger pointing.

#!pect prices to start around $%&& per foot installed for some pretty basic cabinets. 'f youwant Kraft maid "uality, e!pect $(&& to $)&& per foot *those are some really nicecabinets in that price range+. 'f you want abersham type work, e!pect closer to $-,&&& per foot, with about one third going into the finishing process.

olid surface, /orian is only one brand, runs from the high twenties to the mid seventies per s"uare foot, installed. 0ny edge that can be polished with a machine should be noe!tra charge. 'f hand work is needed for ogee edges or the like, e!pect five or si! bucks alinear foot. ink and cooktop cutouts should be free, e!pect sinks to run from $12) to$)&& depending on brand.

There are some brands of solid surface to avoid. ad material, bad warranty response on problems, or a history of bankruptcies by the parent company. 0sk the fabricators which brands they sell, and which brands are kept hidden inside a cabinet somewhere. amsungis an e!cellent brand, as is the 3ivingtone that others mentioned.

olid surface sinks don4t stain, if they do that is a warranty issue. 5ost likely thefabricator switched a cheap china sink for the manufacturers good sink. 0n unscruplousfabricator can pocket a few hundred bucks on a 6ob doing that.

7es, there are different finishes or polishes on solid surface. 5att finish is the best fordurability, 8& micron sandpaper then a scotchbrite buffing. atin is 8& micron, %& micron,then scotchbrite buffing. atin brings out the darker colors in a sheet. 9loss finish usuallyis not recomended for kitchens unless you are willing to put up with tiny scuffs whenviewed in the right light. There is an e!ception, -&&: polyester solid surfaces that can besold high gloss. till, a perfectionist won4t be satisfied, but neither will they be happywith granite with its natural flaws.

3ight colors show abuse less, dark colors are a big no no cause like a black car, theyshow every little ding and scratch.

cratching, well we have a couple of tops that were pulled out under warranty after ; -<1years in a home, one bad sink. They look like new, but it was a neutral color. 'n abouteight years of fabrication of solid surface tops, we have had seven calls to fi! a scratch,



and we don4t charge for the service. 't is a really rare occasion, a coffe mug with anabrasive bottom or a plumbers metal tool bo! are the usual culprits. We tell people to takea sheet of 11& grit sand paper, tape it down, and wiggle their ceramic ware back and forthseveral times. =roblem solved.

o, like other materials, solid surface isn4t a perfect material for a countertop, but thereare fewer complaints from customers than the other materials. 'n my opinion, it is the best material available as long as you don4t pick a black, dark green or dark blue.

't is -&&: non porous, uses F>0 approved materials, has a ?F)- rating for countertopuse, sinks can be integrated with no seams or caulking needed, shouldn4t be a charge forcutouts or common bullnose edges, the hori@ontal seams should be nearly invisible, youcan make backsplashes that match or even window sills, it is available in half sheets *-)s"uare feet+ which means less waste and thus less cost, it is pretty consistent so no needto visit a slab yard or worry that someone will cut out the pretty part, it can be bleachedfor sanitation with no harm, common cleaning products won4t hurt it, and no matter what

is done to it, it can be repaired almost invisibly. ?o sealing needed, ever. 0nd longwarranties that truly mean what they say because the fabricators must be certified to purchase the material.

The best thing is that solid surface shops aren4t used to the material having flaws that can be blamed ABh, it is a natural product you know, it is all like thatA. We tend to be perfectionists and the material is light enough to handle that it can be taken out andscribed if needed.

Rodding isn4t needed so rod splits don4t happen, it doesn4t stain or etch but if it did, 6ustsand it out and repolish. acteria can4t survive on it for long, no crevices, cracks, fissures, pores, pits or caulk seams for them to hide in. The acrylic brands and some of the polyester products are CD stable so no fading like "uart@ or some granites. 't is producedin factories, no child labor involved, no mountains ripped apart, no bonded labor used. ?o surprises in the chemical content like granite, no radiation, no radon, no cobalt 8&, no=olonium, no arsenic or lead or other heavy metals. Cranium can4t leach out becausethere is none to start with.

7ou know who makes it and who will stand behind it, the brand not the fabricator.

#veryone who knows me knows ' can go on and on on the benefits of solid surface. 'tisn4t as pretty nor as hard as "uart@ or granite, but it is a safe investment and workers don4tdevelop silicosis working with it and '4ve never heard of a fabricator getting killed from asheet of it falling on them.

Then after years of service, you buff it up and it looks like brand new. ?o other materialcan offer that.

?o one uses coasters on solid surface, but if that coffee mug will scratch or stain solidsurface, it will likely do the same to granite or "uart@. 9o over to findstone.com and read



thousands of granite customers customer complaints, read the do@ens of problems here on9arden Web on granite issues, there is no other material that has as many complaints.3ess than %&: of the market, with ;&: of the complaints.

'4ll sell it to you and make a good profit. '4ll test it first to make darned sure it is a low

radiation level stone first. 7ou will like the "uality of my seams, installation, and polishing, but when it cracks, stains, or etches, '4ll say ' told you so.

't is 6ust a stone, it came out of the earths crust. Cnderstand that and you will love thestuff.

Just my opinion

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WJR Kitchen