Top Repair with Jim Heaphy

‘Green’ Countertop Options Are Wide Ranging

2007-04-18T12:38:00.000-07:00

As scientific evidence of global warming mounts, the trend toward environmental responsibility in new construction and remodeling grows as well. Interviewed in February in the Memphis Daily News, Jim Lutz, professor of architecture at the University of Memphis, said that the green building movement “is going to be the issue that dominates the field of architecture for the next century.”

Lutz and his students have designed a home to be built this summer that will be one of the first to meet the U.S. Green Building Council’s new LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) guidelines for homes.

Homeowners today are increasingly likely to weigh the environmental impact of the various materials they are considering for use in their homes, and the visibility of countertop surfaces leads to increased attention to “green countertop materials.”

Solid Surface

Many green building advocates object to conventional solid surface materials because their ingredients are made from non-renewable resources. Acrylic resins are derived from petroleum, and alumina trihydrate fillers are obtained from bauxite ore, which is most often obtained from open pit mines in Third World countries.

Solid surface manufacturers say they are striving to improve their environmental performance in many different ways. The aluminum industry has made a commitment to rehabilitate old bauxite mine sites to a condition “indistinguishable from their pre-mining condition,” according to the International Aluminium Institute.

It takes roughly one barrel of crude oil to make the acrylic resin needed to manufacture the solid surface material for countertops in an average-sized kitchen. Those countertops can easily last for 20 to 30 years or longer, and can be repaired or renovated as needed. Informed consumers must decide whether or not it is unreasonable to use petroleum in this way.

Large manufacturers of solid surface materials, quartz products and plastic laminates used by countertop fabricators, such as DuPont, Cambria, Silestone, Formica, Nevamar and Wilsonart, have obtained independent, third-party GREENGUARD Indoor Air Quality certification, which assures that their products comply with strict standards limiting chemical emissions, primarily volatile organic compounds (VOCs).

New Options

The desire to use a countertop material that meets even higher environmental standards has led to a proliferation of new products that are being marketed as environmentally friendly. These products are manufactured using a variety of recycled or renewable raw materials. For example, at least three companies now offer countertop slabs made primarily of recycled glass.

IceStone is manufactured in Brooklyn, NY out of recycled glass in a concrete matrix. Some patterns also incorporate recycled post-industrial Mother of Pearl chips. The company operates in a renovated day-lit facility and employs a multicultural workforce that is over 20% Tibetan refugees.

EnviroGLAS uses recycled glass and porcelain embedded in epoxy resin binder to make its countertop product called EnviroSLAB in Garland, TX. The material is 75% recycled glass and 25% binder by volume. The company won the National Recycling Coalition’s 2006 Outstanding Market Development Award.

Vetrazzo is another countertop material that consists of 85% recycled glass in concrete. The company operates in Richmond, CA out of a renovated factory that is on the National Register of Historic Places, and it recently received a $1.3 million grant from California to expand its product line.

Two companies are manufacturing paper-based countertop materials. These products bear some resemblance to plastic laminates, but are much thicker and lack the melamine top coat common to plastic laminates.

Richlite, in Tacoma, WA, is a countertop material made primarily of paper derived from certified managed forests in North America. The binder is phenolic resin. The manufacturer incorporates a limited percentage of recycled paper into the product, but believes that new paper offers superior quality and performance.

PaperStone is a countertop material made by KlipTech Bio Composites in Hoquiam, WA. There are two categories of PaperStone: The original is made with 50% post-consumer recycled paper, while PaperStone Certified is made with 100% post-consumer recycled paper, and is certified by the Forest Stewardship Council (FSC). The company says it uses “non-petroleum based resins”.

Rapidly renewable resources are the holy grail of green building materials. This term refers to useful plant fiber materials that can be re-grown in less than 10 years, as opposed to 50 years or so for red oak, for example. The category includes products made of cork, sorghum, wheat straw, sunflower hulls and bamboo. Of these materials, bamboo has achieved the greatest success in conventional western construction.

Totally Bamboo is a company that now offers laminated bamboo countertop sheets in thicknesses of 1-1/2" and 2" and lengths up to 8 feet. The material is 16% harder than maple, and is laminated in crossbanded layers using food grade, formaldehyde-free adhesives.

Alkemi is a countertop material made by Renewed Materials LLC of Cabin John, MD. It is composed of 60% recycled post-industrial scrap aluminum with either clear or opaque polymeric resin binders. The scrap aluminum consists of distinctively curled shavings, and the product comes in two finishes. With the textured finish, the aluminum shavings are fully encapsulated within the sheet, but visible through clear resin. The honed finish, on the other hand, is machined so that exposed aluminum is visible on the surface.

Squak Mountain Stone is a unique countertop product manufactured in Woodinville, WA by Tiger Mountain Innovations. The product is a composite that includes mixed paper, crushed glass, granite dust, fly ash and Portland cement. Fly ash is an industrial byproduct produced in coal-fired electric generating plants. It is a fine powder that can be mixed with cement in ratios approaching 50%, reducing the amount of cement needed to make a strong product. The environmental benefit of using fly ash as an additive is that cement is an energy-intensive product to manufacture, whereas fly ash is an inevitable byproduct of energy generation from coal.

Origins is a 100% recycled polyethylene countertop material manufactured by Yemm & Hart in Marquand, MO. The company makes Origins out of colorful recycled post-consumer detergent bottles. Because the recycled bottles are sorted by color before being shredded into flakes, the manufacturer can accurately formulate and produce a variety of standard colors and patterns.

It can be expected that some of these companies will thrive, while perhaps others may fade away. However, it seems sure that the demand for countertop materials perceived as “green” is bound to grow for a long time to come. Accordingly, it would be wise for countertop fabricators to give consideration to adding some of these products to their mix of offerings, and to develop policies regarding their own commitment to environmental responsibility.

Addressing Buyer’s Remorse . . . 12 Years Later

2006-10-13T11:42:00.000-07:00

In early June, I received a call from a woman who had added a new kitchen on her home in 1994. At that time, she had children living at home and was caring for an elderly parent. She recalled feeling rushed when making the decisions about the kitchen. She decided on solid surface countertops and, without full consideration of the alternatives, selected a top-mounted cast iron sink and caulked, butt joint backsplashes.

Shortly after the job was finished, she saw a kitchen in another home with solid surface countertops. However, this kitchen had coved splashes and an integral solid surface sink. She saw how easy to clean those countertops were. She immediately developed a chronic case of buyer’s remorse.

She called the original fabricator, who told her that nothing could be done now that the countertops were installed – short of tearing out the old countertops and installing new ones. So, she lived with her dissatisfaction.

Years passed, and the elderly parent passed away. The children grew up and mostly moved away. Several times over those years, she talked with kitchen professionals. Each time, when she mentioned her wish to have coved splashes and an integral sink, she was told that it simply wasn’t practical without tearing our her perfectly good countertops and starting over.

Recently, however, she attended a home and garden show, where she told a local fabricator her story. The fabricator referred her to me. Shortly after she called, I visited her home and discussed the project with her. I informed her that what she wanted was possible, but that it was difficult. I was also honest in describing the challenges.

TACKLING THE JOB

I’ve fabricated and installed quite a few countertops with coved splashes over the years, and have used a variety of techniques. I’ve mentioned in this column a fabricator named Ramiro Martinez of Formline Solid Surfacing in Sacramento, CA, who has been an advocate for coving splashes on already-installed countertops. He was kind enough to offer me some tips. All my previous hands-on experience with coving splashes had been on the workbench prior to installation. I was excited about trying something new, but also a bit worried about the challenge. After all, this was really two separate projects – replacing the cast iron sink with an integral undermounted solid surface sink, and coving the backsplashes.

After I inspected the job, I sent the homeowners a proposal. Then began the most protracted series of negotiations I’ve encountered in years, as they asked for additional details, and checked my references, license and insurance. Finally, after I answered their concerns, they accepted my proposal. I set aside three consecutive days to do the work. My son James agreed to assist me.

I was afraid that it might be difficult to remove the double-bowl cast iron sink if the original installer had bonded it down with some tenacious vinyl caulk. But, the sink had been caulked with silicone, which gave way easily when we sprayed the perimeter of the sink with denatured alcohol and lifted the sink gently from below with a hydraulic jack. However, when we cleaned the countertop surface beneath the sink, we discovered that the original installers had cut the sink hole too large.

To correct matters, they had seamed on four strips of solid surface material around the perimeter, plus four tiny triangles at the corners. For extra support, the installers had cut eight strips of plywood, which were screwed and glued in two layers to all four cabinet sides, touching the underside of the countertop. All of this patchwork was concealed by the sink installation, but the seams were very visible now. It was not only unsightly, but the plywood supports prevented us from undermounting the new sink. It was necessary to tear out all of this old patchwork, and rebuild the countertop in that entire area.

Extensive hand work was necessary at the back, since the bad seam there was too close to the backsplash to be trimmed by a router. Fortunately, some surplus solid surface material we had brought along was a perfect color match to the existing countertop, and our modifications were, for all practical purposes, invisible.

By mid-afternoon of our first day, we had converted a sink cutout that was too large to one that was significantly smaller than needed. We then chose to set aside the sink work for awhile, and to cove the splash behind the sink area. The much wider surface behind the smaller sink cutout gave good stable support to the coving router as we worked in that area.

COVING THE SPLASH

Solid surface coving routers have been on the market for roughly 20 years, but newer models are significantly improved. Notable changes include optional dust collection, as well as precise fence adjustments, improved router bit design, and optional friction-free operation using flotation on a bed of compressed air.

To cove an existing splash on an installed countertop, special clamps using small suction cups are required. All the necessary equipment is available from several companies including industry stalwarts Specialtytools.com and The Pinske Edge. Even with all the proper equipment, the process is physically challenging. When coving a top on the workbench, the router operator can pick a work position behind and above the splash, for better control with the router operated relatively close to the body.

It’s very important to remove every trace of accessible caulk from the area of the cove. We used utility knife blades, dental picks, putty knives and thin steel rulers to cut, scrape, tease and gouge the old caulk away. We flooded the area with denatured alcohol and sopped up the dirt and grease. Then, we scuff-sanded both the horizontal and the vertical surfaces.

Use generous, consistent beads of adhesive and secure the strips with clamps spaced every four inches; be sure that you see two consistent lines of adhesive squeeze-out.

Take the time to adjust the coving router so that the bit cuts deep enough – but not too deep. The adjustments are complex at first, but become second nature after a few hours of work. If only every surface was perfectly flat and all angles were exactly 90 degrees, few problems would be encountered.

The router can be adjusted to compensate for a splash that is slightly out of square, for example, but will then be a bit out of adjustment where the splash angle changes.

We encountered some problems where the deck seams had been a bit over-sanded at the wall. Caulks can fill lots of minor irregularities, but we noticed a tendency for adhesive voids and bubbles at the locations of these deck seams.

Finish sanding took more time than we expected, especially at vertical inside corners. By the afternoon of the third day, we could see the light at the end of the tunnel, but still had lots of work to complete. It took much of a fourth day to tweak everything to our satisfaction, but the result looked really great, and I left with a final payment in my wallet.

Later, we received an e-mail from the customer, thanking us for the beautiful job we had done. The e-mail concluded: “Now the counters look the way we always wanted. Thank you again for your professionalism, reliability and excellent work.” That e-mail was our additional reward.

Surface Show Embraces New Direction in Las Vegas - August 2006

2006-08-18T11:19:00.000-07:00

This past March, thousands of surfacing industry professionals gathered in Las Vegas for the Surface Fabrication & Design Expo, which is the new name for what was formerly called the Solid Surface International Expo. The show’s name change represents the shift in emphasis at the show (and in the industry) from a narrow focus on solid surface materials to a broader emphasis that includes engineered stone products (also called quartz surfaces), natural stones and even exotic items such as glass sinks and glass countertop surfaces.

This was the ninth annual show held in Las Vegas, and this year’s event featured the best lineup of educational opportunities ever offered. Over 60 workshops covered a wide variety of topics in four tracks: Business Solutions, Sales & Marketing, Fabrication, and Clinics, which were hands-on presentations on the floor of the exhibit hall.

A THICKER APPROACH

The proliferation of brands of solid surface materials has certainly led to a more competitive marketplace for fabricators looking to purchase less-expensive, half-inch-thick sheet material. With so many players in the market, however, it is difficult for new entrants to differentiate themselves from the pack.

One company has decided to take a completely different approach to selling solid surface materials to fabricators – Eos Surfaces. Company founders Evan Kruger and Ken Trinder don’t bother to offer the industry’s common half-inch thick sheet. Instead, they are dedicated to a different and much simpler way of fabricating – with much thicker solid surface sheets. Eos measures a full 3 centimeters thick, which is just a little bit less than an inch and a quarter. Although

Eos promises improved product strength and performance, its main benefit is a dramatic reduction in fabrication and installation labor. The cost of the shop labor and seam adhesive needed to build up, trim and sand rough edges is eliminated. Because the countertops sit directly on top of the cabinets, it’s not necessary to apply wooden build-up strips to the cabinets. It’s also unnecessary to bond solid surface reinforcements under the seams, since the deck seam surface area is more than doubled, and the seams are, therefore, very durable.
Eos is an acrylic polyester blend, now available in 19 patterns. Eos can be fabricated dry using CNC equipment optimized for conventional solid surface production, or with equipment intended for stone fabrication, using wet cutting for better dust control.

The company has established a national distribution network, and does not plan to sell through home centers. This may prove appealing to traditional kitchen dealers and mid-sized fabricators beleaguered by giant competitors.

One possible criticism of Eos is that it is quite heavy. A 10-foot length of countertop fabricated of conventional half-inch-thick solid surface material weighs about 100 pounds. The same countertop fabricated with Eos weighs about 230 pounds. That may seem like a dramatic difference, but another comparison should also be made. A granite countertop the same size and thickness as Eos would weigh roughly 375 pounds. Although there is significant weight variation among different granites, all are much heavier than Eos. For more information about Eos, please visit www.eos-surfaces.com.

OTHER APPROACHES

Every shop manager worries that, someday, an OSHA inspector will drop by and discover something wrong and impose a hefty fine. To help ease fears, TechneTrain, Inc. has published its “Federal OSHA Compliance Manual for the Solid Surface Industry,” a book that teaches how to comply with the regulations applicable to our industry specifically. This manual is all wheat and no chaff, and is available in both printed and CD ROM versions.

The company also sells PowerPoint safety training modules that smooth the process of training employees as well as the documenting of that required training. Contact www.TechneTrainOnline.com for more information about these and other products.

Established industry players Wilsonart and DuPont are taking opposite approaches when it comes to responding to the challenge posed by granite. Wilsonart Solid Surface distributed flyers at the Surface Fabrication & Design Expo making the case that solid surface is superior to granite as a kitchen countertop material. I remember quite clearly when DuPont made the same argument. However, theoretical arguments are one thing, and market realities are another; no one can dispute the dramatic growth of granite in the upper-end kitchen countertop market in the past 15 years. Solid surface loyalists may not like it, but the market has embraced granite.

DuPont made a strategic decision at the beginning of the 21st century to broaden its countertop offerings rather than rely on Corian as its only such product in the marketplace. The company then introduced Zodiaq, an engineered stone or “quartz surface” product. Next came Simplicity, an economical solid surface material manufactured in China. Now, DuPont has introduced “Granite Certified by DuPont,” available in 15 colors, treated with a proprietary sealant and covered by a 10-year limited warranty. The warranty against staining is for just one year, though. Information is available at www.granite.dupont.com.

Suitable Solutions is a computer software company that offers a variety of programs of interest to countertop fabricators. Among them are suitableFABRICATOR, a suite of programs for fabricators, and Tractivity, a job-costing program. The firm’s latest offering is zEstimator, which is a sales presentation and estimating tool that will produce a range of estimates for a single job in a choice of a variety of countertop materials, such as solid surface, stone, laminate, tile, wood or stainless steel. This is a program intended to help salespeople close profitable sales more quickly. Visit www.suitable.com to find out more.

After nine years in Las Vegas, the Surface Fabrication & Design Expo will celebrate its 10th anniversary next year with a cross-country move to a new location – Orlando, FL. Expect plenty of new products and new faces. Plan now to attend from March 15-17, 2007, at the Orange County Convention Center. Visit www.sfdexpo.com for complete details as next year’s show approaches.

ISSFA Fabricator Training Gets Manufacturer Support - May 2006

2006-05-22T11:34:00.000-07:00

Once a month, the International Solid Surface Fabricators Association (ISSFA) conducts its four-day Total Fabrication Training program near Las Vegas. These classes are so successful that they are booked up months in advance.

By far the most comprehensive hands-on training program now offered to the solid surface industry, Total Fabrication Training is offered at the ITEC, ISSFA’s Training and Education Center in Henderson, NV, a state-of-the-art facility that offers students a real-world shop environment furnished with tools and technology from leading industry suppliers.

My wife and I took a seminar on decorative inlay techniques at the ITEC shortly after it first opened, and we had the opportunity to tour the facility again recently, courtesy of ISSFA executive director Robert Oxley. The exciting announcement that motivated our latest visit was that every major manufacturer of solid surface materials now endorses the Total Fabrication Training program as an integral step in the training of solid surface fabricators and installers.

“This is a major step forward for ISSFA. Never before have all of the solid surface producers come together to endorse a single training curriculum for the industry,” said Oxley, an industry veteran who has helped revitalize ISSFA in the past couple of years.

Manufacturers that have signed on for the program include Avonite, DuPont Corian, Formica Solid Surface, Wilsonart Solid Surface, Samsung Staron, LG Hi-Macs, Centura, Dovae, Florenata, Harmony, Hudson Surfaces, Lion ChemTech and Royal Stone Industries. As a group, these manufacturers now acknowledge that the solid surface fabrication industry ought to operate under commonly accepted quality standards, and that the variations between brands are less important than the general principles that unite them, at least as far as fabrication quality goes. This refreshing display of unity among all major manufacturers is a welcome development and certainly a good omen for the future.

Training Inspiration
Back in the late 1980s, I was active in a now-defunct trade association called the Decorative Laminate Products Association (DLPA), which had a subgroup for solid surface fabricators. This was an early and only partially successful effort to build unity among solid surface fabricators, as well as to garner support for a national fabricators’ group.

A well-known and respected fabricator, Ron Biloff of Lincoln, NE, initiated this project, and I was proud to assist him as co-chair of the committee. Later, I became committee chair for a couple of years. As part of a DLPA conference held in Winston-Salem, NC, I conducted the first solid surface training seminar that gave equal treatment to the four major national brands on the market at that time. During my presentation, I completed some basic fabrication procedures on DuPont Corian, Formica 2000X, Nevamar Fountainhead and Avonite, and each company donated a sheet of material and some seam adhesive to the effort.

What ISSFA has now achieved with Total Fabrication Training is the realization of a vision shared by pioneering fabricators like Ron Biloff 20 years ago, and the result is most impressive.

Course of Action
ISSFA’s director of education and certification, Bill Wolle, is the key instructor for the Total Fabrication Training program. After studying DVDs of his presentations, I can tell you that he’s a natural teacher and a prepared instructor. He loves to communicate and educate, he understands the industry and he has worked with successful fabricators worldwide to develop effective instructional materials that can help turn a beginner into a professional fabricator. Oxley complements Wolle well, with his captivating presentations on the theory of management as applied to the solid surface industry.

ISSFA’s approach to management is based on five key words: “Plan,” “Organize,” “Implement,” “Execute” and “Evaluate.” Following through step-by-step on these essential concepts ensures the greatest chance of success in any venture. The ISSFA training philosophy combines theory, best practices and real-life experiences. Attentive students leave equipped with the tools for success.

The first day of Total Fabrication Training introduces the student to the fundamentals of solid surface materials and the basic principles of productivity. Safety gets a big emphasis from the beginning, as it should in every solid surface shop. Both physical and electronic techniques for templating of countertops are explained, and seaming and seam reinforcement procedures are introduced and demonstrated.

The students work in teams of two, and each team has a fully equipped workstation with the latest tools and technology. Over the four-day period, each team completes the fabrication and installation of a typical kitchen countertop.

On the second day, students are introduced to decorative edges, and the program covers both structural issues and design aspects of edges. Various types of countertop cutouts are explained, with a particular emphasis on the special requirements of cutouts for heat- generating appliances such as cooktops. Countertop support systems are demonstrated, including special provisions for cantilevered overhangs. Each team learns about sink installation options and installs a seam undermounted solid surface sink.

Day three covers major backsplash options, with particular attention to coved splashes. Thermoforming, decorative inlay techniques and an introduction to solid surface repair procedures are also covered.

The final day includes sanding and buffing techniques used to produce surface finishes ranging from matte to semi gloss to high gloss. Quality control is discussed, along with systematic installation procedures. The course closes with a summary of the course material and a rededication to profitability through efficiency and high-quality workmanship.

The shop facilities are neat, clean and very well organized. Working in teams, the students in the program use the sort of production power tools used every day in real fabrication shops, and fabricate actual countertops with donated solid surface materials. Companies I’ve written about for years, such as The Pinske Edge, Specialitytools.com, Monument Toolworks, Andreas Templates and ETemplate System, have donated equipment to the ITEC. Many other companies also offer support for the program.

Next year, ISSFA will celebrate its 10th anniversary. Now representing 878 companies worldwide, its dedicated staff and volunteers can be justifiably proud of its accomplishments.

Israeli Countertops Blend Ancient History & Sleek Design - October 2005

2005-10-06T11:32:00.000-07:00

While my three-week trip to Israel this summer with my wife and sons was incredible, I have to admit that the kitchen/bath industry is never far from my mind. I had to check out the countertops, the cabinets, and the kitchen and bath showrooms everywhere we went.

We arrived at Ben Gurion Airport near Tel Aviv where the ultramodern Terminal Three opened last November. This billion-dollar international terminal was efficient, comfortable and very attractive. A special treat was the discovery of well-fabricated DuPont Corian vanity tops in the public restrooms, featuring coved splashes and undermounted vanity bowls.

A fascinating stop was the splendid ancient Roman port city of Caesarea on the Mediterranean coast, originally built by King Herod more than 2,000 years ago. At the site there’s an impressive Crusader citadel built about 1250 A.D.

Immediately adjacent are the modern production facilities of CaesarStone, which is owned by Kibbutz Sdot-Yam, a communal settlement established in 1940 whose name means “Fields of the Sea.” CaesarStone, a pioneer in the manufacturing and marketing of quartz-based engineered stone products, produces the dominant countertop material for upper-end kitchen and bath remodeling in Israel.

A few days later, we visited Safed, a mountain town in Galilee considered one of the four holy cities of Judaism, and renowned as a center of Kabbalistic mysticism. In Safed we visited the Joseph Caro synagogue, founded by a famous scholar almost 500 years ago. I was amused to see an ultra-modern kitchenette and engineered stone countertop installed in a niche in the old synagogue stonework.

The installer had scribed the trim strips carefully to follow the irregularities of the ancient stone work. It was a striking contrast. The cabinetry had high-tech Italian door and drawer pulls, white melamine interiors, concealed European hinges and epoxy-coated, full-extension drawer slides.

Showroom Insights

I also had the chance to visit three kitchen/bath showrooms in Jerusalem and one in Tel Aviv. Because business has improved in the past year, all four establishments were quite busy. I considered myself lucky that two English-speaking managers were willing to meet with me to discuss the current state of kitchen and bath remodeling in Israel. I give my thanks to Hanan Fridel of Ziv Kitchens and David Miller of Mobalpa Kitchens, both in Jerusalem, for being so generous with their time.

Overall, Fridel and Miller confirmed my strongest impression gained from touring these showrooms: sleek, modern, European design influences prevail in Israel. Solid wood, raised-panel cabinet doors just aren’t seen, nor are face-frame cabinets. Veneered, flat-panel doors and drawer fronts covering frameless cabinet boxes are almost universal. Decorative hardware is contemporary. Large storage drawers are common, and upper cabinets often feature top-hinged, tilt-up doors rather than side-hinged ones. Drawer boxes are almost always made of metal or plastic, rather than wood. Innovative ideas using functional hardware, such as Blum’s Dynamic Space concept, are displayed prominently. Many kitchen displays show base cabinets perched on short metal legs instead recessed toe kicks.

Common appliances tend to be significantly smaller than in the U.S. For example, four-burner gas cooktops are often 60cm or just 24" wide, and five-burner units are often just 70cm or 27-1/2" wide. Most of the appliances are made in Italy.

Since Israel does not have natural gas service supplied by utility pipelines, gas appliances operate from propane tanks installed outside of houses and apartment buildings. The gas is produced locally as a refinery by-product.

Countertop Preferences

Beyond that, both men provided even more insights on current kitchen/bath design trends in Israel. For instance, they report CaesarStone’s engineered stone is the number one countertop material in Israel, with a market share estimated as high as 95%.

I did see other countertop materials on display, including DuPont Corian and Samsung Staron, as well as stainless steel and granite. Solid surface materials are significantly more expensive than CaesarStone in Israel, and are perceived as a very exclusive product. Marketing of natural stone products is disorganized, while CaesarStone offers dealers free installation of showroom displays and quality guarantees.

In terms of other product trends, they reported the vast majority of the cabinets sold in Israel are made domestically, though almost all of the hardware comes from Europe. The industry is highly automated, relying on CNC equipment. Some European cabinets brands are sold in Israel, but their prices are not competitive because in recent years the Israeli shekel has been weak against the Euro. Plus, many of the European cabinet makers prefer particleboard, which Israeli consumers perceive as inferior. There’s a strong preference in Israel for plywood panels, which are imported by Israeli cabinet manufacturers from Scandinavia and the former Soviet Union.

Fridel reports the dominant design trends migrate to Israel from Italy and Germany, with some delay. For instance, if leading European cabinet firms show lots of glass or lacquered doors at the big show in Milan, then Israeli companies will display a similar look about two years later.

Home Trends

Another interesting note is that Israel has a very high rate of homeownership at nearly 80%. However, most Israelis live in what are called “apartments,” which are privately owned in a way similar to our condos. Separate, single-family homes are available, but are far less common than in the U.S. Fridel and Miller indicate Israeli homeowners take great pride in their kitchens, and love to modernize as their personal finances permit. They usually pay cash or use short-term financing for remodeling projects, rather than relying on home equity loans or other forms of long-term mortgages.

Specialized kitchen/bath showrooms still prevail at the upper end of the market in Israel, though big-box home centers such as Home Depot and Ikea are starting to emerge in the suburbs.

Both men agree the business climate at the turn of this century was very poor – a direct result of the wave of terrorism called the “second intifada” that swept the country, which included more than 160 suicide bombings. Business has improved in the past year or two, as the violence has receded. Miller is optimistic that good times are ahead, while Fridel is a bit more cynical, believing that business will be good only if the peace process goes forward.

In the end, my showroom tour in clearly opened my eyes to Israeli kitchen/bath design, product and business trends. I recommend a visit and a tour of a few showrooms. There’s much one can learn.

A Streamlined Operation Can Boost Your Bottom Line - August 2005

2005-08-29T13:03:00.000-07:00

I mentioned in my last column that I was planning to attend a one-day training seminar, the goal of which is to improve the efficiency and profitability of your business. It's a topic that, as fabricators in the kitchen and bath industry, shouldn't ever be taken lightly.

Indeed, this particular seminar that my wife and I attended in West Sacramento, CA in May was given by industry pioneer Tom Pinske, owner of The Pinske Edge. It was one of at least 35 one-day training seminars he'll be giving in 2005 and 2006 all over the country.

Of course, Tom will be introducing attendees to his package of systematic fabrication methods, but by doing so, he emphasizes something that must be in place in order to improve any fabricator's efficiency: the standardization of fabrication methods.

Standardizing Methods
While there isn't only one right way to carry out any given fabrication procedure, each fabrication business should decide on a single such method to be used in its operation, and insist that all employees follow the standard at all times. In fact, the entire package of fabrication procedures should connect with one another in a logical way, so that inefficiencies can be driven out of your business.

To that end, The Pinske Edge offers two different packages of equipment used for coving backsplashes. The router-based system is appropriate for smaller fabricators, and the shaper-based system is appropriate for larger fabricators. While talking about the topic of improving efficiency, Tom cites these two products as examples of ways to do so. But, most importantly, he recommends that you, as fabricators looking to boost profitability while streamlining operations, make an informed decision on the technique your firms will use, teach it to all involved employees and stick with it consistently.

Upselling is another point that can't be stressed enough to you as fabricators, and it's also something Tom speaks to in his seminar. You can succeed in solid surface fabrication by selling the lowest-cost, plain-vanilla countertops. But, as Tom points out, a better direction to take is to focus on more sophisticated fabrication techniques, such as coved backsplashes, pinstripes, decorative inlays, routed drainboards, thermoformed items such as shower pans, and, for larger shops, CNC routing.

Some fabricators may see such offerings as too labor-intensive and not profitable enough, or, in the case of CNC routers, way too expensive. But, before ruling out any or all of these possibly profit-boosting options, take a cue from Tom and his business and the way he has streamlined his packages of fabrication methods: look at ways you can improve the efficiency of all of these procedures, analyze their costs and price them to improve the profitability of your business.
In fact, an emphasis on upscale fabrication techniques will differentiate your shop from your less sophisticated competitors, leading to improved profitability, as Tom points out. Automation is necessary for larger shops, and is, in fact, profitable, as long as the proper equipment is chosen and used in an efficient and systematic manner.

Furthermore, examine your fabricating process from start to finish, starting at the time when a countertop is measured.

Accurate job-site templating is one crucial element in the process. And Tom is a strong advocate of this. For smaller shops, he recommends a physical template made of luan strips, with wall irregularities scribed onto a strip of luan plywood, and then sanded to the line for a very accurate fit. Actual scribing of the countertop is completed in the shop, which greatly speeds installation. For larger shops, he recommends electronic templating – specifically, the ETemplate system, which can interface with a CNC router.

Securing materials properly during fabricating is the next crucial step, of course. If materials are properly secured, then there's considerably less chance of waste. In the case of Tom's system, it involves Power Grips, or suction cups, that hold straight edges and templates during solid surface fabrication, and also clamp deck seams. His Starter System also includes folding, portable work station supports called Power Stands, the Wavy Edge system of preparing field seams for assembly, aluminum straight edges and radius templates. An expanded Starter System Plus is also available. Included are all of the essentials needed by a small shop, with the exception of standard power tools such as saws, routers and sanders.

These two systems are just two ways to set up and standardize the fabrication process so that more jobs can be sold and produced at a more efficient and accurate rate. But these are not the only systems. As fabricators, we need to examine the right processes, and products, that will work with our type of businesses, for our type of customers and for our type of shops. Then, we need to create a systematic package of fabrication methods that works best for us, and yields us the most profitability – whether it's an all-inclusive package or built from different pieces.

Cost of Labor
Another advantage to streamlining fabrication and improving the efficiency of the fabricating process is that fabricators can more easily control skilled labor costs. In the seminar, Tom points out the labor cost savings that can be obtained by doing this in your own firms.

For example, for a typical three-sheet kitchen countertop with a 4" coved splash and an integral sink, using conventional methods, fabrication time is estimated at 55 man hours. Using tools and techniques developed by The Pinske Edge, for instance, fabrication time is reduced to 27 man hours, as Tom points out. Given the significant difference in time and money this example represents, any fabricator should be inspired to take a very careful look at his/her own operation to see where comparable labor savings might be obtained.

I've known Tom for more than 16 years. Back then, I did a lot of introductory solid surface fabrication seminars. At a trade show sponsored by KBDN, I broke a router bit I needed to do my seminar. Tom had only been in the tool business for a year or two, and had a booth there. He loaned me the router bit I needed to finish my seminar, and I've never forgotten his kindness.

In 2003 Tom was selected for admission into the Hall of Fame of the International Solid Surface Fabricators Association. You can find out why I feel that honor is well-deserved by attending one of Tom's one-day seminars. I think you'll enjoy yourself as you learn, and it'll even make you want to examine how efficient your firm really is.

The Best and Brightest at Solid Surface Expo - June 2005

2005-06-19T12:19:00.000-07:00

Nearly 3,300 solid surface industry professionals gathered in March at the Las Vegas Convention Center for the 8th Annual Solid Surface International Expo. Many of the attendees rode from their hotels to the convention center on the convenient new Las Vegas Monorail, which carried a record-breaking one million passengers in March. The monorail makes traveling up and down “The Strip” a breeze. Try it the next time you’re in Vegas.

When I’m at the Solid Surface Expo each year, I’m always on the lookout for new products that may be useful to the average solid surface fabricator. I’ll be the first to admit that my knowledge of engineered stone is not as extensive as what I know about solid surface materials, but I can tell you that the number of exhibits highlighting engineered stone products is on the increase. The show displays everything needed for that market segment. However, based on experience, I feel better prepared to evaluate the products intended for solid surface fabricators, so those will be my focus here.

What’s New
I’m always interested in anything new that Kevin Andreas of Andreas Custom Design has developed. As a repair specialist, I use his solid surface repair templates almost every day, and recommend his template system to any repair technician. This year, Kevin has perfected “The Dust Raider,” which is a special router base plate designed to pick up the vast majority of dust generated in edge routing. The dust collection fitting rotates 360 degrees, utilizing a Teflon-coated stainless steel spin ring carefully engineered to keep dust particles out of the mechanism so that it won’t jam. To manufacture the Dust Raider, Kevin has partnered with Monument Toolworks, the same company that manufactures the “Parallign Seam Leveling Clamp.” For information, call Andreas Custom Design at 845-469-5771.

Another of my favorite innovators is Tom Pinske of The Pinske Edge. I first met Tom in 1989 when we both appeared at a trade show sponsored by Kitchen & Bath Design News at the retired ocean liner HMS Queen Mary, docked in Long Beach, CA. I was preparing to do an introductory fabrication seminar, and had broken a router bit that I needed for my presentation. Tom graciously loaned me a spare.

Over the years, Tom has developed and perfected his comprehensive system of tools and equipment for fabricating solid surface materials. Whether it’s Power Grips, Power Stands, precision straight edges, decorative inlays or innovations in material handling, Tom Pinske leads the way. Now, Tom is taking his show on the road, traveling around the country in an RV in 2005 and 2006, conducting one-day training seminars from California to Massachusetts, and from Florida to Washington. I’ll be at his Sacramento presentation soon. Visit www.pinske-edge.com for details and dates.

Integrated Designs LLC has developed something unique – the solid surface “IntegraFlo-Faucet,” a beautiful faucet that flows seamlessly out of the countertop, eliminating that area where soil and dangerous bacteria occur. The faucet can be bevel mounted into any solid surface countertop. Visit http://www.integrateddesignsllc.com/ for information. “Templamat” is billed as “the bridge between lauan strips and electronic templating.”

Templamat is based on flexible plastic strips that can be fused to one another with a quick-acting adhesive. The strips are stiff enough to follow a wall profile accurately and maintain the template shape, but can be cut easily with scissors, or scribed to curves.

After only six to eight minutes, the adhesive has set up, and the entire template can be rolled up compactly for transportation back to your shop. After the job is complete, the template can be cut up and segments can be reused. An introductory Templamat Tool Kit, containing everything you need to get started, packed in a convenient nylon carrying bag, is also available. I’ve tried Templamat and found the material superior to my previous methods. Go to http://www.templamat.com/ for more information.

Seminar Success
The International Solid Surface Fabricators Association (ISSFA) began the Solid Surface Expo eight years ago, although the show is now owned and operated by Cygnus Expositions, a division of K&BDN’s parent company, Cygnus Business Media. ISSFA, which remains a sponsor of the show, is a leading force in solid surface fabrication training, and is the recognized trade association for the industry. I recommend that you join ISSFA now if you’re not already a member.

A recent ISSFA success is the association’s “Job Management & Installation Seminar,” which is all about hiring, training and keeping great installers. This seminar has been presented several times at ISSFA headquarters in Henderson, NV, just outside Las Vegas. Those who’ve attended are lavish with their praise. This year, the JMI seminar will be presented in Chicago, New York, St. Louis, Atlanta and San Francisco, in addition to Las Vegas.

The highlights of this acclaimed seminar are also available on videotape or DVD, along with all of the written materials in the JMI workbook. Contact ISSFA at http://www.issfa.org/ for information.

Since creativity and innovation remain strengths of our industry, I’m sure that Solid Surface International Expo 2006 will showcase many outstanding new products. Make your plans now to attend the show at the Las Vegas Convention Center next March 16–18.

Something new and exciting will be featured at next year’s show – the 2006 Cygnus Achievement in Design Contest. Designs must feature at least 40% solid surface materials, and can be entered in one of four categories: Freestyle/Art, Countertop, Furniture, and “Outside the Box.” All entries will be on display at next year’s show, and will be judged by a panel of industry experts. Go to http://www.solidsurfaceexpo.com/ for details about the show and contest.

Encouraging The Spirit Of Craftsmanship - October 2004

2004-10-06T11:03:00.000-07:00

One hundred years ago, the Arts and Crafts movement was the dominant trend in home design in America. This philosophy of craftsmanship originated in England in the mid 19th century under the leadership of theorists like John Ruskin and especially the brilliant William Morris, who achieved success as a poet, artist, publisher, social critic, textile designer and interior decorator. Morris rebelled against both the overly fussy decorations of conventional Victorian design and the mind numbing labor of the mass production furniture factories of the early industrial revolution. Inspired by the honest simplicity of medieval designs, he taught that every artist should be a craftsman and every craftsman an artist. Pride in work well designed and well done was seen as essential to human dignity.

In the United States, the movement was promoted by Elbert Hubbard’s utopian Roycroft community, and by the brilliant furniture manufacturer Gustav Stickley. In the late 19th century, most American furniture was overly ornate, covered with fancy but useless decorative details. By 1904, within a few months of the Wright Brother’s first airplane flight, a new modernism dominated the furniture industry. Stickley’s original designs, and those of his countless imitators, put forward straightforward, honest, rectilinear shapes, relying on the beautiful patterns of quartersawn white oak as their primary decorative element. Later, a brilliant designer employed by Stickley, Harvey Ellis, embellished Craftsman furniture with elegant and subtle inlays that still impress with their beauty. Tragically, Ellis died very young.

Until the onset of the First World War, Stickley’s magazine, The Craftsman, was the most influential voice shaping the modern American home. He promoted affordable, well-designed bungalows for middle class families. Home architecture, furniture, carpets, textiles, lighting fixtures, pottery, copper work and paintings all fell under the sway of Stickley’s vision. As well as propounding a consistent design philosophy, he also insisted on the highest quality standards of physical craftsmanship. His furniture companies, along with those owned by his brothers, achieved enormous success. Even today, furniture made in his shops 100 years ago commands sky-high prices at antique auctions.

Although the Craftsman design philosophy faded from prominence after 15 years of great success, the ideals of that movement appeal greatly to me, and offer certin lessons to custom countertop fabricators of the 21st century. One of the things that I like best about countertop fabrication is that it remains one of the few holdouts in our economy against the complete dominance of mass production. Don’t get me wrong – I am certain that mass production has brought great prosperity to billions of people in the past 200 years. However, I am comforted that a few things are still made and installed to order and to individual customer taste. Among them are custom countertops.

By its very nature, custom fabrication requires, on average, a higher degree of worker skill and versatility than does mass production. Regular readers of this column know that I am obsessed with quality control. Consumers expect and pay for the highest levels of quality and long-term performance from custom-made products. If a worker has the mentality that it’s “just a job”, that exceptional quality is “not my job”, and is motivated only by the next paycheck, then the standards of quality are bound to suffer. A worker who is motivated by pride in craft, by love of materials and tools and techniques, as well as by the prospect of financial gain, will invariably produce and install a top quality countertop.

I’ve achieved that level of motivation in my own career through self-employment. In my younger years, I’ve been an employee working under heavy-handed bosses, and I’ve been a supervisor dealing with incompetent or unmotivated subordinates. Leaving both roles behind has been a personal step forward for me. But I know that career path is not practical for most people.

A challenge facing leaders in many industries is how to encourage the very best from their employees. I can’t claim to have a simple answer. However, it seems clear that those who are proud of their work do far better work than those who dislike it. Here’s how Gustav Stickley described his own approach to worker development:

“The raising of the general intelligence of the worker, by the increase of his leisure and the multiplication of his means of pleasure and culture, the endeavor to substitute the luxury of taste for the luxury of costliness, and to do something along the Morris idea that all men shall have work to do which shall be worth doing, and be pleased to do it."

Stickley experimented with profit sharing in addition to wages as a way to better motivate his workers. He attempted to recreate the medieval guild structure, where a master craftsman served as a sort of mentor to younger workers. He found these techniques successful when his companies were small, but less so when he had hundreds of employees. Perhaps the growth of his enterprises was too rapid. In any event, it is clear that Stickley did not find the true key to success in worker motivation, since his successful business empire declined and failed by 1916.

For over half a century, Stickley’s designs were ignored and his ideals largely forgotten. Recent decades, though, have seen a resurgence of interest in Craftsman design and philosophy. Magazines such as Style 1900 and American Bungalow are devoted to the movement, as are dozens of lavishly illustrated books.

Twenty years of hard work with custom countertops have allowed my wife and I to move to a beautiful new home in the Napa Valley. On our way back to California from a trip to the Adirondacks last winter, we came across a Stickley Furniture showroom in Albany, New York. We learned that items of furniture originally made by Gustav Stickley and his brothers L. & J.G. Stickley, and also some pieces designed by Harvey Ellis and the Roycroft community, are still being made in Manlius, New York. We later purchased four pieces of the furniture and a gorgeous Stickley oriental rug. The furniture was made to order and delivered promptly to our new home, and we are delighted with it. And, in the spirit of craftsmanship, my wife and I and our sons are making new DuPont Corian countertops for our new kitchen. It seems that a philosophy of 100 years ago, though once forgotten, can still motivate and inspire today.

Organizations Plan for Future Growth - August 2004

2004-08-18T11:53:00.000-07:00

In recent years, two Korean-made brands of solid surface materials, Samsung Staron and LG Hi-MACS, have emerged as serious market players in the United States. Both companies are major sponsors of the International Solid Surface Fabricators Association (ISSFA), and offer products based on acrylic resins, as does the market leader, DuPont Corian.

DuPont itself has long been active in the Asian solid surface market, manufacturing Corian in Toyama, Japan and Ulsan, Korea in addition to its U.S. plant in Buffalo, New York. This past March, in a major development, DuPont acquired Guangzhou Montelli, manufacturer of Montelli, China's leading brand of solid surface material. Included in the acquisition are manufacturing facilities in two cities that now employ about 400 people. DuPont plans to continue and improve marketing in the People's Republic of China, and share marketing infrastructure between the two brands in that country.

Montelli is distributed in the U.S. as well, though DuPont has not acquired the U.S. distributor. Emphasizing quality products at an affordable price, the U.S. operation sells directly to fabricators.

I spoke with Louie Slape, owner of Slape Cabinets in Muskogee, Oklahoma. His company fabricates and installs several brands of solid surface material. Montelli is its best selling brand, because he says that the company offers good quality and customer service at a very competitive price. Slape is very pleased with his business relationship with Montelli.

In my opinion, DuPont remains the undisputed solid surface brand leader with Corian, outpacing other brands in name recognition among consumers, reputation, customer service and product quality. Inevitably, this has created market opportunities for overseas competitors with lower labor costs capable of producing and selling a good quality solid surface material at a lower price to a different market niche. DuPont's acquisition of Montelli allows the company to profit from this segment of the worldwide market as well, and is another example of the company's formidable business acumen.

ISSFA Campaign
The ISSFA also has ambitious plans for the future. It has launched a major consumer direct awareness marketing campaign utilizing the Internet that is intended to produce qualified sales leads directly to ISSFA members.

The association is working with Everycontractor.com, which will produce a new web site for ISSFA that will debut in the fall of 2004. Using technology developed by Everycontractor.com, each ISSFA member company is being asked to complete a detailed company profile online that will identify every county and zip code in its market area, as well as its product lines and areas of specialization.

The campaign also involves working with the leading Internet search engines so that any end user asking for information about countertop installation or solid surface materials will be directed toward ISSFA's updated web site. There, the consumer can easily find a qualified ISSFA member eager to do jobs in their geographic area, and the ISSFA member company will automatically be informed of that consumer's interest.

According to James Darois of Everycontractor.com, ISSFA has done a good job of education and communication among its members. The association now represents most of the best-trained and most experienced solid surface fabricators around. However, ISSFA, like trade associations in other industries, has been less successful in helping its members grow their businesses directly by putting qualified sales leads right on their desks.

For example, ISSFA's current web site lists links to hundreds of member web sites, but these are listed alphabetically, with no information about the various companies' geographic territory. It is difficult, therefore, for consumers to find an ISSFA member active in their metropolitan area unless the business name is already known.

The challenge is not a simple one. When I typed the phrase "solid surface fabricator" into Google, the leading Internet search engine, it told me that 12,200 web pages were possibilities. I was pleased that the very first Google page contained links to this magazine and to my personal web site, www.heaphy.com. However, ISSFA's web site did not appear.

A second search for the very similar phrase "solid surface fabricators" in the plural listed ISSFA's web site in the number one position. What a difference a single letter can make! My web site and this magazine's also appeared near the top of the second list.

There must be hundreds or thousands of possible search phrases that a consumer might type in an attempt to find someone qualified to install countertops for them. A successful effort will mean that ISSFA will pop up at or near the top of the list the majority of the time, and that enough information about ISSFA will be presented to induce consumers to click that link.

Association SupportEverycontractor.com faces similar challenges of its own. Attempts to find a contractor online can lead to a plethora of competing web sites.

At one time, I planned on listing links to every known solid surface fabricator on my web site, and made considerable progress toward that goal. I grouped the listings alphabetically by state, and then by city within each state. I still respond to frequent e-mails from consumers all over the country asking for help resolving problems with solid surface installers, and do my best to offer useful tips.

Over time, I concluded that the task was too daunting for a small business like mine, and that a trade association such as ISSFA was the logical choice to provide such a service. I hope that ISSFA, in cooperation with Everycontractor.com, will be more successful than I in achieving that goal.

I urge every ISSFA member company to register for this new service. Fabricators who are not now members of ISSFA may also want to consider joining. The organization deserves your support. Visit www.issfa.com for information.

Show Delivers Products For Fabricators - May 2004

2004-05-23T10:50:00.000-07:00

The seventh annual Solid Surface International Expo, held this past March in Las Vegas, featured a number of innovative new products of interest to fabricators working with both solid surface and engineered stone materials. As I walked around the exhibit hall, a number of clever ideas caught my eye.

Lumicor is a translucent sheet product that embeds textiles, papers, metals, natural foliage and wood veneers for a distinctive and innovative look. High performance resins including acrylics and PETG are used, and the product is available in nine thicknesses ranging from 1/16" to 1". Many architectural applications including countertops are possible. Contact Lumicor at 425-255-4000 or go to www.lumicor.com for more information.

Formica Solid Surfacing is offering the V075 vanity bowl in the Nickel color option. Although made of solid surface material, the bowl appears to be made of metal, resulting in a look comparable to an undermounted stainless steel sink, but with a seamless, sanitary connection to the countertop. Formica describes the material as "a unique combination of real metal and solid surface polymers that provides an authentic metal aesthetic with all the benefits of solid surface." Contact Formica at 1-800-FORMICA or go to www.formica.com.

Tower Industries has introduced Lumistone, an acrylic solid surface material that glows in the dark. Under normal lighting, the product is neutral white in color. In darkness, the product glows, either in a vibrant blue color or in an optional yellow-green color. The product is available in sheets, in three different vanity bowl shapes, and in seam adhesive form, which can be used for glowing inlays. Contact Tower Industries at 800-807-8889.

Red Devil offers the Create-A-Color system, which allows anyone to mix custom colors by blending in ordinary latex paint with its special caulk base. The result is high-performance caulk in any color. The caulk can be dispensed with a standard caulking gun. Contact Red Devil at 800-423-3845 or go to www.reddevil.com.

Tool Time
For years, I have been wary of attempts to retrofit coved splashes onto solid surface countertops after they have already been installed. Ramiro Martinez of Formline Solid Surfacing has been trying to convince me that my concerns were unfounded, and has now succeeded.

At the Las Vegas show, he demonstrated his Romy Coving Shaper & Sander and Romy Coving Clamps designed for that purpose. The Coving Shaper & Sander is billed as the first electric sander made specifically for sanding coved corners, and features a special foam pad that conforms to the shape of the cove. The Romy product line is marketed through Specialtytools.com. Visit the Web site or call 800-669-5519.

Specialtytools.com has another interesting product called Templast, which is a transparent corrugated plastic sheet intended to be used for templates. You can write on this product with a marking pen, and it cuts easily with a razor knife, making it possible to scribe to wall irregularities. It can be bonded with hot melt adhesive. Once a template is completed, it can be scored and folded up for transport. Visit the Specialty tools.com Web site or call 800-669-5519 for more information.

When I visited the Betterley Industries booth, I was saddened to hear that Art Betterley, a true industry pioneer, passed away last year. However, the company continues under the leadership of its new owner, Tom Stoffel.

Production shops will be interested in the firm's latest product, the Air Glide Router Base, which uses compressed air to float a router smoothly and effortlessly over the surface of a countertop. Intended to speed routing operations and eliminate scratches caused by grit between the router base and the countertop surface, the base is available to fit various models of routers offered by Porter-Cable, Bosch and Makita. Contact Betterley Enterprises at 800-871-3425, and look for its new Web site soon.

Wesley Tools is offering a new type of decorative router bit that does two things in a single pass: It flush trims a solid surface undermount sink installation, and also puts a decorative edge profile around the sink cutout. The bits are available in four decorative profiles and are paired with matching edge profile bits so that you can offer a coordinated look from the sink edge to the countertop edge. Call Wesley Tools at 800-397-6867, or order online at www.wesleytools.com.

Convenient Extras
Three years ago, I learned about a product called ZipWall, and started using it in my own business. ZipWall is a set of telescoping, twist-lock, spring-loaded poles that enable installers to set up a dust barrier around a work area in less than five minutes. Using transparent drop cloth material, this enclosure will contain the vast majority of construction dust.

The company has now introduced a new line of Tight-Seal accessories to provide the very highest level of jobsite dust control. The innovation is based on the Foam Rail, a five-foot aluminum bar with a soft, spongy edge. A ZipWall pole is used to press the Foam Rail and the plastic drop cloth against the ceiling. The Side Clamp accessory attaches to a pole, and in conjunction with a Foam Rail, presses the drop cloth to the wall surfaces. Contact ZipWall at 800-718-2255 or go to www.zipwall.com for more information.

Turn The Corner, LLC has developed and patented a clever variation on the "lazy susan" turntable, called the Crazy Suzy shelf. Using hypocycloid technology, the three-cornered shelf rotates in an eccentric fashion that allows the shelf corners to project out of a corner cabinet, but pass by the back walls without touching. Usable storage area is increased by 44" as compared to a round shelf. The units are available with laminate shelves. However, solid surface fabricators can purchase the hardware at a significant savings, with a license to fabricate their own solid surface shelf. Contact Turn The Corner, LLC at 800-890-7812 or go to www.turnthecornerllc.com.

Niche Marketing For Small Fabricators - March 2004

2004-03-09T13:48:00.000-08:00

Every business must struggle to differentiate itself from its competitors in order to make a positive impression on potential customers and make the sale. Niche marketing is a powerful technique that small businesses can use to carve out a market segment in which they can excel and succeed.

Defining your niche is a process that begins with a frank assessment of the strengths and weaknesses of your business in comparison to your competitors, and also an analysis of the broad customer base. Once you have identified a potential niche, research it more intensively. Do any competitors now target that specific market? Are their efforts effective? Is the base of potential customers growing? Are there enough of them to be profitable?

Your goal is to focus on a narrowly defined group of customers that your bigger or older competitors don't really want to bother with. Then, you have to focus on their specific wants and needs when you communicate with them, and craft your message so as to convey a compelling reason to do business with you.

Finding Focus
Often, the most difficult part of niche marketing is the nagging fear that you are losing sales by over-specializing. It is important to realize that you cannot be everything to all potential customers. And, as a small business, you have a limited amount of money to spend on advertising and marketing. It is far better to spend those dollars delivering a well-thought-out message to a focused audience than to take a generalized, scattershot approach. When you have defined your niche and decided to pursue it, you have to learn not to worry about lost customers outside of your niche.

Let's assume that you have decided to target the "face-lift" remodel market those customers looking simply to replace an old or worn countertop, for instance. It would be a mistake to advertise in a fast-growing suburb consisting of homes that are less than 10 years old. It would be wiser to advertise in an older, genteel neighborhood with homes built 40 to 50 years ago. It would be a mistake to get involved as an associate member of the local association of homebuilders. Instead, consider participating in a remodeling fair.

Convey a consistent message in your advertising and your sales literature. In this example, you would be sure to use "before" and "after" photos that show your countertops installed on attractive but unchanged cabinets. After all, it is the countertops that you are selling, not the cabinets.

Talk to your customers about their needs, and what motivates them to decide to do business with a company. Emphasize the things that matter most to customers in your niche group. Successful niche marketers offer exceptional product depth in their defined niche area.

Commit to improving your quality and your service, and communicate that commitment and your achievements to your potential customers. Your ads, brochures and Web site content must be written in an engaging, relevant style that communicates a consistent message. People don't respond well to generalized marketing talk. They respond when you speak directly to their individual needs.

Study your competitors, read their ads and their brochures, and visit their Web sites. Have they defined their own niche market, either explicitly or implicitly? Don't try to copy them, but emulate their successes. Chat with mutual suppliers about your competitors and the state of the local market. Read every available publication that deals with remodeling in your community, and as many of the national publications as you have time for. Can you discover an undiscovered niche in your local area that is now unfilled? Can you fill it and succeed?

Customer KudosOne of the most powerful tools in niche marketing is the endorsement of a satisfied customer in the niche group. You may receive a few unsolicited endorsements in the form of letters of thanks. You will multiply that number many times by asking gently for a written comment on your performance.

The best time is upon completion of a job. Inspect the final installation along with your customer, and present the customer with a simple form to sign, confirming that the project has been completed to his or her satisfaction. Underneath the signature line, provide a space for optional comments about your workmanship and service, and mention that when you ask for their signature. Soon, you will have many favorable comments on file. When selecting which comments to use, look for those that speak to the specific characteristics of your marketing niche, and quote those often in your marketing materials.

Another effective tool is marketing to your past customer base. Unless you have recently made a drastic change in your marketing approach, past customers are the core of your niche. Mail a brochure on vanity tops to all of your past kitchen countertop customers. Or, mail a brochure describing the benefits of a simple "face lift" kitchen remodel to customers who've purchased vanity tops or wet wall installations from you. Enclose a discount coupon and encourage your past customers to pass it along to an interested friend or relative. Your past customers are the most likely to know other people who fit the characteristics of your defined niche.

Seek out and develop friendly relationships with companies that offer related products and services to your niche market. Real estate agents often advise people thinking of selling a home to upgrade a shabby kitchen. Let the local agents know that you do that sort of work.

Cabinet shops often get calls from people wanting countertops. You may often get questions about cabinetmakers. Agree to refer to them in exchange for referrals to you.

The niche marketing concept may seem like a clich'. However, a niche is not a rut. The marketing plan must be constantly reevaluated and modified to adapt to changing market conditions. This concept is an effective tool that, when carried out properly, enables small businesses to thrive among much larger and better-financed competitors.

Solid Surface Marks the End of an Era - November 2003

2003-11-30T13:33:00.000-08:00

In my mind, earning a living and working with countertops are almost synonymous, since that's been the source of almost all of my income for the past 20 years. But, it wasn't always that way.

I worked in restaurants and grubby Detroit factories as a teenager. I spent a few months working in a bookstore and, for two years, was a partner in a small record store. Then I spent 10 years as an employee of a large California hospital chain. I'm grateful to that hospital, because it paid most of the costs of finishing my long-delayed Bachelor's degree.

And, I met my wife there.

Then one day, I had a conversation with my father that changed my professional life. My dad worked in the construction industry, and most of that time, he was self-employed, selling either aluminum windows or cabinets.

At the time, my dad was spending a few years as the sales manager for a mid-sized general contracting firm. I was newly married, and I told him that I was a bit bored with my hospital job, and wanted to earn more money. He told me that he was doing business with a well-established custom cabinet and millwork company that was looking for a project manager. I applied for the job and was surprised when I was hired at a salary considerably higher than my hospital job. A little over a year later, my boss acquired a countertop fabrication shop, and asked me to become its general manager.

That company had already been fabricating plastic laminate countertops for 30 years. A few years before, it had also started fabricating DuPont Corian, at that time an innovative new product that was available in a stunning array of three colors. I started learning about Corian, the original solid surface material, before the phrase "solid surface material" was even coined. Sales of the product were taking off, for a variety of reasons. Perhaps the most significant reason was the introduction only a couple of years earlier of the Corian Joint Adhesive Kit.

Revolutionary Kit
In the early days, seams in Corian countertops were either caulked or bonded with cyanoacrylate adhesive commonly called Super Glue. In either case, the seams were visible, prone to discoloration, and not of high quality.

Then, around 1980, the CORIAN Joint Adhesive Kit was introduced. This simple kit revolutionized solid surface countertop production, and made the current multi-billion dollar industry possible. A skilled fabricator could now create durable and inconspicuous seams.
Initially, the adhesive was used to create thicker decorative edges and to join several sections together into "L"- and "U"-shaped countertops. Within a few years, sinks were being bonded to countertops, and innovative custom designs abounded. Business boomed.

Shortly after assuming management of that countertop shop 20 years ago, I directed the fabrication of approximately 80 vanity tops to be installed in a sprawling new suburban office complex for a large oil company. The architect had designed most of these vanity tops with three integral bowls each.

However, the spacing of the bowls as specified by the architect varied from the spacing of the triple-bowl vanity top available on a special order basis from DuPont. The cost of making a custom mold would have eliminated all profit from the job, and time was running out.

Careful thought led to the conclusion that the tops could be cut into three pieces, the right and left bowls could be swapped, and the proper layout achieved with just two seams. The availability of the Corian Joint Adhesive Kits made it possible to cut and reassemble the vanity tops to the proper dimensions, and to make a handsome profit.

Saying Goodbye
The Joint Adhesive Kit was a simple thing. Inside a cellophane package were two tubes. The smaller tube was thin metal resembling a toothpaste tube, and contained 1.5 oz. of tinted acrylic monomer resin. A larger sealed clear plastic tube contained a fraction of an ounce of catalyst, and was otherwise empty. Also included was a loose threaded nozzle designed to twist onto the top of the catalyst tube.

By now, I've completed the procedure many thousands of times. Select a kit of the proper color to match the countertop. Open it and cut off the tip of the catalyst tube. Secure it in an upright position with a spring clamp. Open the resin tube and insert its top into the opening in the catalyst tube. Squeeze all of the resin into the catalyst tube. Remove and discard the metal tube. Screw on the nozzle. Clip into an orbital sander and agitate for 45 seconds on a hot day or one minute on a cold day. Clip off the tip of the nozzle. Dispense the adhesive that allows you to make a living that day. In 45 minutes or less, it's hardened and it's time to rout or sand the finished seam.

After all of these years, I am still a bit amazed at how well the seams turn out. Although I never promise this to a customer, the seams are usually invisible.

Back in 1987, a bulk joint adhesive system was introduced for use in production shops. In recent years, hand-held adhesive dispensers of various sizes have been introduced, saving time on the jobsite as well. The latest miniature system dispenses about as much adhesive as two Joint Adhesive Kits. As for me, I have always preferred the old fashioned kit I know so well.

A lot has changed over the years. My father was 51 years old when he helped me switch careers. Now, I am 51 years old, and my father is very ill. Back then, I had no children. I was sitting in a restaurant two years later discussing the countertop business when the waiter came over to tell me that a phone call had come, and that my wife was in premature labor. My 18-year-old son is healthy, and has decided to work in my company while attending college part time.

The latest news is that DuPont has ceased production of the good old Joint Adhesive Kit.

I'm now using the newer technology almost every day, and it is very good. I have no complaints. But I will miss the old kit when I've used up the very last of them.

The Merits of the Freestanding Range - August 2003

2003-08-29T12:42:00.000-07:00

A friend of mine, who recently went into business for himself as a contractor, called and asked if I would take a look at a client's home and give him some ideas as he began a major kitchen remodel. Located in a spectacular neighborhood, the home was beautiful but badly in need of an upgrade.

When I arrived, the old kitchen had just been stripped to the bare studs. I walked through the home, reviewed the preliminary drawings and offered a variety of suggestions. My most important recommendation was that an experienced kitchen designer be retained.

Then I made a recommendation that surprised my friend and his client. I suggested that they install a freestanding range rather than a cooktop and separate built-in oven.

My opinion on this is based on two decades of experience dealing with countertop installations in thousands of kitchens; one of the main issues I've faced again and again is how countertops interface with cooking appliances in real-world kitchens.

I know that this view goes against today's conventional wisdom in kitchen design that favors built-ins in many situations. Of course, there may be good reasons to go with built-ins on a specific project. However, I'd like to make the case in this column that the good old-fashioned freestanding range is, in my opinion, the best choice most of the time in most kitchens.

Installation Issues
Consider the issue of countertop layout and pricing. A typical U-shaped kitchen often has the range or cooktop in the middle leg of the floor plan.

If a cooktop is chosen, there will be a single, large U-shaped countertop. Most likely, the corner seams will need to be assembled in the home at the time of installation. The middle leg of the countertop will be long, awkward and heavy. The cost of the countertop will be based on the total linear footage of the entire "U," with additional charges possible for the cooktop cutout and for installation difficulty.

If a freestanding range is installed instead of a cooktop, the countertop instead becomes two smaller L-shaped tops. Together, they will cost significantly less than the U-shaped top because their combined linear footage will be 2-1/2 to 3 feet less. It may well be that the corner seams can be shop assembled, and it's certain that the components will be much easier to transport and install. Fewer installers may be needed, and the installation will go more quickly, with less chance of damage. The same general principles apply to most other countertop layouts.

When I was a countertop salesman, homeowners many times expressed surprise that they were being charged the full price for the footage of the countertop where a cooktop was to be installed. This always amused me, since of course the countertop must be fabricated and installed in that area, even if an enormous hole is cut in it and not much countertop is left there.

Now, consider the cost of the cabinets. Most of the time, cooktops and built-in ovens are installed in separate cabinets. The cabinet count is two greater than if a freestanding range was selected, although there will be some extra storage available beneath the cooktop. Even if the oven is installed beneath the cooktop, one extra cabinet enclosure is needed, but no extra storage at all is gained.

Consider also the costs involved in installing the appliances. A freestanding range is easy to install. Simply plug it in, secure the gas connection if applicable, slide it into position, level it, install an anti-tip device and you're done. Usually, this takes only a few minutes.

Cooktops require an accurate cutout in the countertop, which often must be properly reinforced and insulated to prevent heat damage to the countertop. In most cases, a skilled countertop installer must do this work. Cooktops often require installation of awkward clips to secure them in position. Built-in ovens must go into an enclosure with an opening of the correct size and shape. These ovens are heavy and can be very awkward to maneuver into position. The whole process is exacting and time-consuming.

Then there's the potential for heat damage to the countertop. The weight of the cooktop rests directly on the countertop. In many cases, the cooktop is clipped or clamped to the countertop. In contrast, the floor supports the weight of a freestanding range, and it is normally isolated from the countertop by a small air gap. It is, therefore, inevitable that there is far greater heat transfer from a cooktop into the countertop than from a freestanding range into the countertop. Countertop heat damage is vastly more common with cooktops than with freestanding ranges. I deal with such problems several times a week. They are a significant source of consumer dissatisfaction with kitchen remodels.

Looking ahead consider, too, the possibility of future appliance replacement. A surprisingly large percentage of consumers are dissatisfied with their appliance selection, and consider a change after only a few years. Or the appliance may need to be replaced due to failure, and the consumer may wish to try a different unit, hoping that it will prove more reliable.

It's usually very simple to replace a freestanding range. In general, any 30" range will fit into a 30" range space, and any 36" range will fit into a 36" space. There are dozens of models available, without worrying about fit.

In contrast, there are immense variations in the cutout sizes for cooktops and ovens, and these dimensions can be critical. Dimension problems may make use of a given appliance impractical, or may create additional expense for cabinet or countertop modifications.

Consumers often experience sticker shock when pricing a top-of-the-line freestanding range. When making the final decision, though, it is necessary to look at all of the costs associated with the alternative of built-in cooking appliances. When you add the costs of a good cooktop and built-in oven, plus the additional countertop, cabinet and installation expenses, that fancy range can end up looking like a real bargain.

Show Highlights Fabrication Products - May 2003

2003-05-22T12:23:00.000-07:00

The sixth annual solid surface trade show was held at the Mandalay Bay resort in Las Vegas this past February. The show displayed the maturity of the solid surface fabrication industry as well as the increasing visibility of the engineered stone segment.

An amazing 20 manufacturers of solid surface materials displayed their wares, all hoping to capture a segment of the multi-billion dollar market. Six companies, ranging from small start-ups to one of the world's largest multi-national corporations, displayed engineered stone products.

Along with the range of engineered stone products on display were a wide variety of machine tools designed to fabricate engineered stone. Many of these machines have been around for a long time, and are common in the stone fabrication industry.

One distinctive machine stood out, though. My old friends at Auto V-grooving, Inc. have introduced a remarkable innovation the ST-SS-2-FT, a single machine capable of V-grooving natural stone, engineered stone and solid surface materials, all without water and with excellent dust collection capabilities. The V-grooving concept involves precise cutting of the backside of the sheet, allowing a mitered edge piece to be folded into place, hinged by a piece of plastic strapping tape, for rapid and accurate edge fabrication. Significant labor savings are possible.

I first wrote about V-grooving technology in 1994, and the procedure has proven to be an effective technique for rapid processing of solid surface materials. For information, visit www.vgrooving.com.

Industry Changes
Two well-known brand names in the solid surface industry, Fountainhead and Surell, are being phased out, though they will live on under another name. The Formica Corporation has owned both brands in recent years.

Formica plans to market both product offerings under the name of Formica Solid Surfacing. Manufactured in the former Fountainhead factory in Odenton, MD, the product features a reformulated resin mix that Formica says will improve its performance.

Fabricators interested in thermoforming solid surface materials now have the option of purchasing a sophisticated press made in Spain for that purpose. The Global membrane press utilizes a silicone rubber blanket and a vacuum pump to form the heated solid surface material precisely and rapidly. This press can also be used for laminating curved and layered architectural wood components. The company points out that many solid surface fabricators also do architectural woodwork, and may find such a dual use machine worthwhile. Global Ecotherm preheating tables are also available from the manufacturer, Nabuurs Developing S.L., which is located in Valencia, Spain. More information is available at www.nabuurs.com.

One trade association representing some companies in the solid surface industry is reorganizing. What was once the International Cast Polymer Association (ICPA) is now called the International Cast Polymer Alliance, and is affiliated with the Composite Fabricators Association (CFA), a large trade group representing businesses involved with fiberglass and related products.

I remember the ICPA when it was called the Cultured Marble Institute. I spoke at the association's convention in New Orleans quite a few years ago, when some of its members began manufacturing solid surface materials, and were in need of fabrication advice. George Bush was president back then, and the United States was preparing to go to war with Iraq. It seems that some things never change.

The ICPA held a first ever joint meeting with the International Solid Surface Fabricators Association in Florida last November, presaging more communication and cooperation between the two most significant trade associations serving the solid surface industry. For more information on ICPA, visit www.icpa-hq.org. For more information on CFA, go to www.cfa-hq.org.

Router Systems
Art Betterley Enterprises has offered specialized router systems to countertop fabricators for decades. The venerable Betterley Coving Router, which came on the market almost 20 years ago, was the first practical method for creating coved backsplashes on solid surface countertops.

Using joint adhesive, the fabricator assembles three pieces of solid surface material into a stair step detail at the intersection of the backsplash and the countertop deck. The angled base plate allows the router to machine a smooth cove into the stepped area.

In its original design, this router used a core box router bit with a very long shank. Betterley now provides an improved router bit for this application. Instead of a bit with a spherical head, the new bit has a modified cone shape that creates a cleaner machined surface in the coved area. The top edges of the flutes are rounded slightly to prevent tiny steps in the deck or splash.

Another Betterley innovation is the sink hole cutout tool. This is a router attachment used when trimming around the sink cutout of a solid surface sink that has been undermounted beneath a solid surface countertop. The innovation is that the guide bearing is not connected to the router bit. Instead, it is mounted on a side arm attached to the router base plate. This arm is attached to a large ball bearing that allows the entire assembly to rotate freely about the base plate as the router travels around the sink cutout. The benefit is that there is no chance of the guide bearing failing at high RPMs, since it is not attached to the router bit and does not rotate on its own. Accordingly, the risk of damage to the sink is minimized.

Betterley is an old-fashioned company that still doesn't have a Web site. For more information, call Betterley at 1-800-871-7516.

Teaching Clients Care for Countertops - March 2003

2003-03-20T14:36:00.000-08:00

I was once a salesman, so I understand the temptation to exaggerate the benefits of a product.

Solid surface countertops are a pleasure to sell, because they have many truly outstanding characteristics. However, they are not perfect that's pretty much because nothing that human beings make is perfect. Although durable, solid surface countertops are not indestructible. Although easy to care for, they're not completely maintenance free.

The key to a successful customer relationship, in the kitchen and bath industry or any industry, is to explain the benefits of a product with honest enthusiasm, without creating unrealistic expectations. Unfortunately, I have all too often met consumers who were misled during the sales process about the attributes of a solid surface countertop.

The issue of heat resistance is a significant example. It's true that solid surface materials are more heat-resistant than plastic laminates, which bubble and char relatively easily. However, this does not mean that consumers can safely disregard the possibility that heat could damage a solid surface countertop and it's wrong to create this impression in a consumer's mind. Consumers often want to know whether or not they can put a hot pot on their countertop.

The honest answer is, "It depends."

For example, a small saucepan containing boiling water placed on a solid surface countertop is unlikely to cause damage. However, a large kettle full of very hot cooking oil almost certainly would cause damage. The higher the temperature and the greater the mass of the object, the more likely it is that damage will occur. Therefore, the safe answer is to recommend against putting any hot pot directly onto the surface of the countertop.

DAMAGE BY HEAT
How does heat damage a countertop? In my experience, there are three types of damage that can occur, and one or more may be present in any given case.

First of all, rapid, intense heating of a relatively small area can cause discoloration, which is seen as whitening and may be accompanied by surface irregularity. A common cause is placing the edge of a tilted hot pot onto the countertop to steady it.

Next, prolonged overheating of larger areas can lead to thermoforming, which results in warping, rippling or sagging of the countertop surface. Causes may include unprotected use of portable electric appliances, such as electric frying pans, or placing a hot roasting pan onto a towel on the countertop.

Finally, heat can cause cracks because the heated area expands while surrounding cool areas do not. The result is a buildup of internal stresses that may be relieved by cracking.All this damage can be repaired, although significant damage requires many hours of skilled labor to correct completely. The good news is that the vast majority of consumers who own solid surface countertops never experience any heat damage.

Consumers should be educated about how to avoid heat damage. The guidelines are fairly simple:

Hot pots should never be placed directly onto a countertop, or into a solid surface sink. Instead, hot pots should be placed onto an unused burner, or onto a solid trivet with rubber feet.

Portable appliances should be used with caution. This includes electric frying pans, deep fat fryers, portable woks, crock pots and the like. Such appliances should only be used on solid trivets with rubber feet. (Toasters and coffee pots do not generate enough heat to cause problems, in my experience.)

Consumers are more often than not surprised that portable appliances can cause problems, pointing out that their favorite such appliance is elevated on feet. However, the fact is that these appliances radiate an enormous amount of heat down onto the surface of the countertop, unless they're used on a solid trivet.

Pouring large amounts of boiling water into a solid surface sink can cause rapid expansion, leading to cracks. The solution is to run cold water into the sink while pouring the boiling water. This will cool things down enough to eliminate the risk of cracking.

Heat damage adjacent to ranges and cooktops is also a risk, most often seen as cracks in corners or adjacent to the largest burners. Consumers should always use vent hoods or downdraft fans while cooking, as the constant air flow will help moderate hot spots.

Oversized pots that cantilever past the edge of the range or cooktop can also radiate excessive heat down into the countertop. This should be avoided whenever possible.

Similarly, pots should not be allowed in close proximity to a backsplash. High output "power burners" should be used sparingly, only as needed for rapid heating. Once the pan has reached the proper cooking temperature, the heat setting should be reduced to prevent overheating.

CUTS AND ABRASIONS
Consumers who are informed of the reasonable precautions I've detailed above are unlikely to experience countertop heat damage. However, day-to-day wear and tear can result in unsightly scratches and abrasions. A variety of simple precautions will minimize this risk.

Most basic is the routine use of cutting boards for all cutting and chopping operations. Consumers who do this can expect to enjoy decades of daily use with a minimum of scratches.

However, there are other ways that a countertop can be scratched. For instance, if a sharp object, such as a tiny pebble or scrap of metal, is left on a countertop, and then a large heavy object is placed on top of it and is then slid about, a scratch will result. Fortunately, an hour or two of skilled labor can eliminate all such scratches, restoring the countertop to "like-new" condition.

Solid surface sinks can also be stained by coffee, tea and other intensely colored foods. Fortunately, scrubbing with scouring powder removes most such stains. Personally, I find a product called Soft Scrub with Bleach to be particularly effective and convenient. For more persistent stains, consumers can fill the sink a few inches deep with a solution of half water and half liquid laundry bleach, and allow it to soak for 15 minutes, swabbing the sides of the sink with the bleach solution from time to time. The appearance will improve dramatically.

Another significant maintenance concern is the caulked joint between the horizontal countertop surface and a separate "butt-joint" backsplash. Strictly speaking, this is not a problem with the solid surface material itself, but rather with the sealant used.

Consumers should be advised to avoid vigorous scrubbing of the caulk, as this will cause it to fail sooner. Instead, the area can be flushed with a solution of half bleach and half water, rinsed, and then wiped dry gently.

If recaulking is needed, careful preparation is the key to success. The old caulk should be carefully removed to the extent practical with a razor blade knife, and the area should be flushed with denatured alcohol to disinfect it, and allowed to dry before application of the new caulk. I recommend using 100% silicone sealant with a mildew-resistant additive, and excess smears of uncured silicone can be cleaned up with paper towels moistened with denatured alcohol.

The best and most profitable solution to these problems with caulked splashes is to encourage consumers to upgrade to coved splashes, which require far less maintenance. I've heard many complaints about caulked splashes, but I've never heard a consumer express regret for upgrading to coved splashes.

The precautions and procedures I've recommended are reasonable and easy. Always provide customers with a copy of the maintenance brochure published by the manufacturer of the solid surface material. If you incorporate these concepts into your sales presentations, your customers will be that much more likely to be satisfied with their beautiful countertops for many years to come.

Jim Heaphy, who was among the first people in the industry to urge solid surface fabricators to organize into a trade association, started his own company, Heaphy Associates, in 1993. Heaphy Associates provides warranty service on a major brand of solid surface material in the northern California area. Heaphy himself is a member of the International Solid Surface Fabricators Association. He has been active in the countertop industry for 17 years, and has written this column about countertop fabrication in Kitchen & Bath Design News for more than 13 years. In addition, he has conducted training seminars on countertop fabrication to thousands of students across the United States.

Innovative Uses for Solid Surfaces - December 2002

2002-12-09T09:59:00.000-08:00

Kitchen countertops, bath vanities and tub/shower enclosures are the best known applications for solid surface materials, and these account for the vast majority of residential sales. However, these are by no means the only possibilities for use of solid surface in the home.

Other, less commonly found uses of solid surface can complement the expected uses in ways that create a distinctive image that will help set your company apart from your more mundane competitors. These can then be incorporated into your marketing literature, put on your Web site and worked into your showroom design.

The elegance and versatility of solid surface materials makes them particularly suited to such innovative applications. And, skillful salesmanship can transform such creative ideas into profitable sales opportunities.

The Possibilities
An obvious, but often overlooked, possibility is a tabletop intended to be used somewhere near the kitchen, whether in a breakfast nook or in a separate dining room. If the space is immediately adjacent to the kitchen, the color and/or edge detail of such a tabletop can match the kitchen countertops. If the space is clearly separated from the kitchen, as in the case of a dining room, you may choose to adopt a different style or color scheme to help make it clear that the room is more than just an extension of the kitchen. In either case, a homeowner who is already sold on solid surface materials for kitchen countertops is also likely to want a tabletop made of the same material. Don't forget to ask.

Other work surface possibilities include desktops in the home office, as well as tops for dressers, hutches and sideboards. Consider the humble window sill, especially when confronted with such issues as the uninspiring appearance of the usual painted wood and long-term maintenance problems due to exposure to intense sunlight, dramatic temperature changes and condensation. Solid surface materials are an outstanding performer in this application, and are installed quite often in kitchen windows to match the countertops. Why not create solid surface window sills for any and every room of the home? What could intrigue the eye and perform better than windows in an elegant master suite finished with sills in a bold granite-patterned solid surface material, rather than the expected antique white paint on wood?

When remodeling a bath that had badly rusted metal shelves in the medicine cabinet, I replaced them with slabs of solid surface material for a distinctive look free of maintenance problems.

And, have you ever considered installing a fireplace mantle made out of solid surface materials? The elaborate molded-edge profiles of classical fireplace designs are easy to duplicate. However, I don't recommend these materials for a hearth that will be exposed to hot embers.

A Common Practice
It's also common practice to give a kitchen countertop buyer a cutting board made out of scrap solid surface material left over from the fabrication. Typically cut into a simple rectangle, such an item attracts little attention. Then I got the idea of making cheese serving boards shaped just like a map of my home state of California, which is America's largest cheese producer. Those of you who live in Wisconsin could try a similar item, although Colorado and Wyoming residents might find little recognition for their efforts.

My California cheese boards gained enthusiastic attention, so I later took the concept overseas when my wife and I hosted a fundraising dinner with an Italian theme. I cut a large piece of solid surface material into the distinctive boot shape of Italy, along with the islands of Sicily and Sardinia. We used it to serve appetizers before dinner, to the great interest and enjoyment of our guests.

If you have skill in thermoforming, you may want to try molding solid surface material into a bowl shape. A shallow, two-piece mold will be required, and each mold half can be lathe-turned. The resulting bowl blank can also be turned on the lathe, to smooth it and define its details. The result is a beautiful decorative bowl than can be used for displaying fruit. The bowl can hold a cactus garden or bonsai trees, or it can be filled with attractive rocks and a small water pump to function as a table fountain.

Jewelry boxes are another elegant possibility. I designed one with inlaid hearts in red and pink for Valentine's Day, which rests atop my wife's dresser.

A number of years ago, I participated in a dinner for roughly 100 architects and interior designers, intended to promote innovative uses of solid surface materials. I designed a simple sculpture, consisting of six little lathe-turned columns and an archway. It was reminiscent of the facade of a Greek temple, and when assembled in a dozen copies, served as centerpieces on the tables and as conversation pieces during the dinner.

I've kept one of these sculptures in the dining room of my home ever since. As a child, I hoped to become an excellent chess player and gain fluency in a foreign language. Unfortunately, I am only a mediocre chess player, and the less said about my foreign language skills, the better. However, I have designed and built beautiful chess boards out of solid surface materials over the years. In addition to the two contrasting colors used for the playing surface, I usually incorporate at least two additional colors into a decorative edge border. I've seen hundreds of prospective customers run their fingers lovingly over the chessboards I've created.

To help promote my business, I've donated quite a few of these chessboards to charity auctions, and have been honored by the favorable comments they attract.

After you've taken the time to develop some innovative applications for solid surface materials, be sure to have your sales staff propose some of them to customers after that lucrative kitchen countertop sale has been made. With a little effort, you can add profit to the sale, and add the pride that comes from sending your creative efforts out into the world. Both your reputation and your bottom line will benefit.

In Search of a 'No-Problem' Cooktop - October 2002

2002-10-06T15:43:00.000-07:00

Over the years, I have removed or installed at least 1,000 cooktops. There are some models that I've seen dozens of times, and others I've only run across once or twice. Some are a breeze to install and some involve a lengthy struggle. Some seem prone to causing countertop problems, while others seem relatively "countertop friendly."

It's been my experience that cooktops are the most problematic of kitchen appliances at least as they affect countertops. It seems that few, if any, cooktop designers have paid any attention to trends in kitchen countertops in the past 20 years, and they seem to assume that every consumer has a basic plastic laminate countertop.

In this month's column, I'd like to elaborate on some of the specific aspects of cooktop design that distinguish a well designed cooktop from a poorly designed one, based on my experience.

FLANGES
Countertop installers love cooktops with wide flanges. A cooktop with a wide flange allows a certain tolerance for error in cutting the hole in the countertop. The opening can be oversized a bit to move the edge of the countertop away from the heat. The radius in each corner can be increased, resulting in improved countertop crack resistance.

On the other hand, cooktops with narrow flanges are nothing but a royal pain. A 1"-wide flange or less is truly aggravating. The opening must be cut with absolute precision. The slightest error is a disaster. Each corner is cut with a tiny radius, increasing the risk of countertop cracking.

What do you call the part of the cooktop that fits into the opening in the countertop? I've heard it called the "box" and I've heard it called the "can." Whatever it's called, it's the ugly, industrial part of the cooktop and is never seen by the homeowner once the installation is complete.

Some are made out of flat pieces of sheet metal, bent and spot welded to shape. This production technique results in a structure with square, sharp corners. This is quite common, but not a good design, in my experience. The result is a jagged assembly that may well chip or scratch the countertop during installation.

Another technique is to use a single piece of sheet metal, formed into a tub shape with nicely rounded corners. This is a much better design that's less likely to damage the countertop, and which lends itself to large radiused corners on the cooktop cutout, which improves crack resistance.

COOKTOP FASTENERSA related issue is the variety of fasteners, bolts and tabs that often protrude from the bottom and sides of a cooktop. Often, these are sharp and can gouge or scratch a countertop if a heavy, awkward cooktop slips a bit during installation. In addition, they can easily cut the installer's hands while the cooktop is being placed in its final position. I have the scars to prove that point.

Thoughtful product designers take precautions to avoid a bristling array of fasteners on the underside of the cooktop.

Although most cooktops are installed with an overhead vent fan in a hood above, downdraft vent fans installed in the base cabinet behind cooktops are increasingly common. In order to accommodate these downdraft fans, cooktops should not be overly deep in the front-to-back dimension. If they are, an installer is forced to shoehorn the two hefty appliances into a standard-depth cabinet. The result is extensive cabinet surgery and dangerously narrow strips of countertop in front of and behind the cooktop/downdraft fan combination.

Cooktop hold-down clips are one of my real pet peeves. Some require that installers maneuver tiny slotted screws while working upside down, with gravity conspiring against us. Others have sharp points seemingly designed to start cracks in countertop materials. Other clips clamp to certain thicker countertops, but are worthless with thinner solid surface countertops unless a shim block is added. Factor in a fixed shelf screwed into the cooktop base cabinet, and the installer must double as a contortionist.

HEAT TRANSFER
Rarely do I see a cooktop that incorporates any features intended to reduce heat transfer into the countertop and surrounding cabinet surfaces. It's frightening, but not that uncommon, to see charred wood after removing a cooktop.

Perhaps the best such design is the glass-top unit with foam tape around the underside of the flange. However, this seems to be a method of cushioning the fragile glass top, and any heat protective effect is merely a happy coincidence. Obvious design innovations incorporating space age insulating materials could eliminate the direct steel to countertop contact that all too often transfers excessive heat. After all, the goal is to cook the food, not the countertop, right?

I often hear consumer complaints about cooktops. High on the complaint list are burners that don't allow a pan to sit level. Another consumer gripe is colored surfaces that fail and flake off when exposed to heat. It should go without saying that a decorative color coat on a cooktop should be exceptionally heat resistant. All too often, though, they aren't. Electric ignitors on gas cooktops fail surprisingly often. Consumers resent having to light a match for burner #2, when burners #1, #3 and #4 light on their own.

When I stroll through the aisles of an appliance dealer, I'm amazed at how cheap an entry-level cooktop is, and how expensive an upscale cooktop is. The amazing thing is that, from my point of view, the engineering of the more expensive models is often no better than the more economical units. Perhaps the problem is that most of the issues I've taken note of are out of sight and out of mind once the installation is complete.

However, I'm convinced that good cooktop design is a critical factor in the long-term performance of a kitchen as an efficient and pleasant food preparation area. I only hope that the appliance manufacturers will give some thought to my experiences and recommendations.

Telling Formica's Fascinating Story - May 2002

2002-05-22T13:00:00.000-07:00

I'll admit that I was shocked when I heard on the radio March 5 that the Formica Corp. had filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection.

To me, Formica always seemed formidable. One of the most recognized brand names in the kitchen and bath industry, Formica epitomized the emergence of the modern kitchen that became a universal feature of U.S. housing in the years immediately after World War II.

The company's history is worth recounting in this column, because it parallels the modern history of countertop fabrication in general. Further information can be found on the company's Web site, www.formica.com, and in the book Top Sellers USA by Molly Wade McGrath.

In The Beginning
Plastic laminates, which gained enormous mass-market appeal as a decorative, durable and reasonably priced tabletop and kitchen countertop surfacing material, have been at the core of Formica's business since the company was founded in Cincinnati in 1913. Interestingly, though, decorative uses were not the original market for plastic laminates.

Formica's founders, Daniel O'Conor and Herbert Faber, were former Westinghouse employees who were experts in electrical insulating materials. O'Conor had developed a process of manufacturing electrical insulating materials by coating fabrics with plastic resins. They concluded that there was a growing market for such products in the rapidly expanding electrical industry, but believed that Westinghouse was doing a poor job of serving that market. So, they quit their jobs with the firm and started their own company.

A layered, translucent mineral called mica had been used as an electrical insulator in those early years, and the product from Faber and O'Conor was initially marketed as a substitute "for mica." That phrase became the name of the company.

The initial big market was manufacturing insulators for automotive electric starter motors, which were beginning to replace hand cranks with in the luxury car market. Interestingly, the National Electrical Manufacturers Association (NEMA) still controls technical standards for plastic laminates.

Defense orders during World War I caused another boom in business, and included insulating parts for military radio systems. The company's engineers also discovered that plastic laminates could be machined into lightweight, durable pulleys and gears, which were used in the aircraft industry.

After the war, the consumer radio industry took off, and developed into a good market for the young company. Plastic laminate gears were marketed to rapidly growing automobile companies, and also to textile machinery manufacturers.

Formica's relationship with the radio industry led to the first decorative application for plastic laminates. In 1927, the company patented a rotogravure process that enabled them to print a realistic wood grain pattern onto the surface of a sheet of plastic laminate, and they began selling this product for use in manufacturing radio cabinets. Wall paneling was the next logical market that offered increased volume potential.

During the Great Depression, the company gradually gained acceptance of this new decorative product, which was less expensive and more durable than real wood paneling. It was used extensively in the construction of New York City's Radio City Music Hall. Britain's Cunard Lines used it on its new luxury cruise ship, the Queen Mary. Such prestigious applications gained the company invaluable publicity.

Enter Melamine
A major breakthrough occurred with the introduction of melamine resins in 1938. Used as a topcoat layer, melamine was more transparent, durable and moisture-resistant than earlier resins used for this purpose. Plastic laminates were now practical for tabletops and kitchen countertops, and melamine's clarity meant that a wider variety of colors and patterns could be offered. However, World War II caused the company to place decorative products on the back burner for the duration, and return to products with obvious military benefit.

In late 1945, Formica was blessed with enormous pent-up demand for the decorative products it had perfected just before the war started. No new homes had been built during the war, and millions of veterans were returning to civilian life to begin families. By 1952, six million new homes had been built, and two million of them featured thelatest trend Formica kitchen countertops.

The 1950s and 1960s were the Golden Era for Formica, exemplified by the futuristic idea house the company built at the 1964 World's Fair in New York. Postforming of plastic laminates became practical with the development of appropriate resins. This is a process of applying heat to the material after manufacturing, allowing it to become pliable and bend to form shapes such as coved backsplashes and the famous "no drip" edge that characterizes mass-produced plastic laminate countertops.

As it prospered, the company also gained formidable competitors. Westinghouse, the former employer of Formica's founders, manufactured plastic laminates under the Micarta brand name. Other successful brands included Wilsonart, Nevamar and Pionite.

Craft-oriented fabrication of countertops gave way, in the mass market at least, to automated, efficient production of enormous volumes of countertop blanks at exceptionally low prices. Plastic laminate technology was now mature, and the only way to gain market share was through innovations in design and marketing. This added significant costs to a product that was once seen as innovative and modernistic but increasingly was perceived by many as outdated and generic. Whether or not entirely justified, such shifts in customer perceptions are difficult to reverse. The seed of Formica's current problems had been sown.Formica's greatest strength in those years was consumer brand name recognition far higher than any of its competitors. This advantage was challenged in 1978 when the Federal Trade Commission's Denver office filed a petition to cancel the registration of the Formica trademark. The FTC claimed that "Formica" had become a generic name for all decorative laminates, and should no longer be considered a valid trademark. The company contested this vigorously, and eventually prevailed in protecting its famous trademark.

The last major technical innovation in plastic laminate manufacturing was the introduction of ColorCore laminates in the mid-1980s, which eliminated the characteristic black line visible at exposed edges of the laminate. Although ColorCore was technically elegant, it cost several times as much as conventional laminates, and was available only in solid colors. Accordingly, it was able to carve out only a limited niche market.

Competing Surfaces
It was another upscale, niche product that presented Formica Corp. with its greatest challenges in recent decades. Introduced on a limited basis by DuPont in the late 1960s, Corian was the original solid surface material. In the 1970s, it seemed to represent little threat to the plastic laminate industry. However, introduction of a successful joint adhesive system and integrated kitchen sinks allowed sophisticated custom fabrication to proliferate, and Corian gained both a luxurious reputation and a steadily growing market share.

In the 1980s, national competitors such as Avonite and Fountainhead entered the solid surface market, colors and patterns proliferated, and it seemed that almost every issue of every shelter magazine featured articles on solid surface materials. Despite the competition, or maybe even because of it, Corian sales soared.

Formica entered the solid surface market in 1986 with great fanfare, offering a product called 2000X. Unfortunately, the company encountered a variety of problems with 2000X, and it was soon withdrawn from the market. It was later replaced with Surell solid surface material. Years later, after a reorganization of Nevamar, Formica acquired that company's solid surface brand, Fountainhead.

From 1957 to 1985, Formica was a subsidiary of American Cyanamid. Since then, the company has undergone mergers, buyouts and corporate reorganizations in 1989, 1994 and 1998. Despite these efforts, the Formica Corp. has lost money every year for the past seven years. It has tried to stem the tide by introducing a variety of new products real wood laminates, metal laminates and plastic laminate flooring. In each case, the products were copies of those pioneered by other companies.

Last year, Moody's Investors Service twice downgraded Formica's credit rating, citing "seven consecutive years of losses, its excessive balance sheet leverage, thin interest coverage and negative tangible net worth and its constrained liquidity."

On January 8 of this year, longtime CEO Vince Langone was terminated and replaced by Frank Riddick III, formerly of Armstrong World Industries and Triangle Pacific. Major owners of the company, which is privately held, include Credit Suisse First Boston Private Equity, Citicorp Venture Capital, Ltd. and CVC Capital Partners Limited. The company retained the services of Lazard Freres & Co. LLC to assist in another corporate restructuring.

After the Chapter 11 bankruptcy filing on March 5, Reuters News Service quoted Riddick as saying that the niche for Formica products had been "eaten away over the last 20 years" by changing consumer tastes leading to increased demand for "solid surfacing, granite and other natural stone products."

However, in a statement released by the company, Riddick said, "Formica has a brand name that is truly an American icon, and it has the designs, innovative products and dedicated employees to propel its growth." Riddick added that Formica's operations would continue as usual, without interruption, during the restructuring process.

Time will tell whether this latest restructuring will save this famous company. I certainly hope that it's successful.

Counter Fabrication Gets Automated - January 2002

2002-01-15T12:43:00.000-08:00

Many kitchen countertops are made in standardized sizes and shapes. Typically, they are about 25" deep, and are either rectangular in shape, or joined together to form simple "L" shapes or "U" shapes. In such simple kitchen layouts, it's usually a straightforward procedure to take measurements from installed cabinets in order to prepare a simple shop drawing that will allow the countertops to be fabricated quickly and reliably.

More complex layouts present considerably greater challenges. Walls and cabinets may be installed at unusual angles. Cabinets may have unusual projections at sinks and ranges. Cabinet doors or shelf units at the end of a run of cabinets may be curved. Countertops may extend into greenhouse windows. The design may call for diagonal cabinets to be installed at 45 degrees, but job site realities may force installers to change that angle.

The variations are endless. In such kitchens, it is often necessary to produce a template in effect, a full-size pattern or mockup of the finished countertop in order to ensure that the final product fits accurately.

Template making has always been a time-consuming process fraught with doubt and confusion. The responsible person has to assemble a lightweight, easily moved pattern of what may be a large and complex shape, and then break it down for transportation to the shop, where it must be reassembled accurately on the workbench. Chances for errors, damage and misinterpretation abound.

The techniques I'm most familiar with involve either sheets of corrugated cardboard or thin strips of plywood. Both are clumsy and present many risks of fingers being burned by hot melt adhesive or whacked with tack hammers. Finished templates are usually covered with obscure notations, arrows and hash marks. It's often difficult for the fabrication crew to visualize job site conditions when looking at such a template.

And how does this crude process fit in with the countertop fabrication industry's trend toward automation? Some shops use a big, expensive stationary digitizer to transform the cardboard or plywood template into a computer file to drive a CNC router. That may be a step in the right direction, but only a small step.

A Step Forward
ETemplate Photo is a much bigger step forward for countertop fabricators. ETemplate Systems is a division of Tri-Tech Solutions, a company specializing in computerized technologies for manufacturing.

ETemplate Photo is a concept so simple, it's amazing that it works with such accuracy. Digital photographs taken on the job site are used to develop an accurate electronic template of the countertop layout.

The system involves only a few components. The heart of the system is a digital camera capable of holding 340 mb on a hard disk, equivalent to 250 photos. The ETemplate Photo software is the brains of the system, and is installed on a computer at the fabricator's office. Also essential are two types of markers or dots, placed at intervals along the wall scribe line and also along the edges of the cabinets or old countertops.

Scales are used to establish dimensional benchmarks. These are accurate yardsticks, if you will, with dot markers at each end. Manuals, training and technical support complete the package

Upon arriving at the job site, the operator places the proper markers at intervals around the installation, and then places a scale so that it's visible in each photo. Then, the operator takes a series of photos. Each marker must appear in at least two photos, and given the large capacity of the camera, it's best to take lots of photos.

The photos are then transferred to the fabricator's computer, either as an e-mail attachment or by a direct USB cable link. The ETemplate software then references the various markers and scales to transform the set of photos into a precisely dimensioned electronic image of the cabinet layout, and ultimately, the countertop. Overhangs, where appropriate, can be added automatically. The complex configuration of full-height backsplashes can be included where needed.

The photos and computer program are so accurate that they can even analyze how level the cabinets are within a small fraction of an inch, identifying where shimming or other corrective action is needed to result in a perfectly level countertop. After error checking and notations, the result is an electronic shop drawing of the finished countertop.

The system can output in three different ways, depending on the fabricator's needs and current level of automation. It can produce standardized shop drawings on 8-1/2"x11" paper. With a roll feed plotter, it can print full-size templates on either paper or Mylar. Or, best of all, it can send the necessary CAD/CAM files directly to a CNC router to produce the countertop.

The benefits of digital photo templating are many. Accuracy is improved, and the possibility of math or interpretation errors is reduced. No raw materials, such as cardboard or plywood, are needed. The system is compact, so the person handling field measuring and templating can travel in a compact car rather than a more expensive truck or van. A pictorial history is created, which can be used to brief installation crews, refresh memories and document job site problems. The results are the same, whether the photos are taken of bare installed cabinets, or of old countertops about to be replaced. Use of such cutting-edge technology enhances employee pride and the company's image.

Big automated fabricators tend to market in much larger territories than smaller fabricators using older technologies. Electronic templating lends itself to regional fabrication centers located many miles from job sites, since the templates can be transmitted long distances quickly by e-mail. Shipping of physical templates is eliminated, which saves time and eliminates the risk of damage. Through digital photography, the remote fabrication team can "see" the job site from hundreds or even thousands of miles away.

If you are committed to automation in your business, you need to learn more about ETemplate Photo. It's an exciting product. For information, contact ETemplate Systems at 919-676-9093 or check out the company's Web site at www. etemplatesystem.com.

Tips to Improve Countertop Repair - July 2001

2001-07-14T12:35:00.000-07:00

In my previous column, I mentioned that I'd ordered a solid surface repair template system from Templates by Andreas while attending the Solid Surface 2001 trade show. When I wrote that column, I had not yet received the templates. In this month's column, I want to describe my experiences with using the templates on almost a daily basis for over a month now.

Kevin Andreas specializes, as I do, in repairing solid surface countertops. In order to complete a successful repair, it's necessary to accomplish two things. First of all, the repair must be inconspicuous as close to invisible as possible. Secondly, the repair must be durable, so that the failure won't occur again.

In addition, it's important to standardize and systematize the repair process, so that repairs can be completed efficiently and predictably. The repair procedure should be more of a science than an art.

In striving to meet these objectives, I've found Templates by Andreas to be an exceptionally valuable tool that assists in repairing a wide variety of solid surface countertop cracks. Even if you only repair solid surface countertops occasionally, I think you will find this product worthwhile.

The template sets are available in two models. One model consists strictly of circles of various sizes. The other consists of different shapes, including a pie shape, a long oval, a dogleg and a small triangle. Based on my previous experience, I purchased the second set with a variety of shapes to best suit my needs.

The template system's parts are made of a durable 3/4" industrial laminate, and are machined with great precision. Each opening in the template is accompanied by an equivalent and matching "plug," and the two are then used to prepare the damaged countertop. The repair piece or pieces then are used to complete a durable, inconspicuous repair in the countertop.The repair templates are used in conjunction with a matching pair of bevel router bits, both guided by ball bearing pilots.

The Process
To use the system, start by removing the damaged area from the countertop. Examine the countertop carefully to determine the full extent of the crack. If you use a marking pen to draw over the crack area and spray a little denatured alcohol on the surface, the pigment will flow into the tightest crack. Wipe off the excess and lightly sand the surface. The full extent of the crack will be revealed.

Position the template on the countertop so that one of the template openings completely encompasses the damaged area. Secure the template with clamps and, if necessary, hot melt glue.

Now, take a router with a 1" fixed template guide and a common straight bit of 1/2" or 3/8" in diameter. Set the bit just a hair less than the thickness of the countertop, and rout away the damaged area.

Don't remove the template just yet. Install one of the two bevel bits into your router the one that is narrowest at the tip. Set the bit to exactly the same depth as in the first step. Your result will be best if you cut 99% of the way through the countertop thickness, but not all the way. With the router, bevel the edge of the opening you've already made. Check for any irregularities and make another pass with the router if needed. Then, remove the template.

Next, take a piece of color matching solid surface material, good side up, and the template plug that matches the hole you've just cut. Draw a line around the plug, approximately 3/8" away from the edge. Cut out this rough blank, and glue the plug onto the top surface using hot melt, again with the good side up in both cases.

Place the other bevel bit into a router installed in a portable router table. This is the bit that is the widest at the tip. It's wise to use a router table with a dust collection port right behind the bit. Turn the patch piece and template plug upside down so the bottom surface of the patch is visible. Adjust the router bit so that the top of the ball bearing pilot is riding 1/8" from the top of the template plug. Turn on the router and trim the plug to shape.

Safety Tips
Practice a few times with larger repair pieces, which will vibrate less and allow your fingers to stay further away from the bit. Then move on to the small pieces. Always feed the material against the direction of bit rotation, and shave off the excess in a series of careful passes, rather than trying to accomplish the whole procedure in a single pass.

When you test fit your repair piece, you may discover that it fits well, but rides just a little higher than you'd like. That's fine; just lower the bit on the router table a trifle and trim the plug again. Repeat the procedure a time or two, and you will be able to cut perfect plugs that fit with virtually no visible gap.

If you're repairing damage in the middle of the field of the countertop, all you need to do is clean the parts, bond the repair into place, and, after the adhesive has cured, trim and sand to a matching finish. Whenever practical, add a solid surface reinforcement to the underside of the repair.

If your repair intersects the front edge or is at a cooktop cutout, you can't just repair the horizontal surface of the countertop and leave a little crack in the built up edge. Repairs at the edge of a cooktop cutout must have a second layer of solid surface material installed underneath to reinforce the area of stress.

The technique I use to repair the front edge varies according to jobsite conditions. I may reposition the template and rout and stack similar patch pieces to reconstruct the finished edge. If space is available, I may also install 1/2"x1" solid surface reinforcement on the back surface of the edge detail, bridging over the entire repair area. Sometimes in an inside corner, I will stack "L" shaped reinforcements behind the edge. My goal is to rebuild a structurally sound edge or corner, removing all traces of damage and moving the seams as far away from inside corners or known stress points as is practical.

When dealing with cooktop cracks, my goal is to install reinforcements where they are lacking, replace or repair reinforcements that have failed, increase the corner radius where that is possible, and upgrade the installation to the extent possible to bring it into the closest practical compliance with the manufacturer's installation guidelines.

In many cases, I will reinstall the cooktop using a custom stainless steel cooktop collar, available through my Web site (located at www.TopRepair.com). In my experience, this produces the strongest possible result.

Just recently, for example, I completed a repair of a cooktop corner crack. In this case, a corner block had been properly installed, but it cracked, too. The crack came close to the front edge of the countertop, but the edge itself did not fail. I used the pie cut shape to repair the deck, and I then used the small triangle shape to repair the reinforcing block below. In so doing, I eliminated all of the damage, and produced a two-layer repair with all edges beveled and the seams on each level staggered by an inch or more. I was also able to increase the corner radius significantly.

On another recent job, I saved a very large countertop that had six separate cracks. In this case, the template system allowed me to operate almost in an assembly line fashion. Once I had all my tools set up to do the first repair, preparing the other five repairs went relatively quickly. I would move the template and rout, move the template and rout, completing all six repairs in a single day.

What should you do if you must repair a large crack that can't be fully encompassed by the repair template? First, encompass as much of the failure as you can with the template, rout it out and prepare a repair piece for that area as described above. Set the repair piece into the opening, being sure that it's level. You can sand it level even before bonding it in place. Secure it in place with strips of aluminum tape. Now, encompass the remaining part of the crack with the template, and prepare a second repair overlapping the end of the first.

I was pleased with my repairs before I purchased these templates from Kevin Andreas. However, this system makes the process faster and more precise. For more information, contact Templates by Andreas at 800-935-5406, or visit my Web site at www.TopRepair.com to see a series of photos of the template system being used to complete challenging repairs.

Jim Heaphy, who was among the first to urge solid surface fabricators to organize into a trade association, started Heaphy Associates in 1993, which provides warranty service on a major brand of solid surface material in Northern California. Heaphy Associates is a member of the International Solid Surface Fabricators Association. He has been active in the countertop industry for 17 years and has written this column about countertop fabrication in K&BDN for more than a decade.

Innovations Abound at ISSFA Show - May 2001

2001-05-24T12:22:00.000-07:00

Solid Surface 2001, the fourth annual trade show, based in Las Vegas and sponsored each year by the International Solid Surface Fabricators Association (ISSFA), was again a big success. The show has grown each year, and is a "must" for anyone seriously involved in the solid surface industry. As always, I kept my eyes peeled for interesting items that fabricators may find useful in their businesses, and I wasn't disappointed. Here are a few:

Monument Toolworks has developed the revolutionary Parallign Seam Clamp, which improves seam quality and saves time both in clamping and in sanding seams. The innovation is that each side of the clamp consists of a vacuum pod connected by three precision steel guide rods. As clamping pressure is applied, the adjoining surfaces are automatically drawn into precisely flush alignment with one another. After curing, excess adhesive can easily and accurately be trimmed off, and no rough sanding is required. Finish sanding begins with 180 grit sandpaper, saving time and producing more consistent seam quality.

The Parallign Seam Clamp is available in two models one using compressed air for shop use, and another with an integral vacuum pump for use by installers on jobsites. For more information, call 508-644-2400, or visit the company Web site at www.monumenttoolworks.com.

ZipWall has developed a system that enables effective dust barriers to be erected in a home in a matter of minutes without masking tape. ZipWall poles are telescoping, twist-lock units with spring-loaded jacks. The basic system works with ceiling heights up to 12 feet, and special units can accommodate ceiling heights up to 20 feet. Using lightweight tarps, drop cloths or plastic sheeting, an almost impervious enclosure can be created using just four poles. For more information, call 800-718-2255, or visit the firm's Web site at www.zipwall.com.

Rotaloc Bonding Fasteners from Chemical Concepts are an alternative to the brass bushings often used to secure porcelain vanity bowls to the underside of solid surface vanity tops. The Rotaloc hardware system can be applied to a variety of materials using structural adhesives appropriate to each material. They are available in a variety of sizes and configurations. For more information, call 800-220-1966 or go to www.chemical-concepts.com on the Web.

Larger fabricators using or considering the purchase of a CNC router may also find it profitable to use an electronic templating system. ETemplate Systems has developed a portable, self-contained device utilizing sonic technology that allows a countertop layout to be digitized on the jobsite in a matter of minutes, without making a cardboard or plywood template. The operator uses a hand-held probe to collect data points either from installed cabinets or from existing old countertops. The system accommodates complex curves and irregular walls, and locates sinks and appliance cutouts. Installations up to 16 feet long can be digitized in a single operation. Best of all, the completed electronic template can be e-mailed instantly to your CNC router, saving time and travel for field personnel. The company estimates that templating time can be cut in half. For information, call 919-676-2244 or visit the firm's Web site at www.etemplatesystems.com.

Previously, I've discussed the trend toward automated V grooving in solid surface fabrication. These machines are becoming more affordable, and can now be cost-justified by smaller shops. Auto V Grooving, the world's leading supplier of V grooving equipment, is offering a lease at just $99 per month for a full-featured machine. For information, call 800-387-5819 or visit the Web at www.vgrooving.com.

Business aids
For years, I've advocated the most comprehensive computerization of fabricator's business operations. Counter Intelligence by Pinnacle Manufacturing is a fully integrated software program that can be used by solid surface, plastic laminate and synthetic stone countertop fabricators. The software produces estimates, contracts, shop drawings, job schedules, purchase orders, packing lists and invoices. The program also communicates with QuickBooks for complete accounting system integration. Databases of product information for 20 brands of countertop materials are now available. For information, call 440-572-2220 or e-mail pinnaclemfg@core.com.

Another software solution called FabOffice is offered by Hi-Tech Worktops. FabOffice offers a customer database, tracking of employee time per job, data collection by bar code scanning, job tracking, vendor pricing and inventory control. The program also interfaces with Cost Point and Visual Pricing software. A demonstration version is available at a nominal price. Call 301-493-6105 for more information.

The shortage of skilled labor is a restraining factor in the growth of many solid surface fabrication companies today. To help with this problem, the Carpenters Union now has a Solid Surface Installer Certification Program, developed in partnership with five major manufacturers of solid surface materials. The state-of-the-art training facility is located in Las Vegas. For more information, call 702-938-1111 x200.

Growing businesses struggling to stay on course can sometimes use the special insights of a management consultant. Chris Traynor worked for 20 years as a key person at Dolan & Traynor, a major East Coast distributor of DuPont Corian. Now, he's formed a management consulting business called Whip-Smart. For more information, call 973-831-4274 or visit the firm's impressive Web site at www.whip-smart.com.

If you are ever called upon to repair solid surface countertops, you simply must look into Templates By Andreas. Solid surface repair is my main business, and Kevin Andreas is one of my peers. His precision templates speed the repair process and improve repair strength and appearance, and are well worth the price. They are clearly superior do-it-yourself templates. For more information, call 800-935-5406.

There are bound to be many more innovative new tools and services for solid surface fabricators on display at Solid Surface 2002, which will be held at the Mirage Hotel and Casino in Las Vegas early next year. Plan now to be there. Contact ISSFA for more information at 702-567-8150, or visit the association's Web site at www.issfa.com.

Teaching Clients Care for Countertops - March 2003

2001-03-20T14:16:00.000-08:00

I was once a salesman, so I understand the temptation to exaggerate the benefits of a product.

Solid surface countertops are a pleasure to sell, because they have many truly outstanding characteristics. However, they are not perfect that's pretty much because nothing that human beings make is perfect. Although durable, solid surface countertops are not indestructible. Although easy to care for, they're not completely maintenance free.

The key to a successful customer relationship, in the kitchen and bath industry or any industry, is to explain the benefits of a product with honest enthusiasm, without creating unrealistic expectations. Unfortunately, I have all too often met consumers who were misled during the sales process about the attributes of a solid surface countertop.

The issue of heat resistance is a significant example. It's true that solid surface materials are more heat-resistant than plastic laminates, which bubble and char relatively easily. However, this does not mean that consumers can safely disregard the possibility that heat could damage a solid surface countertop and it's wrong to create this impression in a consumer's mind. Consumers often want to know whether or not they can put a hot pot on their countertop.

The honest answer is, "It depends."

For example, a small saucepan containing boiling water placed on a solid surface countertop is unlikely to cause damage. However, a large kettle full of very hot cooking oil almost certainly would cause damage. The higher the temperature and the greater the mass of the object, the more likely it is that damage will occur. Therefore, the safe answer is to recommend against putting any hot pot directly onto the surface of the countertop.

DAMAGE BY HEAT
How does heat damage a countertop? In my experience, there are three types of damage that can occur, and one or more may be present in any given case.

First of all, rapid, intense heating of a relatively small area can cause discoloration, which is seen as whitening and may be accompanied by surface irregularity. A common cause is placing the edge of a tilted hot pot onto the countertop to steady it.

Next, prolonged overheating of larger areas can lead to thermoforming, which results in warping, rippling or sagging of the countertop surface. Causes may include unprotected use of portable electric appliances, such as electric frying pans, or placing a hot roasting pan onto a towel on the countertop.

Finally, heat can cause cracks because the heated area expands while surrounding cool areas do not. The result is a buildup of internal stresses that may be relieved by cracking.

All this damage can be repaired, although significant damage requires many hours of skilled labor to correct completely. The good news is that the vast majority of consumers who own solid surface countertops never experience any heat damage.

Consumers should be educated about how to avoid heat damage. The guidelines are fairly simple:

Hot pots should never be placed directly onto a countertop, or into a solid surface sink. Instead, hot pots should be placed onto an unused burner, or onto a solid trivet with rubber feet.

Portable appliances should be used with caution. This includes electric frying pans, deep fat fryers, portable woks, crock pots and the like. Such appliances should only be used on solid trivets with rubber feet. (Toasters and coffee pots do not generate enough heat to cause problems, in my experience.)

Consumers are more often than not surprised that portable appliances can cause problems, pointing out that their favorite such appliance is elevated on feet. However, the fact is that these appliances radiate an enormous amount of heat down onto the surface of the countertop, unless they're used on a solid trivet.

Pouring large amounts of boiling water into a solid surface sink can cause rapid expansion, leading to cracks. The solution is to run cold water into the sink while pouring the boiling water. This will cool things down enough to eliminate the risk of cracking.

Heat damage adjacent to ranges and cooktops is also a risk, most often seen as cracks in corners or adjacent to the largest burners. Consumers should always use vent hoods or downdraft fans while cooking, as the constant air flow will help moderate hot spots.

Oversized pots that cantilever past the edge of the range or cooktop can also radiate excessive heat down into the countertop. This should be avoided whenever possible.

Similarly, pots should not be allowed in close proximity to a backsplash. High output "power burners" should be used sparingly, only as needed for rapid heating. Once the pan has reached the proper cooking temperature, the heat setting should be reduced to prevent overheating.

CUTS AND ABRASIONS
Consumers who are informed of the reasonable precautions I've detailed above are unlikely to experience countertop heat damage. However, day-to-day wear and tear can result in unsightly scratches and abrasions. A variety of simple precautions will minimize this risk.

Most basic is the routine use of cutting boards for all cutting and chopping operations. Consumers who do this can expect to enjoy decades of daily use with a minimum of scratches.

However, there are other ways that a countertop can be scratched. For instance, if a sharp object, such as a tiny pebble or scrap of metal, is left on a countertop, and then a large heavy object is placed on top of it and is then slid about, a scratch will result. Fortunately, an hour or two of skilled labor can eliminate all such scratches, restoring the countertop to "like-new" condition.

Solid surface sinks can also be stained by coffee, tea and other intensely colored foods. Fortunately, scrubbing with scouring powder removes most such stains. Personally, I find a product called Soft Scrub with Bleach to be particularly effective and convenient. For more persistent stains, consumers can fill the sink a few inches deep with a solution of half water and half liquid laundry bleach, and allow it to soak for 15 minutes, swabbing the sides of the sink with the bleach solution from time to time. The appearance will improve dramatically.

Another significant maintenance concern is the caulked joint between the horizontal countertop surface and a separate "butt-joint" backsplash. Strictly speaking, this is not a problem with the solid surface material itself, but rather with the sealant used.

Consumers should be advised to avoid vigorous scrubbing of the caulk, as this will cause it to fail sooner. Instead, the area can be flushed with a solution of half bleach and half water, rinsed, and then wiped dry gently.

If recaulking is needed, careful preparation is the key to success. The old caulk should be carefully removed to the extent practical with a razor blade knife, and the area should be flushed with denatured alcohol to disinfect it, and allowed to dry before application of the new caulk. I recommend using 100% silicone sealant with a mildew-resistant additive, and excess smears of uncured silicone can be cleaned up with paper towels moistened with denatured alcohol.

The best and most profitable solution to these problems with caulked splashes is to encourage consumers to upgrade to coved splashes, which require far less maintenance. I've heard many complaints about caulked splashes, but I've never heard a consumer express regret for upgrading to coved splashes.

The precautions and procedures I've recommended are reasonable and easy. Always provide customers with a copy of the maintenance brochure published by the manufacturer of the solid surface material. If you incorporate these concepts into your sales presentations, your customers will be that much more likely to be satisfied with their beautiful countertops for many years to come.

Jim Heaphy, who was among the first people in the industry to urge solid surface fabricators to organize into a trade association, started his own company, Heaphy Associates, in 1993. Heaphy Associates provides warranty service on a major brand of solid surface material in the northern California area. Heaphy himself is a member of the International Solid Surface Fabricators Association. He has been active in the countertop industry for 17 years, and has written this column about countertop fabrication in Kitchen & Bath Design News for more than 13 years. In addition, he has conducted training seminars on countertop fabrication to thousands of students across the United States.

Seeds Planted Years Ago Bear Fruit - January 2001

2001-01-03T12:07:00.000-08:00

At the end of January and the beginning of February, the International Solid Surface Fabricators Association (ISSFA) hosts Solid Surface 2001 at Caesar's Palace in Las Vegas. In just four years, ISSFA has emerged as the collective and effective voice of the solid surface industry, representing nearly 1,000 companies involved with solid surface materials worldwide.

Its first three trade shows have been overwhelmingly successful, with dramatic growth each year. If you are involved with solid surface products, do whatever is necessary to be in Las Vegas for Solid Surface 2001. You will not be disappointed.

As I ponder ISSFA's successes, my thoughts go back to how I got started in this industry, and to early efforts to organize a solid surface trade association. My personal involvement with solid surface fabrication began in 1984, when I became general manager of Western Plastics in San Francisco, an established fabrication shop that produced both plastic laminate and solid surface countertops.

At that time, DuPont Corian, offering two solid colors and one pattern, was the only solid surface material on the market. The phrase "solid surface" as a generic description had not yet been coined. To me, though, the potential of this product was clear and exciting. I admit that I often dreamed of solid surface materials in those early days, and once even came up with the solution to a challenging fabrication problem in a dream. In all honesty, I never felt quite that degree of enthusiasm for plastic laminates.

Shortly thereafter, I began attending meetings of the Decorative Laminate Products Association (DLPA), a trade group with headquarters in Chicago, whose core membership consisted of plastic laminate countertop fabricators. As a matter of fact, the first DLPA convention I attended was held in Las Vegas.

Many of the DLPA member companies were branching out into solid surface fabrication in those days, and inevitably, the topic of a trade association to address the specialized needs of those fabricators arose. I remember debates about whether "solid surface" or "solid surfacing" was the best generic description for the products we work with.

Segment surfaces
The consensus at that time was that the solid surface industry was not yet mature or robust enough to support its own trade association, so a group of DLPA members decided to establish a sub-section of DLPA called the Solid Surface Materials Section. Leading figures in the formation of that pioneering group included Ron Biloff of Lincoln Laminating in Lincoln, NE and DLPA Director Barbara Boden. I had the privilege of serving as co-chair of the Solid Surface Materials Section with Ron Biloff in 1988, and as chairman in 1989 and 1990.

On behalf of DLPA's Solid Surface Materials Section, I conducted the first generic training session for solid surface fabricators, held in Winston-Salem, NC. Before that, training in solid surface fabrication techniques was all brand specific, and was conducted by the various manufacturers. This seminar compared and contrasted the joint adhesive systems and the fabrication procedures recommended by the four national manufacturers active in the market at that time: DuPont Corian, Avonite, Nevamar Fountainhead and Formica 2000X.

In those years, a predecessor of Cygnus Business Media called KBC Publications, which at that time owned this magazine as well as Cabinet Manufacturing & Fabricating, began sponsoring regional trade shows around the country for the kitchen cabinet and countertop industry. As a representative of DLPA's Solid Surface Materials Section, I was invited to speak about and demonstrate solid surface countertop fabrication techniques at many of these events, in places like Long Beach, CA; Indianapolis, IN; Orlando, FL; Louisville, KY; San Jose, CA and King of Prussia, PA.

Through my participation in these events, I established friendships with members of the editorial staff, including Alan Richman and Eliot Sefrin. Eliot is, of course, now publisher of the Cygnus Shelter Group, consisting of several industry-related magazines, including this one. As a result of my participation in those conferences, I was asked to write this column on countertop fabrication, which first appeared nearly 12 years ago.

Unfortunately, the time was not yet ripe for the concept underlying the Solid Surface Materials Section, and it lasted only a few years. Larger solid surface manufacturers were reluctant to join forces with smaller competitors. It was particularly difficult to persuade newer companies that specialized entirely in solid surface fabrication to join what was thought of as a plastic laminate fabricator's trade association.

Eventually, the DLPA merged with another trade group and lost its unique identity. The Solid Surface Materials Section disappeared. I left Western Plastics and went into business for myself.

For about five years, there was no national trade association representing solid surface fabricators. I am proud and grateful, though, that I have been able to continue this column throughout the 1990s and into the 21st century, offering you my views and recommendations on a wide variety of topics of interest to solid surface fabricators.

Five years ago, SolidSurface magazine began, and I observed its growth and development from the outside as an attentive subscriber. That magazine, now a part of Cygnus Business Media, served as the catalyst for the formation of the International Solid Surface Fabricators Association.

I must admit that I feel a little wistful seeing the enormous success now of a concept that I struggled with scant success to create in the late '80s. Perhaps we were just ahead of our time back then. There are worse things than being ahead of one's time.

If you're a solid surface fabricator and haven't yet joined ISSFA, you should do so immediately. You can join at Solid Surface 2001 in Las Vegas. Call 1-702-567-8150 or visit ISSFA's Web site at www.issfa.net for complete information.

Jim Heaphy, who was among the first to urge solid surface fabricators to organize into a trade association, started Heaphy Associates in 1993, which provides warranty service on a major brand of solid surface material in Northern California.

Dealing With Difficult Customers - November 2000

2000-11-27T11:43:00.000-08:00

I've been involved with countertop fabrication and installation for nearly 17 years now, and I've dealt with thousands of homeowners in that time. The vast majority of these customers have been reasonable people, and a pleasure to deal with. The corollary is that a small minority of customers proves to be "difficult," and these transactions all too often prove to be exasperating and unprofitable.

To minimize the damage to your business, you must cultivate your skill in recognizing the potentially difficult customer early in the process, and quickly take reasonable steps to protect your interests.

Although hard-and-fast rules are lacking, and generalities are always inadequate, I'm convinced that most difficult customers display certain personality traits that can be detected fairly early in a business relationship.

I've found that, from the beginning, conversation with such customers often offers telltale signs. They seem not to understand things you've explained clearly. They have problems deciding on various details of the countertops and often change their minds repeatedly in the midst of the transaction. They may display a haughty or bossy demeanor.

On the other hand, they may act like your best friend far too quickly. They may mention health or family problems in an overly familiar fashion. They may state openly that they're perfectionists. They may complain to you about previous bad experiences with other contractors.

They may even express open doubt about your competence without any evidence to back up their criticism. They also may haggle endlessly over price.

Some may even predict that your business relationship will prove to be an unhappy one.You should take such predictions seriously!

Use caution
Reasonable customers may occasionally display one of the traits I've noted, but I'd recommend great caution when negotiating an agreement with any customer who displays several of them. It may be advisable to tell such customers that you're too busy to accept their business, and politely suggest that they take their business elsewhere.

If you decide to proceed, however, be sure to conduct yourself with consummate professionalism.

Take great care when preparing a quotation for a customer you suspect may later prove to be difficult. Spell out the scope of your work in complete detail, and be especially careful to describe any exclusions from your work. Don't assume that the customer knows, for example, if it's not your practice to remove old countertops, or disconnect and reconnect plumbing, or relocate electrical outlets.

Carefully define any trade terms that could possibly be confusing to a consumer. If you don't plan to offer a coved splash, for example, make that clear. Instead of using jargon like "butt splash," spell it out in detail, such as "a separate loose splash installed onto the countertop and caulked with silicone sealant." Some people find terms such as "bullnose edge" confusing.

Describe the edge detail clearly, or include a scale drawing in your proposal.

Similarly, make sure that your proposal mentions how the countertop is to be finished matte, semi-gloss or gloss and have samples available for the customer to review. Indicate in writing the color or pattern to be used, and make it clear that changing this color or pattern could result in additional changes.

If you're furnishing sinks, attach an accurate drawing or photo of the sink model included, and make it clear that changing the sink model may result in price increases.

In addition, be sure to describe the customer's obligation to furnish you with accurate information about sinks, cooktops and other appliances on a timely basis. Mention the customer's obligation to empty out the contents of the cabinets and clear off the countertops, and to provide you and your workers with power, water and restroom facilities. Lay out a realistic work schedule, but make it clear that you can't be held responsible for delays due to factors beyond your control, such as material backorders.

It's especially important to be specific in describing your payment terms, including any deposits or initial payments you expect, as well as a final payment date. Bill the customer at each designated stage of the project. Be certain that all the terms in your proposal and contract form comply with contractor's license law for the state in which you operate.

As I mentioned, the difficult customer is more likely than others to voice price objections, and ask for a reduction in price. I suggest you consider offering a small discount in exchange for payment in full in advance. Otherwise, stick to your price.

Communicate
Once the contract has been signed, maintain good communication with your customer. Do your very best to be on time for appointments, and be honest about any delays or problems that crop up. Accurately describe the dust, noise and disruption that your work will create, and promise to clean up thoroughly when you are finished, and then do so.

This may be less important when you're involved with new construction or a complete kitchen remodel, but it's essential in a "remove and replace" project, where installing new countertops constitutes the main work being done. It may be well worth your time to go way overboard with drop cloths and floor protection in order to demonstrate how responsible you are and reduce the chance of complaints. Also, be sure that all workers are on their best behavior when in the customer's home.

If your customer starts showing signs of being unreasonable, do your best not to show signs of anger or irritation. Breathe deeply and pause for a moment. Listen carefully for the core of the customer's complaints, and try to ignore the emotionalism. Speak quietly. Explain your point of view calmly and rationally, referring to your specific obligations under the contract you both signed. Restate the customer's legitimate points, if any, to demonstrate that you understand them.

Do your best to address any genuine problems that the customer may have, but make it clear that you intend to fulfill only the agreement you've made not to go beyond that agreement unless you're paid extra to do so.

I recommend that you follow up any such conversations with a written memo that summarizes what you've agreed to do to resolve the dispute. Then, proceed promptly to take whatever corrective actions are appropriate to the specific situation.

Be very careful about discussing any of these problems with your employees or co-workers while in the customer's home. Your remarks may be overheard and misunderstood. It's far better to retreat outside to your truck for such discussions.

When all else fails
What steps should you take if you conclude that things just aren't getting better between you and the difficult customer?

Early in the course of the job, it may be worthwhile to consider offering the customer the option of a refund of payments to date, and a mutual agreement to terminate the contract. Just extending this offer will sometimes bring customers to their senses.

Another possibility is to offer to bring the matter before an independent mediator. If you're reasonable, and your customer is clearly being unreasonable, mediation may offer a promising solution and, once again, simply making the offer can sometimes help defuse anger.

When a customer refuses to pay you without good reason, it's entirely appropriate to file a lien notice in accordance with the construction laws of your state. In general, such a notice must be worded just right, and should be sent via registered mail, with return receipt requested. Receiving this notice may well motivate the customer to pay what's owed.

Be slow to threaten a lawsuit. It's rarely worthwhile to go to court over a residential countertop installation, and it's a mistake to threaten what you're not prepared to go ahead with. If, however, you are sued, immediately engage a capable lawyer and follow the legal advice you receive.

Keep in mind that it's possible, in most situations, to arrive at some sort of settlement that both parties can accept. Keep trying.

When you're embroiled in a dispute with a customer, it's hard to remember an important fact: An unhappy customer who has had a problem resolved fairly and professionally is far more likely to recommend a company, or to offer repeat business, than a customer who experienced no problems at all with their transaction.

Every cloud really does have a silver lining.

Jim Heaphy, who was among the first to urge solid surface fabricators to organize into a trade association, started Heaphy Associates in 1993, which provides warranty service on a major brand of solid surface material in Northern California. Heaphy Associates is a member of the International Solid Surface Fabricators Association. He has been active in the countertop industry for 17 years and has written this column about countertop fabrication in Kitchen & Bath Design News for the past 11 years. He has also conducted training seminars on countertop fabrication to thousands of students across the U.S.

Repair Plan Mends Cooktop Cracks - July 2000

2000-07-05T11:25:00.000-07:00

While surveys show that the majority of homeowners who have purchased solid surface kitchen countertops are delighted with their decision, a few consumers do experience problems. Responding to their complaints effectively is a way to ensure the continuing high reputation that solid surface materials enjoy.

One of the most difficult problems that needs to be addressed is countertop cracking adjacent to a cooktop or a range. Many complaints of cooktop cracks I've witnessed are repeat complaints in other words, a previous repair attempt has been unsuccessful.

The most important way to prevent this sort of problem is to follow the manufacturer's recommendations for machining and preparing a cooktop cutout. Work from a checklist, and be sure that every procedure has been carried out properly.

Even with good fabrication and installation techniques, however, failures can still happen. It may not be possible to identify the reason for a given failure with absolute certainty, but patterns do emerge.

Heat is the most important factor responsible for this problem, since cracks at cooktop cutouts are far more common than those at sink cutouts. Heavy cooktops also tend to cause problems more often than lighter cooktops, as do cooktops with narrow flanges. Cooktops with built-in downdraft fans also cause more problems. Cooking styles such as prolonged, high-heat cooking, deep-fat frying, candymaking and canning also increase risk, as does the use of high BTU "power burners" and cooking without a ventilation fan.

The shortcoming of conventional repair techniques is that, in many cases, the underlying cause of the problem is not addressed. In order to have a high success rate in repairing cooktop cracks, the repair procedure must accomplish two things: It must effectively isolate the countertop material from the heat source, and it must remove the weight of the appliance and items being cooked from the countertop.

The right repair
The most effective repair procedure involves fabrication and installation of a custom stainless steel ring or collar that surrounds the appliance. This stainless steel surround allows for the cutout in the countertop to be enlarged significantly, and for a plywood support structure to be fabricated and installed, which takes the weight of the appliance off the cooktop.

Consumers will, of course, be concerned about the appearance of this stainless steel collar. It's essential to present this repair procedure tactfully, explaining that the item will be custom fabricated to match the specific cooktop in question, and will appear to be part of the original cooktop. If the cooktop has a brushed stainless finish, that's how the collar should be finished as well. The collar can also be powder-coated to match any standard appliance color.

A properly sized cooktop collar will extend 1/2" past the flange of the cooktop on all four sides. The visible outside corner radius will complement the existing outside corner radius of the appliance. For example, if the existing cooktop has a 1/4" corner radius, I have the collar fabricated with a 3/4" corner radius. Since the collar extends 1/2" past, a radius 1/2" larger will look very natural and compatible.

The cooktop collar must be measured carefully, with cutout dimensions being large enough to accommodate the cooktop. Check for any irregularities or protrusions on the cooktop body, such as screws, rivets or flanges, and be sure to allow for them.

The outside dimensions should be 1" larger in both directions than the overall dimensions of the cooktop. This will allow for 1/2" of the stainless steel collar to show on all four sides. After the stainless steel cooktop collar has been obtained, make a matching collar out of good quality plywood the same thickness as the countertop material, usually 1/2". The cutout in the plywood will be the same size as with the stainless collar, but the overall dimensions will be 1/4" to 3/8" less, to allow the stainless steel to overlap the plywood by at least 1/8" on all four sides. Neatly wrap this plywood collar with aluminum tape.

When the repair begins, disconnect and remove the cooktop and place the plywood collar on the countertop surface, aligned with the existing cutout. Draw a pencil line around the plywood collar. Using a router, enlarge the cooktop cutout in the countertop slightly past this pencil line. At this point, your plywood collar should fit loosely into the opening.

Now, repair the crack in the countertop, and reinforce the repair wherever possible with a second layer of solid surface material bonded beneath. Trim the finished repair back flush with the enlarged cutout edge, and sand all edges of the cutout until perfectly smooth. Round over the top and bottom edges, and be sure that all irregularities have been eliminated.

Next, fabricate and install a plywood support frame, connected structurally to the cabinet and possibly the wall instead of the countertop. The exact configuration of this support frame will vary depending on jobsite conditions, but it must be stable and sturdy, and its top surface must be flush with the underside of the countertop material.

Place the plywood collar into the opening. It should sit flush with the countertop surface. Using thin shims as needed between the support frame and the plywood collar, ensure that the top surface of the plywood collar sits just slightly higher than the countertop surface about 1/32" is right. Strips of plastic laminate work well as shims. Finish the inside of the opening with aluminum tape or insulating tape in accordance with the solid surface manufacturer's recommendations.

Place the stainless steel collar on top of the plywood collar, and reinstall the cooktop. If the repair has been done properly, there will be a barely visible gap between the stainless steel collar and the solid surface material. This air gap is your assurance that heat transfer has been dramatically reduced and that stress due to the weight of the cooktop bearing on the countertop has been eliminated.

Some consumers may prefer a bead of caulk between the stainless steel collar and the countertop. Others may want to be able to lift the assembly for cleaning. Either technique is fine.

Stainless steel collars can be ordered through my Web site, www.TopRepair.com. At this site, you'll also find copies of many of my past columns.