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| Top Tips
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Maintenance and other useful info regarding your
countertops
Please choose one of the following options:
- Cleaning - Laminates
- Cleaning - Solid Surfaces
- Maintenance - Heat
- Maintenance - Scratches
- Before You Buy - Laminate
- Before You Buy - Solid Surface
Cleaning: |
| Laminates
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As always, read the
manufacturers cleaning suggestions
It is important not to use abrasives when cleaning a laminate countertop.
Laminates include Formica® and other like
products. A thin, clear layer of melamine plastic protects laminates.
Abrasives such as scrubbing pads and scouring powders can alter or even
remove this protective layer, leaving the material unprotected against
moisture penetration and staining.
For the everyday cleaning, use detergent and a sponge to clean. We
recommend Clean Encounters by Stone Care International for a residue-free
finish. Other residue free cleaners may do as well.
The next step in aggressive cleaning is a pine cleaner, such as Pine Sol,
or White Cap. These cleaners work well with removal of stubborn grease type
stains, etc. After you finish, reclean with a light cleaner to remove any
residue.
Finally, with the real tough stains, you can (with great care) clean with
a gentle, non-abrasive cleaner, such as Bon Ami. You must emulsify the
cleanser to reduce any risk of abrasion, and do not do this often.  |
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Solid Surface |
As always, read the
manufacturers cleaning suggestions |
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Go to town. Really. That’s what
you paid all that dough for, is it not?
Long before Corian â
by DuPont had developed improvements such as rigid seam adhesives, it had
two advantages that laminates did not. It was possible to sculpt it into
great looking edge styles, and it was exceptionally easy to clean.
Aggressive cleansers work well, and will, over time, give your countertop
a satiny finish that is very attractive. We recommend starting off with
residue free cleaners, such as Clean Encounters, before moving up through
the various cleanser types. As long as you avoid severe chemical solvents,
such as those containing acetone, there is little around the house that can
hurt it.
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| Engineered stone |
Silestone® recommends soap and
water, a spray cleaner such as formula 409, or glass-type cleaners. We will
amend that saying do not use any cleaners that will leave a residue that
will build up over time. The danger, we feel, is that elements that may not
stain in quick contact might if left for awhile. There is no question that
soap films retain dirt and other foreign materials. We do not think they
should be given a chance to work their evil ways over time.
Use residue free cleaners, if at all
possible. |
| Maintenance |
As always, read the
manufacturers maintenance suggestions |
| Heat |
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With the possible exception of
tile, no countertop is designed to withstand heavy temperatures such as
setting pots and pans on the countertop, directly from the stove. Our advice
for those of us who prefer the ease of maintenance solid surface, engineered
stone, or laminate countertops offer, is to use a heat trivet under all
pots, pans, and any heat generating appliance. |
| Scratches |
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Yep, they happen. Any
countertops, sink, wall sheet, etc. can sustain scratches. In tile: replace
the tile, in laminate: use fillers that hardens to a shell finish, but do
not think the scratch will disappear. In stone: pay a professional to buff,
and refinish the surface.
In solid surface: are you or someone you know handy with a sander? It is
easier to remove scratches in a solid surface countertop than in almost any
other material. If you are unsure of yourself or those around you, hire a
certified fabricator to effect these repairs. You will be surprised at how
well this material refinishes. Remember: in solid surface, the material you
see on the surface is not a sealant or a coating. It is the material itself,
and can be found at any depth, in any solid surface top. |
| Before You Buy |
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| Laminate |
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The choice of what kind of
laminate top to purchase should not be based on cost, but on layout.
Whenever possible, a rolled cove backsplash should be incorporated in you
choices. But some layouts lend themselves better to a wrapped front, or a
square edged front. Some layouts need field joints, some do not. You should
consult a kitchen or countertop specialist who has a wide range of
knowledge. Call us we will tell you who they are. Better yet, tell us about
your countertop needs, we can tell you the least expensive way to solve your
problem. |
| Solid Surface |
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First of all, consider a
fabricator who is a member of the only national trade organization dedicated
to solid surface fabricators: The International Solid Surface Fabricator’s
Association (ISSFA). If buying from a non-fabricating dealer, make sure that
they purchase their product from a member fabricator. The difference in
solid surface tops lies in the competency of the fabricator. A sheet of
Corian is the same on a poorly constructed top as on a well-fabricated one.
The difference is in the care and time taken by the fabricator and the
design choices by the dealer who sells them.
Solid surface tops are worth what they cost not just because of their
beauty, but in their low maintenance. If the fabricator does not finish
their tops completely, it will be harder to clean. This one case where you
do tend to get what you pay for.
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| Engineered
Stone |
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There are many qualified stone
fabricators in the area. Just as there are always more who will do a cheap
job that will look good until you have had it for awhile. The key is using a
fabricator/installer that has been here awhile, and will continue to be here
long after the templating and installation is done with. Mather
brings the same sensibilities to
designing
your stone or engineered stone tops that we bring to our world renown
laminate and solid surface tops.
We are not happy with taking the easy way out for a job.
If a little extra effort is what is required for you unique top, that is
what we will commit. If a notch, or a bow will make the difference, so be
it. Our fabricators use the latest technologies to fabricate what we
template, so your custom top will be just that - custom, and yours. |
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