Solid Surface countertops are beautiful and durable. They can take a lot of use but after a while they do tend to get scratched up from it. Luckily, they can be refinished and brought back to brand new condition by a skilled repair specialist or fabricator. Even so, there are a few things that you can do to make those costly visits from the repair man happen a little less often.
*Use placemats under all dishes when serving meals. A lot of dishes have a rough bottom and they will scratch the countertop when they are slid around on the surface.
*Put felt on the bottom of all ceramic containers. Sugar, flour, coffee containers that are ceramic, and really almost anything else that is ceramic, usually are rough on the bottom. They are as rough as 120 grit sandpaper and they can be mean on some countertops.
*Don't use any abrasive cleaners. Abrasive cleaners such as Comet have just enough grit in them to scratch the tops. The severity of the scratching will vary with the color of the tops and how much direct sunlight they get. Normally, the darker colors show this type of scratching more than the medium or busy colors.
*Even though you were told that you could, don't use Scotch Brite or other scouring pads on your countertop. At least not by hand. If you have a small orbital sander then go for it. Otherwise, you will scratch your top with Scotch Brite or abrasive pads. It works great in a solid surface sink because the sink is not so influenced by the light. Your countertop is flat and picks up more light to expose the scratching.
Follow these tips and your tops will stay prettier, longer.
IF YOU NEED SOLID SURFACE OR STONE COUNTERTOP REPAIR AND YOU LIVE IN NORTH CAROLINA CLICK HERE!
IF YOU NEED SOLID SURFACE OR STONE COUNTERTOP REPAIR AND YOU DON'T LIVE IN NORTH CAROLINA CLICK HERE!
Learn to lay tile in 6 days with these simple to follow videos!
Showing posts with label solid surface countertops. Show all posts
Showing posts with label solid surface countertops. Show all posts
Friday, February 1, 2008
Wednesday, January 16, 2008
Solid Surface Counter Tops and Crock Pots. They Do Not Mix.
This a good example of the kind of damage that a crock pot can do to your solid surface countertop.
Lots of people love to cook with crock pots, rice cookers, electric skillets, griddles, and other types of electric cookers that are designed for use on counter tops.
While these are very convenient items for slow cooking, they are also very often the culprit in a lot of cracks in expensive Corian and other types of solid surface counter tops.
As a solid surface repair expert I have repaired hundreds of counter top cracks that were directly caused by the use of these convenient yet potentially harmful items. That being said, don't go throw your cookers out the door. Simply take some precautions and you can keep on cooking.
My personal rule of thumb for protecting my solid surfaces at home from heat damage is this. If I can't hold the hot item in my hand without it burning me then I will not put it directly on my counter top.
If you are going to use any electric cooker on your counter top then you need to protect the counter top surface from the heat by using a cutting board or trivet that the counter top fabricator provides. If your fabricator did not provide you with at least one cutting board or trivet then you need to purchase your own. In most cases, a fabricator will provide you with this at the time of installation. Often times though, someone may have purchased a home that has had the solid surface counter tops for a while before the home was purchased. Usually in this case the cutting boards have moved out with the previous homeowners. People love their cutting boards and they usually take them when they move.
It is very important to note that a trivet or cutting board that sits flat on the counter top and has no air flow under it is just as bad as using no trivet at all. If you purchase your own board, you should put small bumper feet on the bottom of the board. A simple clearance of about 1/4" is sufficient to provide air flow between the cutting board and the counter top. Also, I am not a big fan of those thin little glass composite cutting boards, at least not for heat protection.
It is also important to note that a cloth potholder sitting on the counter top is not enough protection either. They are fine for putting hot pots that will cool fairly quickly but even then I would double them up, just out of an abundance of caution. Never use a pot holder as the only heat protection for any plug in heat producing gadgets because they are not enough protection and that would also create a fire hazard.
Your counter tops were expensive and they are durable and high quality. They are not indestructible though and with just a little precaution they can last and be beautiful for a lifetime. On the bright side though, you made a very intelligent choice by using solid surface counter tops because they can always be repaired if they get damaged.
IF YOU NEED SOLID SURFACE OR STONE COUNTERTOP REPAIR AND YOU LIVE IN NORTH CAROLINA CLICK HERE!
IF YOU NEED SOLID SURFACE OR STONE COUNTERTOP REPAIR AND YOU DON'T LIVE IN NORTH CAROLINA CLICK HERE!
Learn to lay tile in 6 days with these simple to follow videos!
Lots of people love to cook with crock pots, rice cookers, electric skillets, griddles, and other types of electric cookers that are designed for use on counter tops.
While these are very convenient items for slow cooking, they are also very often the culprit in a lot of cracks in expensive Corian and other types of solid surface counter tops.
As a solid surface repair expert I have repaired hundreds of counter top cracks that were directly caused by the use of these convenient yet potentially harmful items. That being said, don't go throw your cookers out the door. Simply take some precautions and you can keep on cooking.
My personal rule of thumb for protecting my solid surfaces at home from heat damage is this. If I can't hold the hot item in my hand without it burning me then I will not put it directly on my counter top.
If you are going to use any electric cooker on your counter top then you need to protect the counter top surface from the heat by using a cutting board or trivet that the counter top fabricator provides. If your fabricator did not provide you with at least one cutting board or trivet then you need to purchase your own. In most cases, a fabricator will provide you with this at the time of installation. Often times though, someone may have purchased a home that has had the solid surface counter tops for a while before the home was purchased. Usually in this case the cutting boards have moved out with the previous homeowners. People love their cutting boards and they usually take them when they move.
It is very important to note that a trivet or cutting board that sits flat on the counter top and has no air flow under it is just as bad as using no trivet at all. If you purchase your own board, you should put small bumper feet on the bottom of the board. A simple clearance of about 1/4" is sufficient to provide air flow between the cutting board and the counter top. Also, I am not a big fan of those thin little glass composite cutting boards, at least not for heat protection.
It is also important to note that a cloth potholder sitting on the counter top is not enough protection either. They are fine for putting hot pots that will cool fairly quickly but even then I would double them up, just out of an abundance of caution. Never use a pot holder as the only heat protection for any plug in heat producing gadgets because they are not enough protection and that would also create a fire hazard.
Your counter tops were expensive and they are durable and high quality. They are not indestructible though and with just a little precaution they can last and be beautiful for a lifetime. On the bright side though, you made a very intelligent choice by using solid surface counter tops because they can always be repaired if they get damaged.
IF YOU NEED SOLID SURFACE OR STONE COUNTERTOP REPAIR AND YOU LIVE IN NORTH CAROLINA CLICK HERE!
IF YOU NEED SOLID SURFACE OR STONE COUNTERTOP REPAIR AND YOU DON'T LIVE IN NORTH CAROLINA CLICK HERE!
Learn to lay tile in 6 days with these simple to follow videos!
Saturday, December 8, 2007
First in North Carolina
I started Complete Solid Surface Refinishingin 1998. At the time I was the only repair only fabricator in the state. Since then, other repair companies have come and gone. For 10 years CSSR has been in business on a referral only basis. During that time, the referral network has changed, some companies that used us have gone out of business or been bought out by others and then moved out of state.
The one thing that has not changed is the quality of our work. We always strive to be the best. One of the great things about CSSR is the fact that the owner is also the person that does most of the repair work for you. Not only is his company reputation on the line, his personal reputation is on the line for each and every job. Your kitchen will not serve as a training ground for the newest job applicant. You will only have the best, most experienced technician working for you.
Solid surface countertops are not cheap, they are an investment. So as an investment they need to be maintained and when any corrective measures are taken it needs to be done with the utmost attention to detail. It doesn't hurt to do it as "painlessly" as possible.
That means taking every measure to control dust and mess at the job site, to do an outstanding job on the repair itself, and to do it with the least amount of downtime in your kitchen or bathroom or anywhere else you may need solid surface repair.
Our pledge is to do the most undetectable repairs in the business. To do them with the same care and detail as we would do on our own home and to be as accomodating as possible with schedule and job site demeanor. Heck, we will even help ya carry in your groceries.
IF YOU NEED SOLID SURFACE OR STONE COUNTERTOP REPAIR AND YOU LIVE IN NORTH CAROLINA CLICK HERE!
IF YOU NEED SOLID SURFACE OR STONE COUNTERTOP REPAIR AND YOU DON'T LIVE IN NORTH CAROLINA CLICK HERE!
Learn to lay tile in 6 days with these simple to follow videos!
The one thing that has not changed is the quality of our work. We always strive to be the best. One of the great things about CSSR is the fact that the owner is also the person that does most of the repair work for you. Not only is his company reputation on the line, his personal reputation is on the line for each and every job. Your kitchen will not serve as a training ground for the newest job applicant. You will only have the best, most experienced technician working for you.
Solid surface countertops are not cheap, they are an investment. So as an investment they need to be maintained and when any corrective measures are taken it needs to be done with the utmost attention to detail. It doesn't hurt to do it as "painlessly" as possible.
That means taking every measure to control dust and mess at the job site, to do an outstanding job on the repair itself, and to do it with the least amount of downtime in your kitchen or bathroom or anywhere else you may need solid surface repair.
Our pledge is to do the most undetectable repairs in the business. To do them with the same care and detail as we would do on our own home and to be as accomodating as possible with schedule and job site demeanor. Heck, we will even help ya carry in your groceries.
IF YOU NEED SOLID SURFACE OR STONE COUNTERTOP REPAIR AND YOU LIVE IN NORTH CAROLINA CLICK HERE!
IF YOU NEED SOLID SURFACE OR STONE COUNTERTOP REPAIR AND YOU DON'T LIVE IN NORTH CAROLINA CLICK HERE!
Learn to lay tile in 6 days with these simple to follow videos!
Friday, December 7, 2007
Heat rings. Stainless Steel and Solid Surface: part 1
Here are some examples of solid surface heat ring intallations. Heat rings are used to further insulate the countertop from heat generated by drop in cooktops. Mostly they are made from stainless steel but sometimes they are made from solid surface material. Stainless steel rings are the preffered material because the steel itself is not prone to cracking. Some homeowners do not want to have a stainless steel ring because even though they can be painted to match the cooktop, they just do not like the appearance of the ring and would prefer to have a solid surface ring.
The solid surface rings allow the actual cooktop cutout to be enlarged which makes it further away from the heat source. (cooktop) It is important to note ahead of time that the solid surface ring may develop a crack and would need to be replaced or repaired again at that time. I have installed a dozen or so solid surface rings over the past 10 years and have only ever had one of them to fail, or crack. None of them have resulted in a recracking of the countertop itself.
This is the one that recracked.
We will show some stainless steel heat rings in part two of the subject.
IF YOU NEED SOLID SURFACE OR STONE COUNTERTOP REPAIR AND YOU LIVE IN NORTH CAROLINA CLICK HERE!
IF YOU NEED SOLID SURFACE OR STONE COUNTERTOP REPAIR AND YOU DON'T LIVE IN NORTH CAROLINA CLICK HERE!
Learn to lay tile in 6 days with these simple to follow videos!
The solid surface rings allow the actual cooktop cutout to be enlarged which makes it further away from the heat source. (cooktop) It is important to note ahead of time that the solid surface ring may develop a crack and would need to be replaced or repaired again at that time. I have installed a dozen or so solid surface rings over the past 10 years and have only ever had one of them to fail, or crack. None of them have resulted in a recracking of the countertop itself.
This is the one that recracked.
We will show some stainless steel heat rings in part two of the subject.
IF YOU NEED SOLID SURFACE OR STONE COUNTERTOP REPAIR AND YOU LIVE IN NORTH CAROLINA CLICK HERE!
IF YOU NEED SOLID SURFACE OR STONE COUNTERTOP REPAIR AND YOU DON'T LIVE IN NORTH CAROLINA CLICK HERE!
Learn to lay tile in 6 days with these simple to follow videos!
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