| There are many categories of countertop materials with many different characteristics and looks. I will try and explain some of the most popular ones below. |
| PLASTIC LAMINATE |
| Plastic laminate is generally referred to as "Formica" but comes in many brand names and colors. The color selections offered is awesome. With a bit of care and common sense it will give you years and years of good service. The basic drawback of plastic laminate counters is that your counters will have very visible seams. |
| SOLID SURFACE |
| Solid surface is a product generally referred to as "CORIAN", since this was invented by DUPONT in 1964. In fact the name "Corian:" is a derivation of the inventor's daughters name "Cory Ann". While Acrylic resin itself was invented in the 1930's, the resulting Dupont Corian product became one of the first space age polymers. DUPONT CORIAN is made up of 100% acrylic resin with a filler of alumina tri-hydrate plus coloring agents. CORIAN and the myriad of other solid surface brands that use acrylic resin, exhibit the best stain resistance of any countertop surface..period! DUPONT has tested the Corian product with about 200 staining agents including sulphuric acid and many other things that you would never use in a kitchen or bathroom setting. I have worked on and have tested Dupont Corian myself, for over fifteen years and I have yet to find anything that will permanently stain it. IT IS THAT GOOD! |
| ALMOST ALL MAN MADE COUNTERTOP MATERIALS HAVE A RESIN COMPONENT THAT FORMS THE STRUCTURAL BINDER OF ALL THESE PRODUCTS. THERE ARE TWO KEY TYPES OF RESINS THAT ARE USED. THEY ARE TOTALLY DIFFERENT IN COMPOSITION AND PERFORMANCE. |
ACRYLIC RESIN
| This product is the better of the two resins. Its molecular structure allows the molecules to slide past each other giving the product more flexibility making the finished product less brittle and less prone to chipping and cracking. Acrylic resin is also u.v. stable in that it is unaffected by sunlight and is suitable for outside use. Acrylic resin also gives the product exceptional stain resistance and better performance when exposed to heat. |
| POLYESTER RESIN |
Polyester resin is the second category of countertop
resins. It has its positives and its drawbacks. It is more
translucent than acrylic resin and it is far less expensive
than acrylic resin. It is not u.v. stable and it is unwise to
use it outside as it will fade and even "yellow" over time. It
is also very brittle and is more susceptible to chipping and
breakage. This is because its molecular structure is
"linked" similar to interlocking rings, which reduces its
flexibilty.
resins. It has its positives and its drawbacks. It is more
translucent than acrylic resin and it is far less expensive
than acrylic resin. It is not u.v. stable and it is unwise to
use it outside as it will fade and even "yellow" over time. It
is also very brittle and is more susceptible to chipping and
breakage. This is because its molecular structure is
"linked" similar to interlocking rings, which reduces its
flexibilty.
| TECHNICAL STUFF |
| QUARTZ OR ENGINEERED STONE |
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| THE APPROVED AND LICENSED CONTRACTOR MYTH |
| It is a fact of life that if you are in business, you are hit with a daily barrage of advertising to bring in more business. A lot of these offer to put you on "Barbie's List", "Herman's List". As soon as you send them money then you are "approved" "screened" or "reliability proven". These "list" people then advertise that you have been checked out and you should patronize these companies. We are on "Angies List" as some of our customers have recommended us. We do not pay for this though. When you see a large colorful display advertisement in the yellow pages, guess who is paying for it. These generally cost up to $20,000.00 per month Another very expensive way to advertise is to get a booth in a home show. These booths can cost you from $2,500.00 to $25,000.00 for a four day run. This is just the rent for the space. If you buy from a dealer who has a booth, either the price of your countertops just went up or the quality just went way down. The lastest trick to save you money is to eliminate the "retailer markup" if you will only come to their showroom and pay over $5,200.00 to join their buying group. Give me a break! A simple call to the Better Business Bureau will answer all your questions on that scam. The Houston market is so competitive, nobody pays retail in the first place. Whether we like it or not, the "Home Depot" and the "Lowes" stores, set the price in the market due to their massive marketing and high visibility. One of the two advertises "licensed and bonded" professionals, do their work. Unfortunately there is no licensing authority or license required in this market. Literally anybody with a pulse, a $89.00 angle grinder, a $20.00 diamond blade and a pickup truck, can be and usually is a granite "fabricator." Almost all of these guys are illegals and have no insurance. If they get hurt at your house, guess who pays. The unlucky home owner shopping for price alone, is their prey. These guys have a "tail light warranty" which means that they will guarantee their work until the tail lights on their trucks fade away. We get calls on a regular basis asking if we can fix jobs these butchers have put in. The home centers use legitimate fabricators like us but they mark up their prices another 20%. Since they always use the lowest bidder, so quality is not high on their agenda, and If you like the home center prices, you will love ours. We always beat their prices by a considerable amount. No matter which countertop provider you choose they always use subcontractors to do the installation and they are paid about $2.50 per square foot which means they don't spend a lot of time to do your installation. We use our own employees to install our jobs and encourage them to take the time to do the installation right with inconspicuous seams and level! We have to do it right because we have an unlimited guarantee. |
| QUALITY IS ALWAYS, ALWAYS AN ISSUE |
| Like just about everything in life, when you buy granite, you pretty much get what you pay for. There are so many granite wholesalers and granite importers around they are hard to keep track of. There are few restrictions on who they sell to, and there are no guarantees. There are many different grades of granite, but there is no formal grading system. A lot of granite out there is "commercial grade", meant to go on the sides of buildings and in commercial buildings. It is relatively inexpensive and is quite a bit less than "a" grade granite. Unfortunately, the price of granite is the greatest issue with some importers, and they will buy anything that is a "deal". We only buy from reputable granite wholesale yards that carry the highest quality stone. Their buyers actually travel to the quarries and select each bundle and believe me the quality shows. We have developed long term relationships with these companies that has been built on total trust. |
| GRANITE SELECTION |
| One must use care when selecting granite for your countertops. When you select a slab, please keep in mind that nobody can "face polish" the surface so watch for dull spots or imperfections as they don't go away. Keep this in mind if you see a bad spot. Believe me nobody wins if you buy a sale priced slab because there is always a reason why it is priced lower. We always ask our customers to select the slabs prior to use, and we will be happy to go with you. We carefully select each and every one of our "program" colors and always buy the absolute best looking and the highest quality slabs available in the local market. You are perfectly welcome to select particular slabs from them also, in fact we encourage you to do so. If you really want to really save money and get excellent quality granite, please consider our program color granite selections. |
| One of the most advertised and most well known products, fall into the category of "engineered stone" or "quartz" the originator of this product is "CaesarStone' which was invented in 1987, and now being sold in this market. The most advertised and most popular product is "Silestone" by Cosentino, which came out in 1998. We are a master fabricator of L. G. Viatera, which came out in 2004, and is an outstanding product. Other brands in this field are: "Dupont Zodiaq" "Okite", and "L.G. Haus Viatera" "Cambria", "Hanstone". The engineered stone product is made up of 93% crushed quartz (crushed granite) and is 7% polyester resin used as a binder. It is a very good product and is very low maintenance and has a high stain and scratch resistance. Heat resistance is not a forte with this product. I have tested it at 400 - 500 degrees with no damage. It will not take continued heat like this and will darken if it is exposed to heat in the same place on a continuing basis. With normal use and common sense you should never have a problem. Although It should never be used outside, It is a great choice for a countertop! |
The absolute cheapest way to get granite in your house is to use pre-made counters or "blanks". These are available
from a lot of granite yards and are basically made of scrap granite, pieces of broken slabs, or granite that just did not
sell. One supplier even brags that their edges do not fall off like others. Many have bad spots or cracks that have been
patched in some way. We investigated using these several years ago with dismal results. First of all, the edges
generally do not match from one piece to another. Colors may or may not match and the thickness's vary. If you are
doing a small counter with one blank, this may not be a problem. If you try to do a kitchen you will end up with many
mismatched seams. Since we could not guarantee the quality of these jobs, we quit doing them after two jobs. We will
never sacrifice quality for profit....never! We do not ever buy granite from China as it is quite often dyed or adulterated.
Almost every pre-made countertop is fabricated in China.
from a lot of granite yards and are basically made of scrap granite, pieces of broken slabs, or granite that just did not
sell. One supplier even brags that their edges do not fall off like others. Many have bad spots or cracks that have been
patched in some way. We investigated using these several years ago with dismal results. First of all, the edges
generally do not match from one piece to another. Colors may or may not match and the thickness's vary. If you are
doing a small counter with one blank, this may not be a problem. If you try to do a kitchen you will end up with many
mismatched seams. Since we could not guarantee the quality of these jobs, we quit doing them after two jobs. We will
never sacrifice quality for profit....never! We do not ever buy granite from China as it is quite often dyed or adulterated.
Almost every pre-made countertop is fabricated in China.
| TOWN & COUNTRY SHOWROOM FABRICATION FACILITY 1500 BRITTMOORE ST #504 HOUSTON, TEXAS 77043 (713) 647-0455 FAX (713) 713-6855 |
| COUNTERTOPS 101 |
| VERSUS |
| 2 CENTIMETER MATERIAL VS. 3 CENTIMETER MATERIAL |
There is a lot of controversy about the advantages or disadvantages of using 2 centimeter granite versus using 3
centimeter thick granite or engineered stone for countertops. First of all, 2 centimeter granite is 3/4" thick, while the
3 centimeter is 1 1/8" to 1 1/4" thick. It is actually cheaper for the fabricator or builder to use the 3 centimeter
granite as it cuts the labor cost significantly. This is the reason why Lowes, Home Depot, Ikea, and some builders
push it because they can make a lot more money using it. While this sounds like a great deal, you end up with a
cheaper looking, thinner edge that in my opinion, demeans the look of your new countertops. Believe me, if we
thought the 3 centimeter material was the answer, we would certainly use it.
We and most of the quality fabricators in this market, use the 2 centimeter granite with a laminated 4 centimeter
edge because it is more substantial and frankly, just looks better. To me, the 3 centimeter edge just looks cheap
and lacks imagination. There are many other reasons why we feel the 4 centimeter (1 1/2" ) edge is better one of
which, it is probably the thickness of the edge in your house right now. Second of all, the laminated 1 1/2" edge,
hangs down 3/4" of an inch to cover the 5/8" to 3/4" plywood decking that should ALWAYS be used under any stone
countertop installation. It is imperative that plywood decking be used to support your countertops to prevent seam
failures and cracks, and to support overhangs. The decking also reinforces your cabinets, stabilizes the granite and
spreads the weight evenly. The decking cannot be used with 3 centimeter material because the edge does not hang
down to cover it, so you must use a wooden molding to cover it up. The people who try to talk you in to the 3
centimeter material will also tell you that because it is thicker you don't need decking. Do not buy this reasoning
because it is flawed. The biggest cause of granite and engineered stone failures is lack of support at the seams and
overhangs, followed by cracks resulting from somebody standing or kneeling on your counters. GUESS WHAT! All
of these problems can be virtually eliminated by properly using plywood decking under all stone counter
installations like we have done for over ten years. Decking is so important that we will not do a stone job without
decking, period! Decking is included in the price of every stone job that we bid at no additional charge.
When you guarantee every job like we do, you have to do it right the first time!
centimeter thick granite or engineered stone for countertops. First of all, 2 centimeter granite is 3/4" thick, while the
3 centimeter is 1 1/8" to 1 1/4" thick. It is actually cheaper for the fabricator or builder to use the 3 centimeter
granite as it cuts the labor cost significantly. This is the reason why Lowes, Home Depot, Ikea, and some builders
push it because they can make a lot more money using it. While this sounds like a great deal, you end up with a
cheaper looking, thinner edge that in my opinion, demeans the look of your new countertops. Believe me, if we
thought the 3 centimeter material was the answer, we would certainly use it.
We and most of the quality fabricators in this market, use the 2 centimeter granite with a laminated 4 centimeter
edge because it is more substantial and frankly, just looks better. To me, the 3 centimeter edge just looks cheap
and lacks imagination. There are many other reasons why we feel the 4 centimeter (1 1/2" ) edge is better one of
which, it is probably the thickness of the edge in your house right now. Second of all, the laminated 1 1/2" edge,
hangs down 3/4" of an inch to cover the 5/8" to 3/4" plywood decking that should ALWAYS be used under any stone
countertop installation. It is imperative that plywood decking be used to support your countertops to prevent seam
failures and cracks, and to support overhangs. The decking also reinforces your cabinets, stabilizes the granite and
spreads the weight evenly. The decking cannot be used with 3 centimeter material because the edge does not hang
down to cover it, so you must use a wooden molding to cover it up. The people who try to talk you in to the 3
centimeter material will also tell you that because it is thicker you don't need decking. Do not buy this reasoning
because it is flawed. The biggest cause of granite and engineered stone failures is lack of support at the seams and
overhangs, followed by cracks resulting from somebody standing or kneeling on your counters. GUESS WHAT! All
of these problems can be virtually eliminated by properly using plywood decking under all stone counter
installations like we have done for over ten years. Decking is so important that we will not do a stone job without
decking, period! Decking is included in the price of every stone job that we bid at no additional charge.
When you guarantee every job like we do, you have to do it right the first time!
| HOW IMPORTANT IS MATERIAL THICKNESS? |
| STAINING AS AN ISSUE |
When you decide to spend the money to put new countertops into you home, you want to make sure that they will
hold up and not stain from normal use. We guarantee every job that we do and if you select one of our program
colors of granite, we will guarantee that they will not stain under normal use. If you do get a stain, as long as you
have sealed it once a year, we will come out and remove it to the best of our ability. If it is a chemical that etched
the stone like drain cleaner or battery acid, that is not covered. We can get most stains out, though. Since we
always use resined first quality granite slabs and seal every stone job with Dupont Impregnator Pro Sealer, staining
of granite has become a thing of the past.
hold up and not stain from normal use. We guarantee every job that we do and if you select one of our program
colors of granite, we will guarantee that they will not stain under normal use. If you do get a stain, as long as you
have sealed it once a year, we will come out and remove it to the best of our ability. If it is a chemical that etched
the stone like drain cleaner or battery acid, that is not covered. We can get most stains out, though. Since we
always use resined first quality granite slabs and seal every stone job with Dupont Impregnator Pro Sealer, staining
of granite has become a thing of the past.
| Granite normally does not stain with normal use and care, but it can stain if a staining agent like lemon juice, orange juice, red wine, or other acidic liquid is allowed to sit over eight hours. This can allow the staining agent to penetrate the sealer and attack the granite. While we will do everything in our power to take these stains our, we cannot guarantee success. If this is a concern of yours, you may want to consider a quartz product or solid surface counters like Corian or Staron. As I have stated previously, no countertop is perfect and this is one of granite's few disadvantages. |
| As I have pointed out before on this website, we are trying to change the way countertops are sold, fabricated, installed, and guaranteed in the Houston, Texas market area. Too many countertop or flooring companies or Home Centers try to lure you in with unbelievably low prices, so they can get you into their store. They then either practice "bait and switch" or start with the "add-ons", like charges for edge profiles, faucet hole drillings, cutouts, curved counters, or islands with edges on four sides, anything to raise the price. At AMERICAN COUNTERTOP FABRICATORS we have no-nonsense square foot pricing based on the exact square footage of your countertops. We offer the most common seven or eight 1 1/2" thick edges at absolutely no charge, and these are the edges that almost everyone chooses. All of the cutouts and faucet hole drillings are free except for the undermount sink cutout, which is an extra charge unless you take advantage of our promotional sinks. We include the 3/4" plywood decking in all of our Quartz and granite installs at no charge. We do not charge you to come out and measure your countertops like the home centers. All of our countertop people are employees and none work on commission, which saves you money. All are extremely knowledgeable and can explain all the details about each product. Another thing separates us from the rest as we guarantee all of our installations, including the materials used, including the workmanship. If you ever have a failure, even in eight or ten years, just call and we will be out to take care of it. While it is not a written guarantee, it is good as long as we are in business. We have been in business for over twelve years and we are not going anywhere. It is easy to guarantee a job as long as you have taken every precaution to prevent failure, like we do. The next time you come in ask us about the details and preventive measures that we take. |
| WE DO NOT DO PLASTIC LAMINATE AS WE CANNOT FIND ANY GOOD RELIABLE LEGAL LAMINATE INSTALLERS, .....SORRY |
| SHOWROOM HOURS MONDAY - FRIDAY 8:00 A.M. TO 5:00 P.M. SATURDAY 10:00 A.M. TO 3:00 P.M. SUNDAY-CLOSED |
| We offer you the peace of mind that your countertops have been fabricated and installed using the best materials available and using the most up to date methods in the industry. We offer our no excuses guarantee which means you don't have to apologize for a bad seam, an unlevel countertop or a countertop that does not match the others. Our edges will be even and uniform and the seams as tight as possible. |
| PLEASE NOTE: WE CAN TEAROUT AND DISCONNECT YOUR EXISTING PLUMBING TO YOUR SINK AND FAUCET BUT WE ARE UNABLE TO RE-CONNECT ANY OF THE PLUMBING, INCLUDING THE DRAINS AND WATER LINES. THIS MUST BE DONE BY A LICENSED PLUMBER AND SHOULD BE DONE PROMPTLY! WE ARE ALSO UNABLE TO DO ANY RE-CONNECTIONS OF GAS OR ELECTRIC TO YOUR COOKTOP. WE APOLOGIZE FOR ANY INCONVENIENCE THAT THIS MAY CAUSE, BUT WE ARE PROHIBITED BY LAW, FROM DOING EITHER. |
| THE BOTTOM LINE IN ALL OF THIS IS THAT AMERICAN COUNTERTOP FABRICATORS IS THE HOME OF THE "NO EXCUSES COUNTERTOPS". WHEN WE FABRICATE AND INSTALL YOUR COUNTERTOPS IN YOUR HOME OR BUSINESS, THEY ARE TO YOUR EXPECTATIONS PERIOD! AFTER WE LEAVE WHEN YOUR FRIENDS LOOK AT THEM YOU WON'T HAVE TO MAKE EXCUSES FOR BAD SEAMS, CHIPS, MISMATCHED MATERIALS, OR WHATEVER. YOUR COMPLETE SATISFACTION IS OUR ONLY GOAL. |
When man made counter top materials were first manufactured in the sixties, the manufacturers decided that they had too
much to lose in reputation, financial exposure and product liability to allow just any untrained individuals to fabricate and
install their countertop products. Additionally, it takes quite a bit of skill, as well as the proper tooling to achieve the
quality result that the customer has the right to expect. There is also a very, very serious environmental issue called
silicosis that is far more serious than the asbestosis problem of recent years which must be taken seriously. It does not
affect the solid surface industries like Corian, Staron or Hi-Macs as dust from that is a "Nuisance dust" and is "safe". We
have invested close to one million dollars over the years in our shop to do EVERYTHING wet which eliminates the dust
which is the approved way to mitigate the threat. We have always made our guys wear respirators and masks prior to
getting the last equipment. Now, to be a CERTIFIED FABRICATOR you have to have a shop where you do fabrication wet or
dust free as well as using special tooling as specified by the quartz manufacturer. You are required to have a credit line to
purchase product from the distributor, and above all you have to carry considerable insurance. You are also required to
have a showroom. The basic thing is you have to be a legitimate business in every respect and few fabricators get
approved. Dupont Zodiaq and Corian will actually go out and spot check random jobs and audit them for warranty and
compliance.
Now, the reason that I bring this up is that some bad actors in the business have violated the rules and have sold some
name brand quartz slabs to uncertified granite "fabricators" Some of these were "Grade "B" slabs" with defects and were
sold with no warranty but I am sure the customers were not told that fact. Many of these "fabricators" that are buying
these black market slabs are illegals for one and are the same ones that don't finish jobs or disappear when problems arise
or when sinks fall out. Every single day we get about a dozen calls from these "Certified" fabricators wanting to buy slabs
from us. We know that they are lying through their teeth because if they were certified they could buy the slabs direct like
we do. Nobody will do anything about it other than pretend it is not happening. Please do not get taken by this because
there is nobody to help unless you can contact the manufacturer, maybe.
much to lose in reputation, financial exposure and product liability to allow just any untrained individuals to fabricate and
install their countertop products. Additionally, it takes quite a bit of skill, as well as the proper tooling to achieve the
quality result that the customer has the right to expect. There is also a very, very serious environmental issue called
silicosis that is far more serious than the asbestosis problem of recent years which must be taken seriously. It does not
affect the solid surface industries like Corian, Staron or Hi-Macs as dust from that is a "Nuisance dust" and is "safe". We
have invested close to one million dollars over the years in our shop to do EVERYTHING wet which eliminates the dust
which is the approved way to mitigate the threat. We have always made our guys wear respirators and masks prior to
getting the last equipment. Now, to be a CERTIFIED FABRICATOR you have to have a shop where you do fabrication wet or
dust free as well as using special tooling as specified by the quartz manufacturer. You are required to have a credit line to
purchase product from the distributor, and above all you have to carry considerable insurance. You are also required to
have a showroom. The basic thing is you have to be a legitimate business in every respect and few fabricators get
approved. Dupont Zodiaq and Corian will actually go out and spot check random jobs and audit them for warranty and
compliance.
Now, the reason that I bring this up is that some bad actors in the business have violated the rules and have sold some
name brand quartz slabs to uncertified granite "fabricators" Some of these were "Grade "B" slabs" with defects and were
sold with no warranty but I am sure the customers were not told that fact. Many of these "fabricators" that are buying
these black market slabs are illegals for one and are the same ones that don't finish jobs or disappear when problems arise
or when sinks fall out. Every single day we get about a dozen calls from these "Certified" fabricators wanting to buy slabs
from us. We know that they are lying through their teeth because if they were certified they could buy the slabs direct like
we do. Nobody will do anything about it other than pretend it is not happening. Please do not get taken by this because
there is nobody to help unless you can contact the manufacturer, maybe.
| WHAT IS A REAL "CERTIFIED FABRICATOR" |
