Fresh looks in solid surfacing.Fashionable and maintenance-free, solid surfacing materials are expanding in the traditional markets and into unconventional applications. Countertops. Vanities. Tub and shower surrounds. Tables of all types including end tables, dining room tables and coffee tables. These are the most popular applications of solid surfacing materials, say the experts. Because of their beauty and durability, solid surface uses will continue to grow in residential and commercial areas, they add. As the quantity and quality of fabricators increase, products made with solid surface materials will become less expensive, said Todd Vogelsinger, Ralph Wilson Plastics public relations public relations, activities and policies used to create public interest in a person, idea, product, institution, or business establishment. By its nature, public relations is devoted to serving particular interests by presenting them to the public in the most manager. Furthermore, solid surfacings are becoming better understood and appreciated by consumers as a long-term value and investment, as opposed to an expensive alternative to laminates. Vogelsinger said that the commercial market opportunities for solid surfacings have hardly been addressed or promoted. "Great growth potential exists here, where the budgets are larger and the call for heavy-wear, easy-care and good looking materials is always present," he said. Besides countertops, Avonite solid surfaces have been used in fascias, furniture and signage, said Lilly Lihn, company publicist pub·li·cist n. One who publicizes, especially a press or publicity agent. publicist Noun a person, such as a press agent or journalist, who publicizes something publicist . "The use of solid surfacing materials has grown because burns, scratches and chips can be removed and the surface restored on-site to its original beauty, Lihn said. "High-quality materials in beautiful colors with great wearability all add up to the growth of usage," she added. The rest of this article reviews the major solid surfacing products available on the marketplace. For more information, circle the appropriate number(s) on the Reader's Service Card. AVONITE Belen, N.M. Product: Avonite Available colors: 30 Styles/patterns: 5 Standard sizes and thicknesses: 36 in. by 120 in. in thicknesses of 1/2 in. or 3/4 in. Custom options: Available, minimum orders required. Properties: Avonite offers a large selection of solid surfaces in 30 colors, an agate and marble collection, plus two granite patterns. The most recently introduced granite, Crystelle, simulates the intricate and varied patterns of natural granite. If damaged, the surface can be repaired to look like new on site. Avonite is uniformly colored and patterned throughout and chemically engineered to be stain resistant. Training: Avonite trains and certifies its fabricators. Only Avonite-certified fabricators can fabricate Avonite. To date the company has trained more than 5,000 fabricators. FORMICA CORP. Cincinnati, Ohio “Cincinnati” redirects here. For other uses, see Cincinnati (disambiguation). Cincinnati is a city in the U.S. state of Ohio and the county seat of Hamilton County. Product: Surell Available colors: 14 Styles/patterns: 6 solids and 8 granites Standard sizes and thicknesses: 30 in. by 96 in. and 36 in. by 96 in. are available in 1/4-in. thickness; 30 in. by 96 in., 30 in. by 120 in., 30 in. by 144 in., 36 in. by 96 in. and 36 in. by 120 in. are available in thicknesses of 1/2 in. and 3/4 in. Custom option: Available Properties: Highly stain- and wear-resistant, Surell offers a rich surface as well as depth in color and pattern. Surell solid surface material is a cast, homogeneous, non-porous material that is designed to accommodate a broad range of interior applications with high durability and ease in maintenance. Training: Formica Corp. offers a wide range of training, from basic seminars to more advanced one-on-one shop and hands-on training at Formica's Cincinnati facility. The company offers a certificate of training. WILSONART/Ralph Wilson Plastics Corp. Temple, Texas Product: Gibraltar Available colors: 8 solid colors an even color; one not shaded or variegated. See also: Solid with an expanded palette scheduled for 1993 Styles/patterns: One "Quarry" and 8 "Stardust star·dust n. 1. A dreamlike, romantic, or uncritical sense of well-being. 2. A cluster of stars too distant to be seen individually, resembling a dimly luminous cloud of dust. Not in scientific use. 3. " stone-look designs that coordinate with solid color selections. Standard sizes and thicknesses: 1/4 in., 1/2 in and 3/4 in.; widths of 30 in. (standard) and 36 in. (made to order); lengths of 96 in., 120 in., and 144 in. (Note: All Gibraltar panels are actually made 1-in. longer and 1-in. wider than listed, to increase ease and yield of fabrication fabrication (fab´rikā´sh  n),n the construction or making of a restoration. .) Properties: Gibraltar is a color-consistent solid surfacing material, from sheet to sheet and batch to batch. Because of this, the product can be matched to the line of Wilsonart decorative laminates. It is a "hard" material, which makes it easier to sand and finish. It is also UL classified, and carries and advanced fire-rating, Class 1, which enhances its value in areas of tougher code restrictions. Like other solid surfacings, Gibraltar is easy to maintain and repair and it is now available in a line of matching bath vanity and kitchen sinks. Custom options: Custom colors and patterns are available for a minimum purchase of 250 sheets, purchased over the course of a year. Training: The Gibraltar Recognized Fabricator fab·ri·cate tr.v. fab·ri·cat·ed, fab·ri·cat·ing, fab·ri·cates 1. To make; create. 2. To construct by combining or assembling diverse, typically standardized parts: Program is a four-level training course which begins with a one or two-day visit from a Gibraltar Fabrication Specialist in the fabricator's shop, where the basics of solid surface fabrication are taught through advanced fabrication techniques. NEVAMAR CORP. Odenton, Md. Product: Fountainhead foun·tain·head n. 1. A spring that is the source or head of a stream. 2. A chief and copious source; an originator: "the intellectual fountainhead of the black conservatives" Available colors: 4 solid colors Styles/patterns: 10 patterned items, 6 more to be added by March '93 Standard sizes and thicknesses: 30 in. by 98 in., 30 in. by 121 in., 30 in. by 145 in., 36 in. by 98 in., 36 in., by 121 in., 36 in. by 145 in. Thicknesses: 1/4 in., 1/2 in. and 3/4 in. Custom options: Custom colors and/or sizes available with specific guidelines. Properties: Tough, durable, high resistance to heat, impact, mildew mildew, name for certain fungi and protists, for the diseases they cause in various crops, and for the discoloration (and sometimes the weakening and disintegration) they cause in such materials as leather, fabrics, and paper. and stains. Easy to clean and repairable. Design flexibility. Variety of colors not of the white race; - commonly meaning, esp. in the United States, of negro blood, pure or mixed. See also: Color and patterns. Training: Accredited accredited recognition by an appropriate authority that the performance of a particular institution has satisfied a prestated set of criteria. accredited herds cattle herds which have achieved a low level of reactors to, e.g. program for fabricators. Factory marketing and fabrication training for distributor personnel. SOLID SURFACING DUPONT CO. Wilmington, Del. Product: Corian Available colors: 18 Styles/patterns: Jewel series, Sierra series, Solid series. Standard sizes and thicknesses: 1/4 in., 1/2 in., 3/4 in. Custom options: The company offers a variety of sinks and lavatories with several mounting techniques, inlays, thermoformed edges, etc. Properties: Marble and granite looks. Rugged, practical and easy to maintain. Training: Four Corian training centers plus a consumer 10-year warranty covering material, fabrication and installation provided the work is done by a certified or approved fabricator. VT INDUSTRIES INC inc - /ink/ increment, i.e. increase by one. Especially used by assembly programmers, as many assembly languages have an "inc" mnemonic. Antonym: dec. . Holstein, Iowa Holstein is a city in Ida County, Iowa, United States. The population was 1,470 at the 2000 census. History Holstein was founded in 1882. The city celebrated its Quasquicentennial in June, 2007 with a week-long series of events. Product: DurAllure solid surface countertops Available colors: Cameo, Alpine White, Spicestone and Pepperstone Standard sizes and thicknesses: 1/2-in. thick pre-edged countertops and bar tops Custom options: DurAllure solid surface countertops come with a pre-applied front edge with a special inlay inlay /in·lay/ (-la) material laid into a defect in tissue; in dentistry, a filling made outside the tooth to correspond with the cavity form and then cemented into the tooth. in·lay n. 1. groove. Properties: Homogeneous, densified, non-porous material with color and pattern throughout. Excellent fade and stain resistance. Training: The DurAllure program utilizes an installation manual and hands-on training program with the company's national sales force. SAFAS (Galaxy Granules Granules Small packets of reactive chemicals stored within cells. Mentioned in: Allergic Rhinitis, Allergies ) Corp. Hillside, N.J. Product: Polyrock Standard sizes and thicknesses: 1/4 in., 1/2 in. and 3/4 in. Styles/patterns: 3 granite looks Custom options: The company say it will custom blend for any color scheme Training: In-house training at plant and a video. TOOLS OF THE TRADE Since most solid surface materials can be routed and carved like hardwood hardwood: see wood. hardwood Timber obtained from broad-leaved, flower-bearing trees. Hardwood trees are deciduous trees, except in the warmest regions. , many woodworking tools can be used. According to according to prep. 1. As stated or indicated by; on the authority of: according to historians. 2. In keeping with: according to instructions. 3. the experts, the most common equipment includes: * panel or countertop saw *routers for creating edge treatments and inlays *sawhorses * straight edges * circular saws with carbide-tipped blades * routers with 1/2-in. carbide-tipped bits * orbital and belt sanders belt sander n. An electric sander fitted with a revolving abrasive belt. * spring clamp clamp (klamp) a surgical device for compressing a part or structure. rubber dam clamp a metallic device used to retain the dam on a tooth. clamp n. squares * levels * caulk caulk also calk v. caulked also calked, caulk·ing also calk·ing, caulks also calks v.tr. 1. guns * chisels. Safety glasses, dust masks and ear protection are also recommended when fabricating solid surfacings. |
|
||||||||||||||||
Printer friendly
Cite/link
Email
Feedback
Reader Opinion