Silestone
Silestone is manufactured by the Cosentino Group. Silestone is known for its vibrant solid colors. Silestone is a popular choice as it offers all the benefits of durability, low maintenance and comes in a wide variety of colors and finishes. It is highly promoted by retailers, interior designers and many kitchen and bath designers around the globe. Silestone is available in more than 90 colors, ensuring the perfect color for all designs and projects. The three textures available, polished, suede and volcano, allow for endless possibilities. Silestone is also backed by a 25-year transferable warranty.
LG Viatera
Viatera is originally a division of the South Korean company LG, however many of their popular designs are made domestically outside of Atlanta, Georgia. LG’s 2020 collection boasts 16 quartz designs within their classic collection, 23 within their musica collection and 9 within their masterpiece collection. LG Viatera Quartz comes with a 15-year limited warranty.
Caesarstone
Caesarstone is another popular name within the quartz countertop industry, Caesarstone is known as the “pioneer of natural quartz surfaces” and carries many unique quartz designs. Caesarstone’s Concetto Collection includes ten surfaces that incorporate semi-precious stones like tiger’s eye, dumortierite, and agate. This collection offers deep embossing in crocodile skin and lace textures. Aside from the standard glossed finish, Caesarstone also offers several finishes such as honed, concrete, rough, and natural. Caesarstone is backed by a life-time residential warranty.
Q-Premium Natural Quartz
Q -Quartz is the latest in elegant and durable natural quartz offered through MSI. Made
with 93% quartz, Q-Quartz is offered in an array of contemporary colors and designs. Q-Quartz provides a beautiful and discerning solution for homeowners and is backed by a residential life-time warranty.
Corian Quartz
Corian Quartz (formerly Zodiaq Quartz by Dupont) comes in a variety of hues, tones, and colors for every design sensibility and specialized application. Corian Quartz can be whatever your design imagination commands it to be. Featuring both light and dark veined options as well as light and dark granular patterns, Corian Quartz offers an array of designer choices for your project. Corian Quartz is backed by a transferrable 10-year limited residential warranty.
Additional products and brands are available upon request. If you do not see the product you are looking for reach out to us at 585-292-5340
Corian Solid Surfaces by Dow/Dupont
Features and benefits in using Corian: With innovative designs and an enduring color palette, Corian will make all of your design aspirations come true. Achieve your dreams while still selecting a quality product that will stand up to whatever your life may throw at it. With over 130 colors or designs Corian solid surface is one of the top selling solid surface Brands within the industry and is widely used within the commercial building industry. Corian solid surface counters come with a 10-year limited product warranty.
Hi-Macs Solid Surfaces by LG Hausys
Hi-Macs is a non-porous material that can be fabricated in the same way as wood into
a design that prevents growth of bacteria and mold. Hi-Macs is easy to maintain and fabricate with premium quality. It has exceptional thermoforming and translucent properties that yield versatile design possibilities that do not put a stop to a craftsmen’s creativity or clients’ needs. Hi-Macs is also one of the top selling solid surface brands within the industry and is also widely used within the commercial building industry. Hi- Macs solid surface counters come with a 15-year limited product warranty.
Additional products and brands are available upon request. If you do not see the product you are looking for reach out to us at 585-292-5340
Seams
Seams in quartz are typically more inconspicuous than in granite. The durability and integrity of most quartz reduces chipping during the fabrication process, however, due to new quartz colors simulating the characteristics of a natural stone, seams may be more visible with the different colorations and veining in the material. Solid Surfaces will do the best job possible in placing seams and in lining up veined materials while balancing the cost of additional material. Please remember that most all quartz slabs are NOT BOOK MATCHED and therefore may not always allow for perfect alignment of material veining. Please work with your sales consultant to find the appropriate balance for you when it comes to material utilization (cost) vs. perfect veining (aesthetics). In general, most fabricators will default to material utilizations to keep projects within Budget.
Seam Placement Requests:
Some homeowners request seamless islands, peninsula’s and “L”-shaped tops for aesthetic reasons. Requests such as these are dependent on several factors such as overall size, overhangs, installation or material restrictions and maneuverability of the piece or pieces being installed. Most important is the SAFETY OF OUR INSTALLERS
in setting the surfaces and of course, the SAFETY OF YOU, THE HOMEOWNER.
Finish:
Quartz countertops come in many distinct finishes such as polished, suede, honed, leathered, concrete, and volcano.
Staining:
Most brands of Quartz countertops are stain resistant. It is always best though to wipe up potential stains in a timely manner.
Regular Maintenance:
None required – Just wash with soap and water.
Sealant Test:
Quartz does not require a sealant test as it is not porous like natural stone and more specifically, granite.
Cleaning:
You may use lukewarm water and a PH neutral detergent to clean your countertop. Do not use any abrasive cleaners such as Bleach, Comet, S.O.S. pads, etc. Although quartz is non-porous, you can impact the finish in scrubbing with abrasive cleaners.
Scratching:
Quartz is a man-made product that is made up of 93% quartz and 7% resins. Due to the high quartz percentage, quartz tops are highly resistant to scratching but it can and will scratch if you are determined to do so. The top should NOT be used as a cutting surface since it will dull your knives. The use of a cutting board or trivet is highly recommended.
Chips:
Quartz counters can chip if something is dropped on them or if you strike the surface or
edge with a hard, solid object. For example, some homeowners cook with cast iron
pans which when striking the edge of a counter, can cause a chip in a more defined
profile edge. Chips can be repaired by a technician during a requested service call.
Chips are not typically covered under warranty post installation and are therefore
chargeable. Please call Solid Surfaces to request a service call to perform any type of
repairs at 585- 292-5340 (click to call)
Heat:
You should never place a hot pan or baking sheet on any countertop surface. Quartz is resistant to heat, but if the temperature gets too high, you can damage your quartz countertops. The reason is due to the resin used in making the quartz counters. The use of a trivet is highly recommended for hot stove tops or baking pans.
Please note that these tips and guidelines do not constitute a guarantee and are only provided as general guidance. Please consult you sales associate for further information.
Granite Warranty:
As natural stone products are just that, natural, granite counters ARE NOT backed by a product warranty. Labor/installation of your natural stone counters project are warranted however by Solid Surfaces NY for one year from the date of your natural stone project installation.
Hand Selecting Granite:
As natural stone has a greater variation from sample to slab, it is strongly requested that you see your particular slab or slab lot prior to us starting your project. Please note that hand selecting any non-stock granite will require a 50% deposit on the total job to hold for up to 60 days. For hold requests greater than 60 days, Solid Surfaces will require full payment to include material and the intended fabrication costs necessary to complete your natural stone project.
Seams:
Placement of seams is at the discretion of Solid Surfaces. Our programmers have been designing tops for many years. We typically design your counters with the most cost-effective layout in mind to reduce waste and of course to keep projects financially reasonable. Seams vary from 1/16” to 1/8” and are discernable to the eye and touch. Every effort is made to ensure that the seam is placed in the best location for structural integrity and to make the tops aesthetically pleasing. At times natural characteristics of granite make it impossible to guarantee a match in color or veining when seaming two pieces together. Color coordinated epoxy will be used to fill the seam and blend in with countertops, however it is not the actual stone, so there is always a possibility the seam may not match the stone exactly.
Seam Placement Requests:
Some homeowners request seamless islands, peninsula’s and “L”-shaped tops for aesthetic reasons. Requests such as these are dependent on several factors such as overall size, over-
hangs, installation. or material restrictions, and maneuverability of the piece or pieces being
installed. Most important is the SAFETY OF OUR INSTALLERS in setting the surfaces and of
course, the SAFETY OF YOU, THE HOMEOWNER.
Finish:
Your countertop will come with a polished finish unless otherwise specified. Irregularities in natural materials like granite are common, reflecting unique natural patterns that give each granite countertop its distinct appearance. Altered finishes such as honed, leathered, or matte can have the tendency to show fingerprints or water spots, although this is most likely to be visible only in a darker natural stone such as granite.
Staining:
Granite countertops rarely stain when properly sealed and maintained. 98% of any stains that do occur can be removed with a poultice. Although there is no product warranty on granite, fabricators will typically attempt to remove stains using poultice for a chargeable fee, Solid Surfaces NY will only perform this service if the granite tops were originally installed by us.
Sealing:
All countertops are sealed twice prior to installation and once after installation using a specially formulated stone sealer. In some rare cases there are instances in which less dense granites may require additional sealer to be applied post installation.
Regular Maintenance:
A natural stone “sealer/restorer” can be purchased at Solid Surfaces NY or at any hardware or
home improvement center and should be applied to your granite counters every couple of
weeks, aside from standard cleaning with soap and water. High traffic areas tend to require more attention than less used areas of your counters.
Sealant Test:
Purchase or repurpose a spray bottle that contains a “mist”setting on the dispenser. Fill the
bottle with water and spray a light mist on the surface of your granite. Leave this unattended for 1-2 minutes and inspect the surface. If you see that the water is still on the surface and
has not absorbed, you know that your sealer is working. If not, you should apply a natural stone “sealer/restorer,” available at Solid Surfaces NY or any home improvement store.
Cleaning:
You may use lukewarm water and a PH neutral detergent to clean your countertop. Do not use any abrasive cleaners such as Bleach, Comet, S.O.S. pads, etc.
Scratching:
Granite countertops are extremely hard surfaces and very resistant to scratching. Only diamonds, sapphires, and topaz are harder. This means granite is very durable and able to withstand scratches and long-term wear. The top should NOT be used as a cutting surface since it will dull your knives. The use of a cutting board or trivet is highly recommended.
Chips:
When fabricating countertops, chipping at the edges and corners may occur. These chips are
normally patched and are normal characteristics when dealing with natural stone. These chips
or pits are considered acceptable, provided the structural integrity of the stone is not affected
Heat:
Granite countertops are very heat resistant and unlikely to burn or scorch. However, thermal
shock or cracks may occur if the countertop is subject to extreme temperature changes. It is
recommended that you protect your countertop from extreme heat by using trivets or hot pads.
Please note that these tips and guidelines do not constitute a guarantee and are only provided
as general guidance. Please consult your sales associate for further information.