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Services
We provide many kitchen, kitchen cabinet and wood-related services. Click on any of the links below for a more detailed description of each.
Cabinet Restoration
Instead of replacing your wood cabinets, let us "tune" them
up. With this affordable service we remove layers of grime and dirt from
your cabinets, blend missing color, fill gouges and scratches, renew the
finish if needed, lubricate hinges and drawers, and more - all in one
day. Click on Cabinet Restoration for more detail.
Cabinet Refacing
We can change the look of your cabinets by replacing your doors and drawer
fronts, and applying real wood or laminate veneer on your cabinets. You'll
be amazed at the difference. Click on Cabinet Refacing
for more detail.
New Cabinetry
Replacing your cabinets may be the right choice - whether you want an
entirely new look or configuration for your kitchen, or if your current
cabinets are not sound enough to reface. Choose from various lines of
stock, semi-custom and custom cabinets. Click on New Cabinetry for more information.
Countertops
We have all kinds of countertops including Cambria®,
Silestone®, Technistone®, Zodiaq®, CaesarStone®,
Corian®, Staron®, granite, marble, WilsonArt® and Formica®.
Briefly these products fall into four categories: natural stone, quartz (also
known as engineered stone), acrylic and laminate.
Granite and marble, the natural stones, are remarkably beautiful but are porous and nonsanitary. They need to be sealed a few times per year to trap out stains, odors and bacteria. Granite and marble have beautiful veins running through them, attributing to their natural beauty. These veins plus natural color variation from slab to slab are why we recommend that you to visit our granite yard and showroom so that you may hand-pick your slab of stone.) In addition some granite and marble colors polish to a higher degree of shine than does quartz, although most people are satisfied with the quartz shine. Granite and marble contain fissures (hairline cracks) so although they are strong they are not as strong as quartz.
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The next family is called quartz or engineered stone. The quality amongst competitors is basically the same and includes such brands as Silestone, Cambria, Zodiak, Technistone and CaesarStone. These companies compete on color similar to how soft drink companies compete on taste. They are all quartz/resin compositions with roughly 93% quartz and 7% resin. The resin mixed in is a bonding agent and is what makes them non-porous and therefore sealed for life, requiring only mild soap and water clean-up. Quartz is the fourth hardest mineral on Earth (only diamond, sapphire and topaz are harder), making for a very durable and "stone-looking" appearance. Quartz is consistent in its appearance allowing for the same beautiful look throughout the finished product, and thus eliminating the need to hand-select your slabs. According to manufacturers they are the most heat resistant, scratch resistant and stain resistant countertop product on the market, and have beautiful color combinations making it easy to match them to your cabinets, wallsplash area and floor.
Corian and Staron are acrylic compositions. Corian is a Dupont product while Staron is a Samsung product. They too have a consistent appearance about them and provide for a "softer" look. As beautiful as the acrylics are they have fallen out of favor for the kitchen as they can scratch, stain, wear and burn (although light scratches and stains can be buffed out and removed.)
Lastly we offer Formica, WilsonArt and other brands of laminate. They are long lasting and less expensive than all of the above. Their colors look really good today and their countertop seams are tigher than they were twenty years ago so you don't notice that black edge as much. In addition we carry a popular seamless rounded edge as well as impressive granite look-alike colors. These are available in both Formica and WilsonArt brands and can be seen in many kitchen and bath magazines. Their color schemes are amazing and they have the presentation of large chunks of stones and veins running through them.
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How do these materials and brands compare on price? All of the natural and quartz stones and acrylics with the exception of Cambria have price categories - say A through D - and range from about $60 to $86 per square foot installed, although we do have ten promotional colors at promotional pricing - ask me about it. Color choice determines price category. In addition there is a sink cutout charge, and a charge to remove and dispose of the old countertop. Pencil (or eased) edge, 3/8 round, half bullnose and beveled edges are all available at no extra charge. In addition if your countertop requires carpentry to level it front to back to allow it to sit better or to add trim to the top of the cabinetry after the countertop has been installed there will be an additional charge. All of the Cambria colors price out at the same price per square foot installed plus sink cutout, removal and disposal of the old, and any of the four no-charge edges. Special edges, radiused and clipped corners, bump-ins, bump-outs, etc. are available at an additional charge. Most of the laminates price out about 40% less than stone. The WilsonArt Premium and Hi-Def lines price out a little higher. Acrylic prices out quite closely to granite and quartz.
So how does one decide amongst countertop materials? Ask yourself if the twice per year polishing and sealing of granite will bother you, or if you really want the veins (movement) running through the stone, or if you want the higher degree of shine that some granite colors offer. Versus, would you rather enjoy the low maintenance of quartz stone. If you want the soft look of acrylic without the porosity and softness of the material you can still get this in several of the quartz colors. Ask us about it. Kitchen Tune-Up® can show you samples of each, can answer your questions, and in most cases can price out your countertop in about ten minutes in the comfort and privacy of your home. Our prices are competitive and we offer full service. Please note that we may not make an appointment for a countertop-only job. It will depend on how busy we are, the location and size of the job. If you are in price shopping mode feel free to call to ask questions. Although we give our time freely time is valuable so if we come out for a countertop-only job please be ready to move forward. Thank you for your understanding.
Did you know?
Unlike some companies which require you to first remove your old countertop before
they will template you for your new countertop (which puts you in a position
of being without a sink and countertop for two to three weeks),
we will template you with your old sink and counterplace in place,
minimizing disruption. We also offer to remove and dispose
of your old countertop and provide a courtesy disconnect of your old sink. Some
companies will not offer these services, or make you pay a premium if they do offer it. We also have a
plumber to help with the reconnection of your plumbing.
View
examples of countertop installations.
If you are in the area and would like to see Silestone drop in at Gray's Appliance at 945 Main Street in Melrose (781-665-2671) where we have a floor display against the back wall featuring twenty-four colors. Pick up a brochure, and while you are there shop for your appliances. If you are not familiar with Gray's they have been in business for over eighty years, have a wonderful reputation and feature a wide variety of appliances with great service and reasonable prices. And don't forget to mention Kitchen Tune-Up®.
Sinks
and Faucets
We know your time is valuable so we offer one-stop shopping for sinks
and faucets. We carry a high quality line that will go beautifully with your
new countertop Visit Artisan's Website
for more information.
Organizers
To make your life easier we offer a full line of organizers including
roll-out trays, tipout trays and our exclusive new blind corner cabinet
combination rollout tray/lift tray. Browse the Rev-A-Shelf
Catalog for more information or call us about the combination rollout
tray/lift tray.
Kitchen Tune-Up®
of Stoneham
Stoneham, MA 02180
781-224-1220