Services

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.

Countertops
We have all kinds of countertops including Silestone®, Cambria®, Technistone®, Zodiaq®, Legacy®, CaesarStone®, Corian®, Staron®, Granite, Marble, WilsonArt® and Formica®. Briefly these products fall into four categories: natural stone, 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 otherwise they will be susceptible to stains, odors and bacteria. However only granite and marble have the natural beauty of veins running through them, attributing all the more to their inconsistency, meaning that stones of the same color can vary significantly in appearance (some colors more than others). This is why you are encouraged to hand-select your slabs. In addition granite and marble can polish to a higher degree of shine than engineered stone. Granite and marble however contain fissures naturally (hairline cracks) and, although they are strong, laterally they are not as strong as engineered stone. Granite, marble and engineered stone are all manufactured to the same 1 3/16" thickness.

The next family is called engineered stone. The quality amongst competitors is basically the same and includes such brands as Silestone®, Cambria®, Zodiak®, Legacy®, 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 bonding agent is what makes them non-porous. They are sealed for life requiring old mild soap and water or Windex® 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" product. Engineered stone is consistent in its appearance, allowing the same beautiful look throughout the finished product. According to manufacturers they are the most heat resistant, scratch resistant and stain resistant countertop surfaces on the market, and have beautiful color combinations making it easy to match them to your cabinets, wallsplash and floor. As mentioned engineered stones however do not have the look of veins running through them.

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, wear and burn (although light scratches can be buffed out.) They are still very nice for the bathroom.

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 any more. In addition I carry special lines of impressive granite look-alikes such as the Formica® Etched series and the WilsonArt Premium® and Hi-Def® lines which can be seen in many kitchen and bath magazine ads.

How do these materials and brands compare on price? All of the natural and engineered stones and acrylics with the exception of Cambria® have price categories - say A through E - and range from about $60 to $90 per square foot installed. Color choice determines price category. In addition there is a sink cutout charge and a removal and disposal charge. Eased or pencil edge (the names are interchangeable) is included. Most of the laminates price out about 40% less than stone. The WilsonArt Premium® and Hi-Def® lines price out a little higher.

So how does one decide among countertop materials? Usually someone has already seen granite, an engineered stone or an acrylic and has made up their mind that is what they want. If that is not the case then it comes down to color, characteristics and price points. Kitchen Tune-Up® can show you samples of each and in most cases can price your countertop in about ten minutes in the comfort and privacy of your home. Our prices are very competitive.

Did you know?
Some companies require you to first remove your old countertop before they will template for your new countertop. This puts you in a position of being without a sink and countertop for two to three weeks. However we will make a template with your old sink and counterplace in place, minimizing disruption in your kitchen. We also offer to remove and dispose of your old countertop. Some companies will not offer this service, or make you pay a premium if it is offered. 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 in the front window 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 seventy-nine 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 several lines that will go beautifully with your new countertop. View Kubel Distributors sinks and faucets.

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.

Custom Cabinets
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 Custom Cabinets for more information.

Floor Restoration
With our unique sandless process, we can restore your floor's color and finish without sanding. Avoid the mess and odor that traditional sanding and coating with oil-based coatings causes. Click on Floor Restoration for more detail.

Commercial Services
The same wood restoration process that we use for cabinets is perfect for commercial locations that have wood trim, paneling, and other wood surfaces. This can include offices, hotels, and restaurants. If your wood surfaces have become worn, scratched, and dull from constant use, we can help. We can also schedule tune-ups on a regular basis to keep your wood looking good.

Landlords, Apartment Managers, Realtors
With rental units we all know how hard it is to upgrade the kitchen while the unit is occupied; and you may not want to force a vacancy just for the sake of being able to spruce up the kitchen. In this market it could take months to rent an apartment. Instead let us show you affordable doors and drawer fronts for rental units and let's upgrade those circa 1970's kitchens with one of several solutions. We can either do a full reface, or paint the face frames (cabinets) and then install new doors and drawer fronts to match. By saving money on the reface you can apply the savings to a new countertop. We have many countertop colors and styles from which to choose. If you can rent the apartment for an extra $100 per month ($1200 per year), the kitchen improvements will pay for themselves in a few years. All this with no vacancy because we work along with your tenants, clean up each night, and do not disrupt their ability to use their kitchen.

Condominium Conversion Developers, Rehabbers
The market is very competitive right now. A feasible way to convert those apartments into condos is to reface them. In one week we can get in there, complete a quality reface without ripping out your existing kichen, and can create a top-notch condo-quality look using beautiful woods or laminates. You will save perhaps one third the cost of a rip-out price and will avoid electrical, plumbing, wall and flooring issues. Think of the soft costs you will save!

Kitchen Tune-Up® of Stoneham
Stoneham, MA 02180
781-224-1220