Combining Solid Surface With Other
Materials
By Russ Lee
Isn’t it the way it always seems to go? Just when you think you
have a handle on all the features and benefits of a particular
kitchen or bath product, something comes along to change your
perception entirely.
Take solid surface, for example. You already know it as a
monolithic-like surfacing material that hugs the contours of a
kitchen layout with no visible seams, and options like integral
sinks and coved backsplashes make the product a low-
maintenance, repairable and watertight installation.
But, chances are you haven’t thought of solid surface as an
accent to other surfacing materials in the kitchen or bath.
Designers are finding that the physical and aesthetic properties of
laminate, stone, tile and even wood are enhanced when combined with
edging, shaped goods or inlays made from solid surface.
The laminate industry was the first to take advantage of solid
surface’s many benefits by creating edge strips from Corian,
Surell, Gibraltar and other leading brands, which glue directly to
the laminate countertop deck. The strips are designed to be quickly
installed by laminate fabricators using tools already found in
their shops, or that can be purchased inexpensively.
The obvious benefit of this type of edging is that it eliminates
the black line associated with self-edge laminate tops. But, there
are other benefits as well. A variety of edge profiles are possible
with the half-inch-thick, machinable strips, thereby adding a
custom touch to an otherwise bland installation. The solid surface
edges are stronger and more impact resistant than laminate, and can
be heated and bent to conform to virtually any radius. Three
companies offering pre-made solid surface edging are Kuehn Bevel
Inc., Loti Corp. and Wilsonart International.
Fabricators of other surfacing materials have taken their cue
from the laminate industry and are now offering solid surface
edging on their products, sometimes with a twist. Technistone USA,
Inc. imports a half-inch-thick engineered stone product that it
calls Kodiak. It is specifically designed to be edged with solid
surface strips. The company also advocates seaming solid surface
sinks to the underside of the engineered stone decks, thereby
creating a watertight condition similar to solid surface’s integral
bowl concept.
According to Technistone’s Tom Costello, the advantages of
seaming solid surface to engineered stone become readily apparent
in the fabricator’s shop. “With a lower overall investment in
fabrication equipment, any solid surface fabricator can enter into
the engineered stone business and be competitive,” he says. “The
method also allows for greater design flexibility and provides the
opportunity to offer a wider variety of colors and edge profiles
not possible with stone alone.”
For those consumers who appreciate an elegant touch to their
countertop installation, at least two solid surface manufacturers
now offer thicker, pre-cast edge strips with intricate profile
designs already embossed on the face. One of those companies,
American Marble Industries, offers 12 different intricate edge
patterns available in a variety of colors, and has developed
adhesives and fabrication systems for seaming its product onto all
types of materials, including tile, laminate and natural stone. The
other, Centura Solid Surfacing, offers a variety of sizes and
styles of accent trim mouldings appropriate for countertop edges,
backsplashes and even bar rails. As an added feature, Centura will
custom match colors on demand.
Because of their dissimilar physical characteristics, one of the
more unlikely material combinations is that of solid surface and
wood. Where solid surface is the ideal product for wet
applications, wood must be protected from the damp or it will stain
and rot. Solid surface is temperature sensitive in that it will
expand and contract with extreme changes in heat and cold, where
wood is less affected by environmental conditions. Yet, in the
hands of a knowledgeable and skilled craftsman, solid surface
accents can be applied to wood with excellent results.
Bob Marasco of Severe Weather Solid Surface in Wilmington, NC,
is a solid surface fabricator with a background in woodworking and
custom boat building, who inlays butcher block tops with solid
surface accent strips. Marasco indicates that he likes both the
versatility and the range of color options available in solid
surface, which present an interesting contrast to solid wood when
the two materials are combined.
Indeed, it is the versatility of solid surface that makes it an
ideal accent material for the entire spectrum of surfacing options
available today. As a material that can be shaped, machined, sanded
and invisibly seamed and one that is available in virtually every
color of the rainbow properly fabricated solid surface enhances the
appearance and physical characteristics of other materials as
well.
So let your imagination run wild. Chances are that whatever you
can dream up, your solid surface fabricator can help you turn it
into reality.