Can “what you don’t know”…actually hurt you? Of course it can.
Most are familiar with the age old saying: “what you don’t know won’t hurt you”, and while this saying may ring true in some of the small innocent corners of our lives, the real story is something altogether different. Just imagine walking out on an icy lake, not knowing the ice was too thin hold your weight. Or maybe riding your bike through what looked like a mud puddle, not knowing it was really too deep to cross. Ouch!
Or…how about investing in a beautiful new granite counter top, not knowing it could be poorly fabricated and improperly installed in a way that haunted you for years.
Or…maybe after anguishing over a variety of high end surface options presented in a sales pitch, purchasing an expensive counter top material whose life-cycle, appearance, and performance characteristics where completely contrary to your own lifestyle and needs.
Or…even buying a new home with granite, quartz or solid surface counter tops only to find out after moving in, the counters had significant defects you didn’t notice at first glance.
Or…maybe even spending your hard earned money to hire an architect or designer who creatively draws plans for a unique design that looks amazing on paper but because of the functional nature of the products specified, should never be built as drawn.
Or…, or…, or… Sadly this list goes on and on.
Having spent nearly 30 years in the high end counter top industry with direct and semi-direct involvement in something north of six thousand projects, I’ve learned beyond any doubt that the more you (the customer) know, the better your decisions become and the happier your are with the finished result. It is for that purpose, I’m committed to sharing what I’ve learned here in this website. While the process of sharing this information may take some time, it can be greatly aided by you. By that I mean to personally invite you to post your comments and questions directly in the comments sections of this site. Doing this will tell me what you want and need to know, and will help me prioritize what gets posted and when. For that matter, there are tidbits of information that I simply take for granted after all of these years and your questions will likely help me get over that. I short, help me…help you.
After getting myself covered in dust and routinely lifting more weight than my owners manual recommends (I have stories to tell), I’ve had plenty of time to come to learn that good customer knowledge pretty much falls into three categories of thought. Consequently I’ve organized this site into those categories: Products, Services, and Support. The Blog section is simply a place where these three topics are discussed in a more fluid and real time way.
Products…
The Products section addresses the world of natural stone; man made engineered stones or “Quartz” products; and Solid Surface products such as Corian, LG Hi-macs, or LivingStone. Understanding what’s available in the market place is the best way to gather information and the Products section is really meant to focus mostly on the primary options, brands and market leaders because of their proven performance and reliability.
Services…
The Services section is all about the application of products in various categories of use. Whether it’s using one of the products in new home or business construction or replacing some old worn out counter tops with new granite, Corian, or Quartz counter tops, there are helpful things to know before getting started. Sometimes it’s even necessary to repair granite counter tops or repair Corian counter tops and here is a good place to start gathering the facts so you know what’s possible and/or sensible.
Support…
The Support section covers the details of product application. We’ve all heard “the devil’s in the details” but I like to think the details pave the way to a superb finished product. When the market place degenerates to the point where “average” is a somewhat presentable hack job, then you as a customer can be empowered by a better understanding what the details are all about and then better protect your own investment once you have a good quality project installed.
Mostly I’d like you to have fun, learn, ask what you want to know, and share anything and everything with people you might think would benefit. It’s a bit of a challenge to cram 29 years of experience and knowledge into these pages but I can…and will…because I believe it’s important.