Henderson, Nevada — According to an informal national poll of high-volume countertop craftsmen, today’s homeowners are increasingly looking for countertops that can be customized and personalized. Fabricators belonging to the International Solid Surface Fabricators Association (ISSFA), the industry’s leading trade association, indicate they are seeing more demand for custom features like built-in drainboards, molded-in sinks, seamless backsplashes or decorative designs etched into the countertop as vehicles to achieve one-of-a-kind, personalized installations.

“We’ve noticed an upward trend for customer interest in integral coved splashes, which are backsplashes seamed directly to the countertop. They feature an attractive, watertight transition between the back and the countertop, which eliminates gaps or the need for messy caulks,” says Brad Reamer of WILCOR Solid Surfaces in Elk Grove Village, Illinois. WILCOR fabricates and installs granite, engineered stone and solid surface countertops in the Chicagoland area. “Many of our customers ask about granite because they think it is trendy, then opt for solid surface because of the seamless backsplash, which can’t readily be done in granite.”

Recent market data confirm the rising popularity of solid surface, which is projected to capture 16 percent of the residential countertop market in 2005. That is compared to a projected 4 percent share for natural stone (i.e. granite and marble) and 3 percent for engineered stone (also known as quartz surfacing).

Have It Your Way

According to those fabricators surveyed, the highly custom nature of solid surface is a major reason for its increased popularity. An emerging trend, for example, is the increasing use of drainboards shaped in a variety of patterns, grooved right into the countertop surface. This presents an ideal solution for homeowners who opt to wash their prized crystal and other delicate and expensive items by hand instead of putting them in the dishwasher.

“We are seeing a lot of interest in custom work,” says Debbie Layton of Mountain Tops Solid Surface Creations in Hayes, N.C. Mountain Tops offers a full variety of countertop options, including solid surface, granite and engineered stone, and covers all of Western North Carolina and Northern Georgia. “A hot item right now is solid surface in a bead board style installed as wall splash behind the countertop. It is such a great idea. Our customers love it because they have that wonderful look with no maintenance.”

As solid surface fabrication shops have become more sophisticated, the level of craftsmenship and custom options has increased dramatically, which dovetails perfectly with consumers’ current desires for more personalized countertop options. For example, computer controlled routers are used by craftsmen to carve intricate patterns into solid surface, which are filled with colored resins to create decorative designs in the countertop.

“We recently did an inlay of a turtle in one corner of the countertop for a lady who had just lost her husband,” says Layton. “The turtle was a private symbol of their love for each other, and now has become a daily reminder of their life together. Her countertop has evolved into something of great sentimental value.”

Fabricators report the use of decorative inlays has also come to reflect an expression of regional tastes and attitudes. Where Texans might prefer images of deer or cattle, bear paws are popular in the Appalachian Mountains, golf courses in Florida and beach scenes in the Pacific Southwest.

Molded Sinks

A 100 percent man-made material, solid surface is unique among all other countertop alternatives in that sections can be joined together to create a monolithic surface with no visible seams. Regardless of the shape or configuration of the countertop, solid surface can be fabricated to fit the kitchen or bath design so perfectly it looks as though it has been poured in place.

“Our customers in Northern Ohio are really going for the option of seamed-in, molded sinks and custom countertop colors,” says Todd Werstler of Tower Industries, Inc., a solid surface and cultured marble fabrication company located in Massillon, Ohio, which installs thousands of countertops per year. “The molded-in sink option, in particular, is a tremendous feature that granite and engineered stone cannot offer. Sinks cast in solid surface are actually seamed to the countertop. There are no gaps or ledges to harbor bacteria, and nowhere for the water to go, except into the sink. It’s a beautiful solution to a previously ugly and unsanitary problem.”

Vanessa Bates of Block Tops, Inc., based in Anaheim, Calif. offers the full spectrum of countertop choices in six locations spread across California and Arizona. She indicates having seen a dramatic rise in the popularity of the molded-in sink option among her clients. “In recent years over 70 percent of our solid surface installations include a molded sink,” she says. “That is in comparison to approximately 25 percent of all solid surface countertops just a few years ago. A primary driving force for that nearly three-fold increase can be attributed to a reduction in price of the molded sink. It’s an option consumers have always wanted and now believe they can afford.”

Available in hundreds of colors and patterns, solid surface has an aesthetic to fit virtually any lifestyle. “The concrete look is very popular with our younger customers,” explains Valerie Graves of Olive Mill in Anaheim, Calif., which sells solid surface, granite and engineered stone to the retail residential market. “But concrete is likely to crack, which is part of the mystique, but a lot of people don’t like it. When we present them with a solid surface that looks like concrete, yet is non-porous and doesn’t need sealing, they love it because it is worry-free and a better overall value.”

Easy To Maintain

Among the many reasons for choosing solid surface, consumers appreciate the peace of mind that comes from a product with an industry-wide 10-year installed warranty. Normal maintenance consists of wiping the countertop with a soft cloth dampened in a solution of water and mild detergent. Solid surface is also renewable, which means even five year-old countertops can be refinished to look as fresh and clean as the day they were installed.

“Our customers are increasingly concerned about the effort required to take care of their countertops,” says Phil DeCaro of Eagle Fabrication, Inc. in Keyport, N.J. Eagle Fabrication is one of the Northeast’s leading fabricators of solid surface products. “They like the look of granite, but when they find out it must be re-sealed each year to keep it from staining and absorbing water, it becomes a huge turn-off. Consumers today are all about customization and convenience. You can almost see the look of relief come over them when we show them a countertop material that offers both.”

Adds Lynda Fisher of The Countertop Shoppe in Topeka, Kansas: “We have experienced a 20 percent increase selling to busy moms and dads that appreciate a surface Kool-Aid stains won’t affect. They also love that solid surface will always be fixable.”

Every Top Is Custom

In order to achieve the personalization and customization for which solid surface is known, a representative of the countertop company visits the home to make a one-of-a-kind pattern of the countertop prior to beginning fabrication. The template is transported back to the countertop shop, where skilled craftsmen fashion raw sheets of material into form-fitting shapes that elegantly match the nuances of the kitchen or bath.

As with most custom products, there is a high level of craftsmenship required to create a one-of-a-kind countertop installation. To that end, homeowners should seek out and use an ISSFA fabricator. ISSFA members have access to world-class training demonstrating state-of-the-art fabrication and management techniques.

Professional Advice

“We encourage consumers to use their fabricator as a resource,” explains Robert Oxley, executive director of ISSFA. “Go to his shop, browse the showroom, see how the countertop is crafted, ask his opinion on material choices, accessories and custom options. He is familiar with the characteristics of the many products available and can recommend the best material for any situation. Above all, be sure to use an ISSFA fabricator.”

ISSFA trained fabricators have access to world-class education in the art and business of solid surface fabrication. Through their association membership, ISSFA fabricators have invested in the countertop industry, helping to establish standards for quality and ethical business practices. Using an ISSFA craftsmen is your best assurance of quality, reliability and professional attention to detail.

To find an ISSFA fabricator in your area, call the ISSFA office at 877-GO-ISSFA, or visit online at www.issfa.org.


ABOUT ISSFA

Founded in February of 1997, the International Solid Surface Fabricators Association (ISSFA) is a not-for-profit trade association established to further the personal and professional interests of solid surface fabricators. ISSFA Fabricator members are the best in the business. To become a member, a fabricator company must agree to uphold the ISSFA Fabricator Code of thics, provide a copy of its certificate of insurance, and be sponsored by a member in good standing.

ISSFA Associate members include distributors, manufacturers and affiliated professionals that provide tools, machinery, supplies and services to the solid surface industry; as well as allied industry professionals such as interior designers, architects, and specifiers.

Interviews and shop tours with local fabricators, ISSFA president Richard Christ and/or executive director Robert Oxley are available upon request.