VIDEO: How to Install the Liberty Countertop Plate for an Invisible Countertop Support

www.federalbrace.com - In this video, Scott Toal and Broc Siefert of Federal Brace take us through the installation of the Liberty Invisible Countertop Support Plates.

This video walks us through the features that make the Liberty an excellent selection when a countertop with invisible support is desired. Broc and Scott show us how simple and easy it is to properly route out the channels in your support structure and install your invisible countertop support plates.

For further information on countertop brackets and the invisible Liberty Support Plates, please contact Federal Brace at http://www.FederalBrace.com or #877-353-8899

Create the illusion of more space with lighting!

Creating an illusion of space with under cabinet lighting or under the counter. With the proper type of lighting the kitchen can be made to appear larger and more pleasing

Kitchen Design tips -

Hire An Architect/Kitchen Designer - This is an extremely important step and a one of the most important kitchen design tips...you need to have kitchen floor plans drawn up in order to move ahead. Not only will they help you to decide what products, materials, and sizes to use, but they will also act as a precise blueprint for your contractor, electrician, plumber, tile installer, and countertop fabricator to follow once your renovation is underway.

Kitchen Design tips -

What should I budget for?
Well, it all depends on how large or small you plan your kitchen renovation to be. Let's assume you are planning a full kitchen renovation. Use these kitchen remodel cost percentages as a guideline:

Appliances	10%
Cabinetry	30%
Countertops	10%
Electrical and Plumbing	10%
Flooring	10%
Backsplash and Painting	10%
General Contractor - Labor	20%

Always add 30% to the bottom line to compensate for any product and labor increases.

I know this seems like a lot but, you'll be happy you did!

Is a new kitchen outdoors available to you?

Check out this news article:

http://freshome.com/2011/04/11/how-to-choose-summer-kitchen-amenities-for-your-outdoor-patio/

Do I need to reseal my granite? How often?

Your countertops were sealed prior to installation, but depending on the type of granite you chose, an occasional application may be needed. Darker colored granite is harder than lighter colors, and as a result, less permeable. Therefore, dark countertops may never need resealing. Light colored countertops may require an annual application depending on how quickly absorbed moisture evaporates out.

Where does Granite come from?

Granite is mined at thousands of quarry sites throughout the world including North America, Brazil, Turkey, India and many others including Arizona. A granite quarry may be an open area, a hillside, or an underground site. A modern quarry will likely use diamond-edge saws or water-jet technology (green friendly) to extract granite in symmetrical blocks that are processed into individual slabs for commercial and residential fabrication and installation.

For over 6,000 years the world's royalty and rulers have used granite lavishly as a beautiful, permanent, prestigious building material. Just recently over the last 25 years modern technology and market values have made granite an affordable and highly valuable investment. Granite offers unprecedented beauty, rarity, prestige and application. Commercial granite has seen a steady evolution in the past 200-year period. Today, the architectural, structural, decorative and artistic values of granite impart corporate stability, integrity, value and quality. Granite is now the #1 building material of choice in America.

Check out this post from TLC:

Design on a Budget.

Remodeling

Remodeling involves major changes that may take your kitchen in a whole new direction. A remodeled kitchen is what you're up to if you need to change the whole "footprint" of your kitchen to add space or reshape the room for better views or better access. While your existing home's size and site will affect how radically you can change your kitchen, you can make surprisingly big changes.

Remodeling doesn't depend on what your old kitchen looked like, only on what your needs and wishes are and what your budget dictates. New built-in appliances and cabinetry, new windows and skylights, a new eat-in area or home office niche, a family room/ kitchen combination, and more -- anything's possible with remodeling.

Where to put the Kitchen Island?

The National Kitchen and Bath Association(NKBA), recommends that you have a 36″ clearance in traffic areas and 42″ clearance in the work area of your kitchen.

Island Sizing.

There are no set guidelines for sizing an island, but there are a few rules for the spaces around it. A designer figures out the work and walk-aisle clearances, and those dimensions dictate plans for the structure.

Its shape is often determined by the surrounding area. The basic four-sided island is the workhorse configuration most popular in closed floor plans. For open rooms, angular islands—think L, Y, U or V shapes—act as a wall delineating the kitchen without totally blocking it off. While these multifaceted designs cost more to build, they typically offer more places for shelves, drawers, wine racks, towel bars, pullout bins and other amenities, as well as more space for appliances.

No man is an island, but most people want one in their kitchen.

The middle of the kitchen is the traditional spot for an island. A central island anchors the room and organizes the work flow while providing accessible counter space from all directions.

Use custom kitchen islands to create an attractive area that will perform a variety of useful functions. Designed correctly, kitchen islands will make your work area more functional and efficient and will be enjoyed by everyone for many years to come.

You must be creative and plan. We will be revisiting Kitchen Islands in the upcoming blogs and going into more detail.

Picking Your Granite Color

You want to find a granite warehouse with a large selection. Make sure they have full slabs of granite for you to see. When you visit, bring your cabinet sample or a door from your existing cabinets. Hold the sample up to the granite, you should be able to tell right away if it is a good match or not. Don’t settle for something that you may not like. This is something that will be a defining element of your kitchen and you need to find a color that appeals to you.

Ask the granite warehouse to pull 5 or 6 slabs for you to view. Make sure the slabs are the same color and point out any dark/light spots or any pattern that you do not like and that you would like to exclude when they cut your kitchen. You may also request a revisit once they measure your kitchen so you can see the cuts they are making and how that will affect your color pattern.

Granite Countertop Maintenance*

A solid quality countertop can define a kitchen. The inclusion of a granite counter top will add class to the most modest of kitchens. They are available in a number of colors and are extremely durable (although periodic sealing is usually a must). Although there is some maintenance involved, granite kitchen counter tops are elegant and timeless.

For Daily care -- stone countertops, daily maintenance consists of simply wiping with a damp cloth or sponge. It's recommended that the countertop be cleaned using a stone soap once per week.

If your countertop has a polished finish, you can keep the gleam by applying a stone polish. It's easy to use, you simply apply, allow to dry, and then buff to a shine once a month or so.

Citrus juices & vinegars contain acid that if left unattended, could etch your countertops. Oils can also leave a stain on your counters. Bottles of oil or items containing oil, grease, etc. should be placed on a protective surface while cooking.

*This is the first in daily tips for kitchen design.