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No. 8 was Craft-Art's Wood Countertops, built from a selection of more than 20 different wood species using only First European Quality lumber. Some of the most popular wood species are black walnut, distressed black walnut, antique heart pine, teak and tigerwood. All lumber is hand-selected and matched to highlight grain, color and texture. Tops are available in plank and edge-grain style using full-length boards or they can be constructed end-grain style, which creates a checkerboard-type pattern. Any sink fixture can be accommodated. The countertops are waterproof, heat/stain- resistant and food safe. They are finished with organic tung oil-based varnish that penetrates into the wood fibers to create a permanent finish that will not crack, chip or peel. Please Circle 40 on Reader Response Card
North Star Surfaces' Certified PaperStone product, produced by KlipTech Composites, ranked at No. 9. This FSC-certified product has been approved by the Rainforest Alliance. The product is designed to combine the beauty of stone and the strength of steel with an ease of workmanship. It is an advancement over the original PaperStone, having gone to 100 percent post-consumer recycled paper and is FSC-certified by SmartWood. It features four colors: Slate Black, Chocolate Brown, Straw Yellow and Concrete Grey. Please Circle 41 on Reader Response Card
Taking the 10th position is Pyrolave, a unique mineral formed in the volcanic prehistory of France's Central Massif (Auvergne). The specially quarried, glazed and fired work surface is individually fashioned to customer specificeations, with size, shape and color created entirely to suit a particular environment. The product is heat-, scratch-, stain- and impact-resistant, and can be used indoors or outdoors. Please Circle 42 on Reader Response Card
Tefor surfacing, offered by Abet Laminati, came in at No. 11. This 100 percent recycled, nonporous, high-impact decorative surface is made from phenolic dust and nonvirgin polypropylene. In addition to basic black, it is available in six design-driven colors — green, brown, rust, yellow, navy and gray. It is waterproof, durable, can be easily wiped clean and is chemically inert. The company also offers Silver, a collection of high-pressure laminates with real metal surfaces in six patterns. Each intricately designed pattern looks as though it were hammered into the silver laminate to create texture. Suitable for vertical applications, the Silver collection is available in 48- by 120-in. sheets (4 by 10 ft.). These aluminum surfaces are phenolic-backed and protected by a lacquering and anodizing process. Please Circle 43 on Reader Response Card
Ranking at No. 12 is the soapstone offered by Green Mountain Soapstone. This surfacing material is available in the company's Original and Ice Flower styles. The product's durable, dense surface is designed to possess all the beauty of granite or marble with none of the drawbacks. Soapstone is inert, meaning acids and alkalis won't etch it as they can other stone surfaces. The product is impervious to temperature changes. It is available in long and wide slab sizes, and in standard 30-in.-wide slabs. Seams can be made tight, smooth and inconspicuous. Please Circle 44 on Reader Response Card
HanStone Quartz Surfacing from Hanwha Surfaces hit the chart at No. 13. The company expanded its line of Fine Quartz Surfacing this year with seven new colors. "Maple Canyon" and "Odyssey" are designed to capture the essence of traditional natural stone patterns, while the remaining five colors expand HanStone's palette into new directions by offering bold options that are designed to appeal to contemporary tastes. It is suitable for residential countertop and bath applications as well as a variety of commercial uses, such as lobby and conference room interiors, restaurant surfaces and retail walls and flooring. Please Circle 45 on Reader Response Card
GranitClad from Marshall Innovative Technologies ranks No. 14 of the year's most asked about surfacing material. This surface uses a reinforced thin stone in a patent-pending fabrication process that educates and allows fabricators to resurface almost anything including countertops, shower surrounds, fireplaces and vertical surfaces. By using StoneRidge thin stone (a reinforced panel of natural granite that is available in a 3⁄8-in. thickness), GranitClad fabricators can now reface existing surfaces without the tear-out and demolition originally required. Please Circle 46 on Reader Response Card
No. 15 on the list is Granicoat Sprayable Solid Surface by Safas Corp. Granicoat is the only true sprayable solid surface product that has the look, proprieties and characteristics of traditional sheets. Because it is sprayed, many shapes and products can be manufactured with ease that cannot be made easily with the traditional sheet material (such as bathtubs, shower pans and wall surrounds, sinks and vanities). Granicoat is available in unlimited colors and designs. Please Circle 47 on Reader Response Card
Star Stainless' Ready-To-Hang WallSplash came in at No. 16. The panels, available in six patterns and based on the industry standard for high-end stoves and vents, are easy to install. The product's embossed, two-tone panels are hand-etched and add the finishing touch to any cooking area. The company can also create a custom-designed WallSplash to accommodate larger areas with nonstandard dimensions, complete with cutouts for electrical outlets, pot fillers or other modifications. Please Circle 48 on Reader Response Card
