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By The Windsor Star
February 18, 2006
Women love the results of a home makeover, but they loathe the demolition process.
Weeks and months of living in a construction zone is enough to make even the most patient female yearn for a year at the spa.
And since kitchens and bathrooms are the No. 1 target areas for renovation, we predict women will fall head over heels for a new company called Granite Transformations.
In just a day this crew can retop your old countertops or backsplash, build a custom surround for your tub, do a fireplace, outdoor barbecue or wet bar, and cover virtually anything that looks good in traditional granite or sparkling Italian glass mosaic.
The beauty, of course, is that the old material stays put, the new product looks spectacular, and nobody's the wiser.
Larry Sandre, his wife Lynda and their business partner Tim Scott have hit on a goldmine with a concept that's new to the Essex County area.
But it's been an accepted way of refacing old surfaces in Europe for about 25 years, which is when the owner of a huge Italian company figured if you could put granite over old flooring, why not cover counters, too?
Why, indeed. The concept was so successful it spread throughout Europe, and it's been an accepted practice in Australia, the U.S. and New Zealand for almost a decade. About five years ago it arrived in Canada.
"We opened in May 2005 and it's been going like gangbusters ever since," says Larry, who was driving down the expressway when he heard about the process on a Saturday morning radio renovation show.
"He came home and told me about it and I thought 'Good, I'm getting a new countertop,' " says Lynda.
Little did she know she was about to go back to work, because Larry saw the potential and a demand that has become so strong in North America that the parent company, Rocksolid Granit, is building a new $60-million plant in Seabring, Fla.
So how does it work? A whole slab of granite is about one-quarter-inch thick and measures 511/2 inches by 10 feet. It weighs between 145-165 lbs., so you don't need to reinforce the floor the way you would with a slab of traditional granite.
In Italy, a five per cent polymer is added to the material, which makes it stronger and virtually indestructible.
"It's permanently no-porous, so you don't have to seal it," says Larry. "And," says Lynda, "it's heat-resistant, scratch-resistant and approved for food service and preparation.
"You could even cut on it," she says, "and things like chicken juices aren't absorbed."
But you don't want to cut on it, says Larry, because you'll be forever sharpening your knives.
It also comes with a lifetime warranty, and a price tag that's about 20 to 40 per cent less than traditional methods.
So if you were spending $10,000 on a kitchen reno, your savings would be $2,000 to $4,000, plus you'd save valuable time. A template is made on-site and the granite is cut and polished back at the shop to assure a perfect fit and shine. When the crew arrives, they literally fit the new granite over the existing countertop.
"Ninety-nine per cent of the time we bring it in and have the whole thing done that day, so we're not tying up your kitchen," says Larry.
That, combined with the versatility, is what attracts so many people, because you can bend the granite to a 30-inch radius, allowing you to create all kinds of different shapes and levels. And you don't have to disturb the areas you want to leave intact.
But it's not just renos that benefit from the beauty of Granite Transformations. It can also be used in new construction, and the company has a vast selection of sinks, faucets and accessories to complement every look.
The granite comes in 19 different colours and has inspired Lynda in ways she never expected. When you're in the showroom, pay special attention to those granite and glass mosaic planters and that fabulous granite-topped antique table. Those belong to her.
khall@thestar.canwest.com or 255-5741.
GRANITE TRANSFORMATIONS
205-2825 Lauzon Parkway; 948-1982
windsor@granitetransformations.com
© CanWest MediaWorks Publications Inc.
Source: www.canada.com
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