Eco Curing Countertops

One of the challenges we have had was the curing time for countertops. We would ask the home owner to leave it for about 24 hours, then it needed gentle use while it hardened. Sometimes things would happen and we would be back to do a touch up, something we wanted to get past.
We recently changed the sealer coat to a UV cured system so that the surface of the countertop is fully cured when we leave the home. Not only do we have the benefit of an instantly cured surface, the finish is harder and more durable than the water based system we were previously using.
This is also a benefit for restaurants, hotels, motels, bars, commercial buildings etc. as they could close their business one day, and open the next day with their working surfaces ready to use!!
Because the product uses photo initiators, it actually has zero VOC's.
The finish is a little shinier, but enriches the colours for a truly beautiful finish.

TV interview for Ecocountertops

I recently had the opportunity to be interviewed on Rogers Daytime TV. Diane McGee who heads a mentoring organization in Barrie Ontario called Wings and Heros saw me at a networking function and asked me if I had been on Rogers TV yet. When I told her I hadn't, she said she would put in a word for me and true to her word, I go a call a few weeks later asking if I would like to be interviewed. It was a great experience and I appreciate the exposure as the show aired 3 times in 24 hours in Simcoe County.

To view the interview, go to http://www.sprayoncountertops.com/interview.wmv

Tile Backsplash

One of the hardest things to change in the kitchen is the tile backsplash. We have been asked hundreds of times if we can change it without ripping it out. Seeing many backsplashes I wonder ' What were they thinking when they picked those tiles!'. To change a tile backsplash has meant ripping off the old tile, which usually takes the drywall with it. Putting on new drywall, taping and mudding, then installing new tiles with grout etc. You can count on a week of mess, disrupted lifestyle, dust everywhere and grit in your food. That's why so many ugly backsplashes stay ugly and people try to decorate around it.

We have been experimenting with water based products that will prepare the tiles for a colour change. We have succeeded and now have a durable process to change the colour of the backsplash with one of our more than 40 beautiful colours. The cost is only a fraction of the price of replacing without all that mess. We can also touch it up if it gets damaged in the future, the same as with countertops.

There will be more information on our website shortly.

http://www.EcoRefinishers.com/

Business Opportunity

Zachary refacing a countertop!

We have set up a number of dealer in Canada, but there are lots of holes to fill up. Recently signed on is Ray on Vancouver Island. He is setting up operators at various parts of the island. Bernie is covering the far north of Alberta and northeastern British Columbia. There is a lot of travel and he does countertops along with his tub refinishing business. Tom has part of northern Ontario that includes Sudbury, North Bay and Timmins. Derek has Muskoka - Parry Sound which also includes Gravenhurst to Bracebridge. Wes has York region from Newmarket to Richmond Hill. Greg has residential Toronto which is a huge market. Jeff is setting up Nova Scotia and planning on setting up other operators there as it grows. My family is covering Orillia, Barrie to Shelburne and Collingwood.
In the USA, Adele has started as distributor in Indianapolis and has some dealers throughout Indiana but the rest of the country is waiting for this great service!
In Canada and the US, to see if there is a dealer in your area, go to the website listed below, click on 'Find a Dealer' and you can send a message directly to your local dealer. If there is no dealer, we have attractive start up packages to get you up and running as quick as possible.

Canada: http://www.EcoRefinishers.com/

Eco Cabinets

It's a very busy time for us. We are testing various surfaces for application of our eco-friendly coatings processes.

We have just released the first process for cabinets to our dealers. Using only environmentally responsible products, we can transform the look of a kitchen. We come into the home, take off the doors and drawers, then spray and roller paint the outside areas of the cabinets. The doors and drawers are taken back to our shop where they are cleaned and spray painted using our HVLP spray system. This gives a smooth factory finish look that you can't get with a brush and rollers. Extra services that we provide are filling the handle holes and drilling for new hardware, replacing the bottom board under the sink and painting the inside of the cabinets. About 4 or 5 days later we return to the home with the doors and drawers, hang them and probably refinish the countertops. The cost is a small fraction of having the cabinets refaced with new doors.

Cabinets before being refinished


Refinished Kitchen Cabinets!


We are also testing acceptable products for restoring the wood look if your cabinets area quality wood but looking worn. We may also add options for dressing up plain doors.

Below is a picture of a kitchen where we refaced the kitchen countertop and the oak handles on the doors and drawers with our Charcoal color. What a beautiful transformation. Unfortunately my boys didn't take many before pictures as they tend to get right in there and get the work done.



http://www.EcoRefinishers.com/

Ecocountertops Customer Testimonials

During a Barrie home show, I met the people from Ecocountertops. It was the first time I had heard of having your countertop sprayed and of course I was a little wary. However, I found Phil to be very confident in his product and procedure and guaranteed his work so I decided I would have him spray my countertops.I use my home for a showroom so it was extremely important to me that the counter would not scratch or fade and 3 years later when I sold my home it was a big selling feature and the countertops looked just like the day they were sprayed.Some customers who viewed my showroom had the same issue, they didn't need the countertop replaced but didn't like the colour so they used Ecocountertops and were very pleased with the results.I just recently moved to my new showroom where I had my cupboards sprayed. My customer cannot believe that I didn't replace the cupboards. Having your cupboards or countertops sprayed is a small fraction of the cost of having them replaced and the finished result is incredible. It is an honor to recommend Ecocountertops because they are a professional company that does a fabulous job.
Yvonne

"Two years ago I was faced with replacing my kitchen countertop and back splash, I was not excited about the prospect of construction, disruptions and high costs. I heard of Ecocountertops and their no brainer alternative. They refaced mine at a fraction of the cost and my kitchen looks brand new. His refacing crew was in my home for hours rather than days of dust and construction. Thanks for the great cost saving and remarkably beautiful Eco friendly countertop solution."
Thank you,
Mr. Bob

We're very happy with how things turned out - Zach and Greg did an amazing job. They weren't rushing the work and they were very helpful, pro-active, and thorough. They were working as well as somebody would if they were doing it in their own kitchen. I was very impressed and haven't seen a work ethic like that ever before.
John

Just letting you know how great my kitchen and bathroom look - a huge improvement!
Thanks again,
Val

What a pleasure it was to have my kitchen counter refinished by Ecocountertops. My house was being prepared for the process of selling and the new countertop made the kitchen look 100% fresher and cleaner. Now I love the kitchen and will recommend this product for all bathrooms, laundry rooms, and kitchen countertops. It was so much better than replacing and sending more debris to the landfill sites. I am very happy and satisfied with this product and hope more people will use it and help save our environment.
Yours Truly,
Linda

My only regret about refacing my countertop is I wish I'd done it sooner.
Pam

Just a short note to say thank-you again and to let you know that I'm very pleased with the job you've done.
Take care
Daphne

I would like to advise you that the counter top job went very well. I am thrilled with the quality of work and the professionalism of the technicians. My husband chose the right colours.
I will gladly spread the word.....
Thank you Again.
Doris

Thank you for coming to do our countertops. Special thanks to the boys for doing an excellent job, our kitchen looks like new! We appreciate the manner in which they conducted themselves. It's a breath of fresh air to see two young fellows doing so well.
Continued success with your venture.
Valerie and Michael

Beautiful Refinished Countertops!

There is now no reason to live that that out-dated, ugly, or damaged countertop. Some people call us because they have accidentally damaged their counter. Some are changing their decor, or want to get rid of a look from a previous decade. Some have bought a home and wondered ‘what were the previous owners thinking. It’s sooo UGLY!!’

Damaged, ugly countertop

Here are some of the benefits of having an EcoRefinisher reface your countertops.

1. You are reusing your old countertop, keeping toxins out of our landfills and ground water.
2. You are preventing the needless manufacture of a new countertop with the Volatile Organic Compounds and Hazardous Air Pollutants that are associated with the manufacturing process. Toxins in your new countertop can take 3 to 5 years to flash off.
3. It usually costs less than 1/2 the price of replacing with a new countertop.
4. We only use low VOC products to minimize the impact on the environment.
5. Your home is not a construction zone. We are usually done in 4 to 6 hours, leaving nothing behind but a beautiful countertop.
6. We come to your home with about 40 color swatches so you can see what works in your home when you receive a free consultation. No need to go shopping around. Custom colours are possible.
7. Friendly knowledgeable dealers that will work with you to make the process from quoting to finishing a great experience for you.
8. We can usually do your countertops within days of you booking your countertop reface.
9. If your countertop is damaged in the future, we can usually repair it with an invisible patch so that it will look like new again. Heavy impact damage is the exception.
10. Our dealers back their application with a 5 year warranty against fading, chipping, peeling or blistering.

After refinishing the countertop and backsplash!

www.EcoRefinishers.com

Toxic Countertops

HAZARDOUS, WATER DAMAGED COUNTERTOP!


This post is going to get more technical as we are going to look at what makes up a countertop. Countertops have always been considered disposable items, and few of us have stopped to consider the effects of replacing a countertop on our environment. Here are some of the toxic effects of disposing of an old countertop and manufacturing another one.
Danger # 1. Your existing laminate working surface is adhered to a Medium Density Fiberboard, also known as MDF. MDF is made by mixing wood fibers with Urea Formaldehyde Resin. By the time it reaches your home, the worst of the toxic fumes have flashed off, although the toxins take from 3 to 5 years to totally flash off. When MDF is sent to the landfill, the water breaks down the board and the Urea Formaldehyde Resin ends up polluting our groundwater. If your countertop has water damage, you should call us to assess the damage, and to see if it can be repaired. Formaldehyde is very toxic by inhalation, ingestion and through skin absorption. It is listed as a probable human carcinogen, mutagen and is very toxic by inhalation, ingestion and through skin absorption. It is very destructive of mucous membranes, upper respiratory tract, eyes and skin.
Danger # 2. The laminate is adhered to the MDF with a solvent based adhesive. The manufacturer claims that it is a necessary tool to use with melamine covered boards, also known as countertops. They claim that the adhesive they are using now has less VOC's, (Volatile Organic Compounds) and HAP's, (Hazardous Air Pollutants) that those they used a few years ago. They have also added filtering systems to capture some of the emission, but many poisons still end up in the atmosphere.
Danger # 3. The laminate sheet is made up of three layers. The bottom layer is a brown paper coated with phenolic resin, the second layer of paper has the decorative pattern on it, and the third layer is a clear protective sheet. The second and third layer is coated with melamine resin. Phenolic resin is readily absorbed through the skin, highly toxic by inhalation, and prolonged contact may lead to death. Melamine resin is similar in its hazardous rating to the other resins. The laminate manufacturer takes the waste resins, inks and paper and sends them to be used as substitute fuel to fire rotary kilns at cement plants, creating more HAP's.
We have a proven system giving the homeowner an opportunity to reuse their existing countertop. We are accepting applications for people who are eco-conscious to become dealers of our processes. To check out our worldwide dealer and distributor opportunities, go to http://www.sprayoncountertops.com/

Countertops Replacement Problems

BURLEYWOOD ULURU

RED BRICK CHARCOAL

The counters in our homes are working surfaces that have also become an integral part of the kitchen decor. Countertops generally run from about 20 square feet to 60 square feet so they have become a prominent part when decorating. Because the surface is so hard, there have been few alternative to throwing them out. The problem with ripping it out is that there is generally other damage that takes place when your kitchen becomes a construction zone. The backsplash, cabinets, floor and plumbing are all in danger of being damaged and the cost can quickly climb. Some have tried painting with melamine paint which is oil based, needs to be redone yearly, and usually looks like a poor paint job. There is also the reality of what happens when the old countertop reaches the landfill site, but that will be for another post.

A countertop that has been refaced with our process is usually done in 4 to 6 hours, looks beautiful, is ready to use the next day, fully cured in a month, can be repaired to look like the original if damaged, and costs a fraction of replacing. We presently have about 50 colours and are adding more all the time. The colours samples page on our website will be updated in the next few weeks to show the wide range of new colours. Check us out at http://www.EcoRefinishers.com/

Eco Friendly Green Refinishing Blog

Before being Eco Refinished


After being Eco Refinished


It's amazing to see how fast the world changes. Whether positive or negative, we seem to travel at break-neck speed. The use of petroleum products hurled us forward without regard to our fragile environment. We seemed to think that our world was indestructible and could take all that mankind threw at it. This has changed dramatically in the last while and there is a shift that is quickly gaining momentum to protect our world and care for its' natural resources. This blog will be dedicated to revealing ways to reuse and refinish surfaces with our green or Eco-friendly coatings services and topics surrounding the use of green products. I am the Distributor of EcoRefinishers, and will reveal over the next few posts the possibility of reusing counter tops by have them sprayed with eco-friendly products. The website is http://www.EcoRefinishers.com/