Installation, Care and Maintenance Overview

It is important that you have a full understanding of all surfacing products within this portfolio.

Installation, care and maintenance guides or DVD's should be carefully read or viewed before proceeding with any fabrication or installation work

All products should be properly acclimatised and carefully checked for satisfactory quality and colour match prior to installation. Please contact us immediately if any visible defect or shade variation is found and we will authorise replacement materials. Please do not install any faulty goods as we can accept no liability or installation costs in these circumstances.

All care and maintenance guides must be passed on to the consumer as they form an integral part of the product guarantee. Incorrectly installed or poorly maintained products could invalidate the guarantee.

It is vital that the consumer fully understands their product so it aligns with their expectations.

Understanding Your Worksurface Products

Laminate Worksurfaces
Please be aware that wear and tear is more visible on gloss, metal foil and darker laminate surfaces. Additional care must be taken during handling, installation and use of these products. Square edged laminate worksurfaces with acrylic, PVC or laminate edges are more susceptible to moisture ingress at the top and bottom of the front edge. Although the adhesive used in their manufacture is moisture resistant, it is not waterproof; therefore excess standing water must be wiped away immediately.

Solid Surfacing
Compared to natural stone, solid surfacing does not stain, has excellent chemical resistance and has no visible joints. However, it important to understand that solid surfaces are softer than some natural stone products and need to be sanded and finished by the installer to create the final finish. Basic care and maintenance is required by the consumer to maintain surface lustre in areas of high usage, especially with darker colours. Lighter colours show less surface wear and are consequently very practical. Darker colours will highlight scuffs and scratches as a white line; conversely, a major benefit of solid surfacing is that scratches can be sanded and polished out, bringing the material back to its original best at any time during the lifespan of the kitchen. Solid surfacing is ultra-hygienic and a preferred choice of material in laboratory and hospital applications.

Solid surface designs have a beautiful depth and transparency which can reflect light differentially in horizontal and vertical planes. This can appear as a shade variation between worksurface and splashback or upstand, so precise matching cannot be guaranteed when installed.

Solid Wood
Solid wood is a natural material and will expand and contract according to surrounding humidity levels; therefore in order to deal with climatic changes, installation technique is different to standard laminate worksurface installation. It is highly important that acclimatisation has taken place prior to installation, to minimize potential movement. Please ensure the correct method of installation and specialist fixing materials are used; which should allow the product to "slide" freely on slotted screw fixings to cope with changes in humidity and temperature.

Solid wood worktops should be sealed with 3 coats of work surface oil to the surface, underside and all edges to ensure humidity levels are equalised both sides of the board. This reduces the risk of differential movement within the product, bowing or twisting.

Periodic oiling of solid wood worktops is required by the consumer in areas of high wear or for reasons of age. The oiling process penetrates and seals, at the same time accentuating the natural grain and hues which give each species its unique characteristics. The surface of Real-Wood worktops can be re-sanded and oiled back their original best in extreme wear situations.

Real-wood work surfaces are selected from only ]the finest "A Grade" wood for ultimate performance which means that all natural defects which could cause problems have been eliminated through exacting quality control processes, giving the product longevity.

As part of our strict environmental policy, all solid wood worktops from Plasman are FSC or PEFC certified which makes us responsible for chain of custody from controlled sustainable forestry to your kitchen installation.