ECLIPSE STAINLESS OUT OF BUSINESS DECEMBER 2017

Eclipse faucets when installed correctly are extremely reliable and problem free. Like all appliances with moving parts they need maintenance and occasionally repair. The most common issue with all faucets is leaking caused by debris in the water supply often caused by failure to flush the water lines or debris caused by remodeling – see blog article Before You Install a Faucet Flush the Pipes. Debris lodges in the cartridge – the part of the faucet that turns it on and off and mixes the hot and cold water – and causes a leak.
Replacing the cartridge in and Eclipse faucet is not difficult. Simply turn off the water then follow the graphic instruction below. Once the cartridge is replaced reverse the step to reinstall handle.

1. Make sure there is enough light both natural and electric. Remember dark cabinets and tops will make the kitchen look darker so you need to compensate with lighting.
2. Do not try to put every feature you see in magazines into the project. Often less is more. A few well placed design features will work better than too many features in not enough space.
3. Plan eating space for your family as it is and as it might be. If family is not complete or if you have elderly parents moving in with you make sure you plan the space.
4. In addition to providing enough cabinet space make sure you design for even sized doors. We once had a customer select cabinet sizes for a laminate door and wood frame. They filled up the space to fit the storage they anticipated. Each door was a different size and the cabinets looked like a UPC symbol.
5. If you are in a northern climate and moving the plumbing make sure any plumbing along an outside wall is properly insulated.
6. Make sure any walls you remove are not structural!
7. If you decide to replace sliding glass doors with Dutch doors make sure you have the space to open into the room without hitting the table. Even if you are not changing the door plan for the kitchen table and chairs. Make sure you have room to place the chairs and sit at the table.
8. Plan for the stove exhaust vent. It is much better to vent to outside than use a re-circulating fan with a charcoal filter but if the stove is on an interior wall you need to plan on how you will route the vent; through the cabinets and loose space, up to a soffit or down through basement or crawl space. Down flow vents tend to be very inefficient.
9. Plan at least three feet of circulating space around all islands and features. Make sure the door on that beautiful oversize refrigerator you selected will work comfortably with the circulation space.
10. Plan your budget and down time. If you plan on eating out during the construction add it to your budget. If you are doing it yourself double the time you think it will take… maybe triple.

Here is a helpful article from Angies List Click here for original article

Gleaming, shining, and sparkling: Granite counter tops add pizazz to many kitchen and bathroom remodeling projects. When you invest in this costly addition, it’s important to know how to maintain a granite countertop’s luster for as long as possible.
Here are a few tips:
• Avoid using items or conditions that can mar the surface appearance.
• Never leaving liquid or chemical spills on the surface of a granite countertop; wipe up any accidental spills as quickly as possible with a wet sponge. Be especially diligent if the spills are acidic in nature.
• Don’t use acidic cleaners such as vinegar-based window cleaners to clean and disinfect your countertop. Contact your vendor to find out which disinfectants have been made specifically for granite.
• Be sure to remove any diamond or gemstone rings before working on or cleaning the granite.
• Avoiding adding extra weight to the edges of the countertop.
• Use trivets or hot pads for those straight-out-of-the-oven dishes and always use cutting boards when preparing food.

How frequently should the countertop be resealed?
• Your countertop should be sealed immediately upon installation. The contractor likely will use a solvent based sealer called an impregnator that will fill in the porous surface and help protect against spills.
• Sealing doesn’t necessarily make the granite stain-proof, but it will help guard the surface for about a year, at the minimum, depending on the sealer used and the type of stone.
• To determine if your countertop needs to be resealed by taking a few drops of water and dripping them on the surface. If the drops bead, the countertop’s seal is still intact. But if they’re absorbed by the countertop, it’s time to reseal.
• If it has been several years since resealing or the countertops absorbs liquids, consider having your countertop professionally resealed.