[Linda Graves]

I just read the long list of “green countertop materials” in the new Green Zone. If you are working with any of these products, please join in the discussion and give us your input, good or bad.

We are trying to decide which products to offer our customers, in addition to the recycled solid surface. Most of our information so far has been from the sales reps. I would like to hear from fabricators.

Someone out there besides Gene is working with these products. Don’t be shy, we need your experience.

Linda

[Rod Schafer]

We have had a run of jobs in “Paperstone” lately. It seems to hit the “green” button well. Have had good results & happy customers.

There manufacturing plant is very near us, so that helps. Joel K. the inventor of Paperstone has sold his interest in the company, so not sure what their future is. He is developing a new product called “Eco top”. It looks to be very promising.

Did a job not long ago in “Icestone”. Did not get the sealer on soon enough and had some major problems. Do not let that product leave your shop with out several coats of sealer before install.

[Linda Graves]

How does Paperstone look after use? Do the customers like the Patina it gets?

What do you tell them about care and maintenance?

Does Icestone neet to be resealed more often than granite after the initial re-sealing?

Thanks for the reply.

Linda

[Rod Schafer]

Most of the homes we have done the Paperstone in have been turn of century homes or from the 1920’s & 30’s, so there love that patina look. Goes well with the style “of the day”.

Paperstone have chaged their formula lately, so I believe is has less patina potential than it used to have. It is somewhat a continual maintenance countertop with the need for mineral oil, or their special oil, to keep the finish from looking dried out.

With the high concrete content of Icestone, I believe it look needs a more regular sealer application than natural stone products. That is just my opinion based on my limited experiance with the product. Do not have any jobs installed yet with a very long track record.

Rod

[Linda Graves]

Rod,

Thanks for the information. Please keep us updated. We don’t have a lot of people commenting the the newer green products.

Of course, I am not forgetting Green Gene. He is always helpful.

Linda

[Andy Graves]

I think lots of people are talking about Green, they just haven’t done much yet to get a feel for it.

[Kevin Byes]

We started offering Icestone about a year ago. Unfortunately, we had never fabricated products that need sealing or polishing,(we’re a soapstone shop) so our learning curve was bigger than porous stone fabricators.
We seal the stone with SCI Sealer Pro in the shop. This is a good sealer for quickly doing the job, but with the hotter summer weather you have to use a lot of elbow grease to get the glaze off the stone. Much easier during the other 3 seasons.
We use a water jet to cut our tops, and it cuts very well. Edges finish easily with diamond pads and/or sand paper. Just be careful to stay off the surface with your tooling.
Cracks and breaks are very difficult to repair.
When storing slabs, you need to be sure to clamp them to an A-frame as they will warp.
Overall, it is a good product that helps fill a spot in the green movement niche.

[Gene McDonald]

Kevin, Thanx alot for the heads up..I offer all the products that are labeled as some sort of green aspect whether its recycled or greenguard or repairable and renewable….unfortunately, I had to take a beating type learning curve when i started working with each or them..they are not as easy to bid,or fabricate as manuals say they are…arghhh them glass chips flying sround when ya cut

I got to do some Icestone soon and i greatly appreciate you sharing what the MFG’s dont….I know that stuff isnt too easy to fix…and when people pay that much for it they inspect every little Glass speck, I would hate to have it warp up on me…Thanx to you I doubt that problem will happen to me now…I owe ya one

[Chris Yaughn]

Gene,

Be carefull storing the Icestone on wooden A-frames. The concrete matrix may take a stain off of them. Atleast that is what I have heard. Also heard to be ready for some glass chips to pop out on the edge profile. And don’t forget the sealer.

Also, (if you haven’t already,) check on the slab sizes. I think they are closer to a sheet of plywood than a “normal” “slab”.

I priced a job in it but when the designer saw the $$$$$ it was decided that that wasn’t the green they were looking for.

[Kevin Byes]

Stacked correctly you wont have to worry about the wood staining the “stone”. Back of stone to A-frame, face of stone to face of stone, back to back and so on.
Slab sizes are 96 X 52.5 inches. It can be a challenge getting your counter tops cut out of this size slabs.

[Gene McDonald]

I got astro turf glued to my A -frame anyway…I got tired of protecting the tops with rags and foam…I gotta pick up truck, kinda ghetto running down the road with all these rags flying showing people that a 2×4 might scratch their top

[Wags]

Ice Stone requires slabs be stored on an A Frame, face to face back to back, with 4 clamps clamping the slabs to the A Frame. They also require 3 Coats of their recommended sealer before installation.

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