Fly In The Pudding?

The fly in the pudding for cabinets has to do with accumulated tolerance. This little fly can find his beginnings with just one poorly trained, disgruntled or apathetic employee in the shop and will cause problems for everyone else in the shop on down to the end user, the homeowner. In most cases the cabinet dealer selling the cabinets to the homeowner ends up being the one who deals with this pesky little fly.Accumulated tolerance is an engineering term related to the accumulated variation, plus or minus, of a specific dimension of a machined part. When the parts are integrated to form an assembly the clearance or interference of all the machined parts is critical to the function of the assembly. If I lost you with that definition, believe me, I understand. Actually it's not hard to understand if I use a cabinet drawer box as an example The width of a cabinet drawer box must be a specific width in relation to the opening in a cabinet for the drawer to open and close properly. Most side mount drawer guides allow up to 1/8th inch of variance in the width of the box and will still work properly. Problems occurs is when the drawer box front and back pieces, which determine the box width, are cut either too short or too long to fall within this 1/8th inch tolerance making the drawer either bind in operation or be so loose in the cabinet opening it runs out of the drawer guide tracts. Just about all cabinet manufacturers have a problem maintaining the proper accumulated tolerance of their drawer boxes from time to time. Problems with accumulated tolerance aren't limited to just drawer boxes. A cabinet is assembled using many parts either cut or machined to very exacting dimensions. If the variation of a specific dimension of one or more parts falls outside of the acceptable accumulated tolerance then problems can occur with any of the other components of the cabinet upon assembly. Another example of this problem is the adjustable shelf. Have you ever tried to adjust the shelves in your wall cabinets and found they were so tight you couldn't move them? The length of the shelf may have been too long or it may be another component in the cabinet was cut too short not allowing enough room for the shelf to easily be installed in the cabinet so it was forced into the cabinet at the assembly stage rather than stopping production to alert a shop manager there is a problem. Many cabinet shops rely on regular meetings with all shop workers to discuss problems in the shop. Depending on how large the production volume is, if those meetings are only held once a week then it's possible for hundreds if not thousands of cabinets to have a problem before anyone is alerted. Unfortunately most manufacturers never to admit they have this problem and very rarely if ever cover the service cost of repairing the problem. This service cost is usually placed on the dealer who sold the cabinets to the homeowner. In many instances the homeowner will blame the dealer for the problem not knowing it's a manufacturing error. Addressing these problems before the homeowner moves in is essential to the reputation of the dealer who sold the cabinets. Attention to detail is what separates the good dealer from the bad ones and insures a successful business.
Contributor-Fred Lloyd -(known around here as Mr. Picky)
Longhorn Cabinets Inc. Prescott Valley AZ 86333

OMG! My kitchen is a trapezoid!?

Rest easy! It's not a lurking monster that only comes out at night when the lights are off or for that matter, even an uncommon construction flaw. ?Imagine a perfect world where the grass is always green and the sky is always blue. Many kitchen designers who use one or more of the various kitchen design programs learn very quickly the programs are based in the virtual perfect computer world of always blue skies and green grass where every kitchen is perfectly plumb, level and square which is as it should be. The only problem is the real world, the one outside of that virtual world, is far from perfect. It's very rare to find a house, old or new, that is perfectly plumb, level and square. One of the most common mistakes made in kitchen design is thinking, for example, ten feet of cabinets will fit in ten feet of wall space. The program draws a perfect rectangle wall exactly ten feet long so it just stands to reason ten feet of cabinets will fit perfectly. Fact is most rooms are either a trapezoid, parallelogram or a combination of both. Okay, so you didn't do well in high school geometry but for the experienced cabinet person working with these shapes is a daily occurrence. These odd geometric shaped rooms are in all houses, even the ones you may think are a perfectly square or rectangle. Whenever cabinets are to be installed on a wall that has a return wall adjacent to either end it's important to always reduce the overall length of the cabinets by at least one inch or more to insure the cabinets will actually fit the space. Most factory built cabinets, the ones mass produced in a production line setting, offer matching stained and finished filler boards to make up the difference. Custom built cabinets made specifically for the kitchen they are to be installed in have what is known as extended stiles on the end cabinets which are usually trimmed to make the cabinets fit a given space. A good kitchen designer will always incorporate one of these options into their design to insure the project goes smoothly at time of installation so your dream kitchen will actually fit your trapezoid room.
Follow along with us. The next article will be about accumulated tolerance. This engineering 'fly in the pudding' fact of life is overlooked by almost everyone in the cabinet industry.

Then I Woke Up!

When I’m shopping for big ticket items such as appliances, computers or furniture, I always shop in the bigger stores. Like most people my thinking was they would have more to choose from, the price would be lower due to their volume and the sales people would be more knowledgeable. I thought I was an informed consumer, a price comparative shopper, that I always got good value for my money and the "big box" stayed in business because I was right.

It’s interesting to me why some things are thought to be better because they are small but others are not. I would like to meet the guy who thinks a classroom with 50 students is taught as well as a class of 30, that tomatoes shipped in by the truck load are as good as the ones I pick fresh out of the little garden in my yard, that if you made a trip cross country in a bus loaded with tourists it would be as enjoyable as the same trip in your car or that the meal from the local buffet is as good as mom’s home cooking. You get the point.

Then I compared my business to theirs.

They have better prices? The big box store has more overhead so their prices are normally higher. This has been proven over and over again with jobs we’ve done & I’d be happy to prove it with your project.

Their employees are more knowledgeable? Their employees are not there because they are experts in their field, most only know what the manufacturer's sales rep told them about the product. We have more than 25+ years in this field. We also have worked hands on with dozens of different cabinet lines before choosing the ones we wanted to offer and we are so particular about how our projects turn out we are personally on site at every job.

Their product selection is bigger? Not really. We limit the selection based on QUALITY. We can’t base our reputation on a inferior product and just "good enough" is not what we want as a referral.

The service issue could be a subject all it’s own. Go into a big box store and ask the sales person about the guy they will be sending to your home for installation or to do service work. Most can’t even give you the name of the company let alone the individuals who are going to knock on your door because the work is performed by outside contractors.

I hope you give all of these points some thought the next time you’re faced with a purchasing choice. So visit the little guy, get personal 'one on one' service, meet the people you are inviting into your home and get some real value for your money or call me, I do house calls at no charge.

Farmhouse/ Apron Front Sinks

The Farmhouse Sink Resurgence.
The apron sink as it is sometimes called is a traditional Farmhouse style. Normally a single deep bowl, mounted under the counter top to be lower in front for easy access. These sinks are gaining in popularity due to their versatile nature. The only sink I know of that depending on the sink material can be adapted to any style from Rustic to Contemporary. From the traditional look of china, fireclay or cast iron to sleek stainless, hand forged copper or natural granite and soapstone, the sinks of today will retain their quality and beauty for years. They have deep basins, usually from 9-15 inches deep and can handle those bigger stock pots and kettles.
What you need to consider is how uncomfortable it can be to be bent over a sink that’s too deep. What you will find is the price goes up nearly $50.00(sometimes more) per inch in depth. This holds true for your standard double bowl top mount as well. The added depth can also make your plumbers job a challenge. Don’t forget, there’s a disposal under there for your dish washer and if your have a water filtration system the interior of your sink cabinet gets real crowded.
As far as the aesthetic factor of your decision, once you make the decision to have this type of sink there’s no going back. A standard sink cabinet is not built to accept this type of sink. To reconfigure the existing cabinetry is a matter of replacing two doors and some filler but changing back to a traditional double bowl will require counter top and cabinet replacement.
A restored farmhouse sink can be a rather expensive to retrofit with today’s plumbing. It may be better to go with contemporary versions for new materials options and the added accessories.
These kinds of Farmhouse or Apron Front sinks can be expensive with prices ranging from $299.00 to more than $3,000.00

I Have To Go Here

I have to put in my two cents about the common practice of putting a make-up table in the master bath. I do it all the time. In fact the majority of Master bath's with the room to accommodate the feature will in fact have one. My concern is, I hear the line "it's for the re-sale value" more often than "she will use it". If you are not going to use the area for it's intended purpose than change your layout. You are going to live here right? If the next person to own your home wants to have a make-up table it's easily accomplished. To design your home around a pre conceived idea of what the next person might want is silly. You don't design anything else in your home with anyone other than you in mind so why are you giving up valuable space in your master bath to a catch all table you won't use. On the other side of the coin. If you've been applying your make up while leaning over your bathroom vanity and you're starting to feel it in your back then maybe it's time to make room for a vanity table. Your space can be as narrow as 24 inches and is normally 27-30 inches to the top of the counter (the same as your kitchen table). The vanity cabinet (with the sink)height in this photo is 36" to the top of the counter and the make up table is at 30 inches to the counter. The single wide drawer at the table is convenient for your war paint but the deeper drawers of the vanity cabinet located next to the table will store brushes, curling irons and all the stuff you need to have handy as you prepare for battle, after all staying beautiful in spite of not having a vanity table is a battle.

5 Herbs and Spices You Must Get To Know!

Food being one of those things I'm good at, I found this article and thought I'd share the insight. Todays kitchen recipes seem to be to bland for me. I think in an effort to appeal to everyone most recipes and most resturants keep their offerings on the simple side and it's almost a given we'll "kick it up" on our own. So here's to adding life to your favorite dishes.

5 Herbs and Spices You Must Get To Know!
Diane Gray/ Associated Content
Using herbs and spices in your diet and in remedies to alleviate ailments, will help you to eat and live a more healthy life. Herbs and spices are fragrant and delicious additions to your foods, and also can help you to sooth your physical maladies. Use these wonderful plants in your dishes for both extra nutrients, and pretty garnishes! Here are some of the most popular.Parsley has been known for more that 2,000 years and was best known as a medicinal herb. It originated in the Eastern Mediterranean region, and was used by the Ancient Greeks for kidney and bladder ailments. We still use parsley as a diuretic. It also helps with stomach and liver problems. For women, it can ease the bloating that some experience before their menstrual cycle.But parsley is also a good source of many vitamins and minerals especially iron. It is mostly used as a garnish for dishes, especially in restaurants. Don't throw it away! Eat it! The sprigs as we've explained are very good for you. It's best not to cook parsley because the heat destroys many of its valuable nutrients. If you want to use it in soups and stews, just chop it up and add it at the last minute.Oregano is a sweetly scented spice and was valued by the Ancient Egyptians. They used it as an antidote to poison and also as a preservative. But oregano is most popular for its spicy, minty flavor. Used in the kitchen, it is sprinkled on pizza, and stirred in spaghetti sauces and soups. Oregano is also delicious in egg and cheese dishes. One of the most flavorful types of oregano is Mexican Oregano. You can store the fresh leaves in the refrigerator in a zip-lock bag. If you want to dry oregano, tie the stems together and then hang in a dark, well-ventilated place. After they're dried, store the leaves in an airtight container.Cayenne or red pepper is a member of the pepper family, which includes the familiar bell pepper and the hot and green chilies. Mexico alone grows over 150 varieties of chilies, and the cayenne pepper is one of the hottest. We use it mostly in our recipes calling for a hot, spicy flavor, especially in Mexican dishes.But did you know that peppers were once only used as ornamental plants and not eaten? They were also used in medicinal purposes externally to stimulate the circulation in the skin. The symptoms of rheumatism could also be soothed using the red pepper.Today we use this pepper typically as pepper spice or pepper flakes to zip up the flavor in our foods. Also these peppers are used whole in many Tex-Mex and New Mexican cuisines. The hottest part of the pepper is the seeds and white ribs. If you want your food milder, but still have that pepper flavor, scrape out the seeds and white ribs. If you want it real hot, leave them in!Chives are a member of the onion family and they grow from small bulbs. In the Middle Ages chives were once thought to drive away evil spirits! The stems and even the chive flowers (you can eat them!), are high in vitamin C, folic acid, and potassium. Chives are a great addition to recipes as they help restore the nutrients that may be lost in cooking. When you use chives in your dishes, try not to heat them, as they will lose their vitamins and minerals. Sprinkle them instead on any dish that you would like a nutrient boost. And a sprinkling of chives also makes a pretty presentation! We hope that these little tips and hints will encourage you to use these wonderful, healthy herbs and spices every day in your cooking!