hello I'm Eric reso with craft art wood
countertops we manufacture the wood tops
that you will be template and installing
templating for wood tops is the exact
same as you would template for solid
surface grant or other type of
countertop material there's not much
that you need to change as far as a
templating process there are a couple of
things that you do need to keep in mind
however when you are templating for wood
wood is a natural material light granite
however with granite granite is a solid
surface it's a solid piece of rock that
solid surface doesn't move the wood that
you're getting is still alive so it does
breathe it does expand and contract
these are things that you do need to
keep in mind when you are doing a
template if you are templating between
two walls and your grain direction runs
perpendicular with those walls you can
template tight to the wall
scribing walls as needed with craft art
products we can cut a scribe in a wall
because of the expansion and contraction
at wood it's going to expand and
contract with the grain
front to back you can scribe to the back
wall but with installation of our tops
it allows for that expansion and
contraction in plank or edge grain style
tops there's a difference in end grain
end grain is the end of the board so
you're going to have expansion and
contraction in all ways if you do have
an end grain situation between two walls
you do need to allow for expansion and
contraction between those walls
typically an eighth inch total that's a
sixteenth of an inch on one side
sixteenth of an inch on the other side
with the changes in climates as well as
the allowance for expansion contraction
in end grain tops it allows for the
expansion and contraction between walls
so that you do not pop your drywall tape
seems a very high percentage of craft
dark wood tops our island pieces an
island application when you're
templating you really do need to think
about overhangs
an unsupported overhang 10 to 12 inches
is not a problem anything over that
needs to be supported by corbels by turn
legs or by metal under routing into our
top we will do that at our location
however it does need to be noted on your
template in order for us to help you
have a supported top the good thing
about wood is that when you have a wall
that's out of square or has a bow in it
we can cut a bow into that wood top if
you do a template to scribe to that back
wall we will cut it as you can see in
this application the wall is pretty much
out of square in the back edge as well
as along the back of the cabinet's so
we'll do is we will make a straight line
on that template against the back wall
bringing the back wall into square so
that we can cut a scribe into the back
of the wood top
so to sum up there's not much that you
need to change from your current
template application to a wood top
application the things that you do need
to remember are expansion and
contraction and wood if you're going
between two walls no the construction
style if it's an edge grain or a plank
style you can template tight to the
walls you can also scribe to the back
wall if it's an end grained top you do
need to allow for expansion and
contraction between walls in an island
application template the top as is but
always note your unsupported overhangs
installation of craft art with tops is
very different than installation of
granite granite as said before is a
piece of rock not a lot of movement so
you put it down in silicone silicone
dries it's done wood tops do move so the
application used for installations is
very different
you do need to screw and attach the wood
top to the cabinet bases to do this you
do need to drill a larger hole in some
sort of support in the cabinet itself
you will notice that 3/8 of an inch hole
is larger than a screw this is where
your fender washers come into play
fender washers provide two different
functions the first they span the 3/8
hole the second they disperse the
pressure between the wood and the screw
itself this allows for expansion and
contraction in our wood tops the larger
hole allows for the screw in the hole to
move in the changes in climates the wood
will expand and contract with the larger
hole the screw will move in that hole
the fender washer will hold the pressure
of the wood top down but allow it to
move back and forth as it's naturally
going to do with the price point that
craft art wood countertops are sold at
you will run into a lot of applications
where it's just the island piece a lot
of times you have cabinets that have
plastic corner blocks or no support at
all craft art sends out wood corner
blocks with every shipment it is
necessary for you to screw down your
wood top on every corner it is also
necessary for you to put screws
in the field there's really no rule of
thumb as to how many screws you do need
it's just whatever you're comfortable
with
remember do not over tighten your screws
if you do you can snap those screws
as stated before wood does move you can
have a top that comes to you with a
slight bow or warp to that wood is
flexible so that warp can be pulled out
with the proper installation you do need
to screw it down but in a warp top we do
recommend that it is screwed down in a
lug nut type pattern don't screw down
one side totally because it will lift up
the other side start one screw in every
corner and work it around so that you
pull out the bow easily if you're doing
an entire kitchen surround and you do
have a joint in our top all of our
joints are dry joints there is no glue
no silicone nothing holding them
together all the joints are finished
with the finish that we use any multi
piece application the seams are t-bolts
very similar to a laminate countertop
the t-bolts will be under routed into
the countertop this will pull the seam
together
there are also biscuits in the scene
this allows for limited movement in the
seam itself in multiple pieces you will
need to level up the outside of the
countertops if you don't you will create
a gap at your seam when working on a
seam do not use a hammer deadblow hammer
or rubber mallet are perfectly fine you
don't want a gap in the same if you have
a gap in the seam this will allow for
debris to collect with multiple pieces
that have a seam you do need to put a
screw in every corner if it has a seam
you need to put a screw on either side
of that seam all the way down a lot of
times dealing with pieces with the same
you will put them in place over a lazy
susan a lot of times a lazy susan has a
full dust cover what I mean by full dust
cover is it's a full piece of plywood
over the top of the cabinet if this is
the case large breathing holes need to
be drilled in the plywood
craft art wood countertops will come to
you with the cutouts already in them
sink cutouts stove cutouts will be done
at our shop if they're on your template
when installing a sink
you will need silicone use silicone on
the rim of the sink in an undermount
application with granite when you
install a sink you use epoxy epoxy
cannot be used with wood epoxy does not
bond to wood as well as a silicone does
however silicone takes about a week week
and a half to dry with our product in
that case use the SPAC screws that we
talked about earlier and the fender
washers to mount a stainless steel sink
to our top use screws and washers as an
application for installation of
stainless steel undermount sinks there's
a different application to be used for
cast-iron sinks and farm sinks cast-iron
sinks fill the cradle
set the cast-iron sink in that cradle
then put the top over that sink farm
sinks are typically set in place before
installation of the top put silicone on
the rim of the farm sink then set the
top over that farm sink craft art tops
can start at inch and a quarter and go
up to six inches thick if it's larger in
then inch and a half the area around the
sink and the faucet will be under
rounded to inch and a half as I said
before cut outs in craft art tops will
be done at our shop however we suggest
that faucet holes be done on site to
drill a faucet hole we recommend you use
a Forstner bit or a mortise in bit do
not use a paddle bit or a hole saw bit
these can cause issues with your top
later on whenever you drill a faucet
hole or expose a raw edge on our wood
top that wood does need to be sealed
craft art sends a maintenance kit with
every top shipped in that maintenance
kit there is a can of finish use that
finish to seal the faucet hole or the
raw area one coat is perfectly fine the
best way to install a wood backsplash is
to screw it down to the wood top however
you want to screw up through the wood
top into the backsplash this will pull
it down to the
top it will also create it to be one
piece would top and backsplash when the
top expands and contracts with the
changes in climates the backsplash will
move with it they will not interact and
cause scratches in the finish after the
top and the backsplash have been
installed put a bead of silicone in
between the transition of the wood top
and the backsplash wipe off the excess
silicone and clean up these are just
some of the basic guidelines for
installation of craft art products for
more information feel free to contact us
at crafter