Mastercraft Cabinets

How Mastercraft Cabinets Contribute Towards LEED® Certification Points

Whether you're striving to achieve LEED certification for a project or you're simply interested in practicing good environmental principles, Mastercraft, as a responsible manufacturer, utilizes sustainable processes that may contribute towards LEED certification points.

Mastercraft may help your building or project acheive LEED certification by contributing towards credits in one key area: Materials and Resources.

Materials and Resources Credit 4 - Recycled Content

Mastercraft cabinets constructed from particle board are manufactured with at least 20% recycled material by weight and can contribute towards earning up to 2 certification points. 

The Mastercraft cabinet products mentioned above may help you achieve LEED certification by contributing towards overall certification points, but the use of our cabinets alone will not qualify your project for LEED certification. Mastercraft cabinets are only a part of the building process and therefore need to be included in the project's total calculations. The project's total calculations will determine whether or not the project qualifies for LEED certification. 

For a great online resource, visit the U.S. Green Buidling Council website at: www.usgbc.org. We recommend their 'frequently asked questions' section. 

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Plan Functional Outdoor Kitchens

Careful Selection of Grilling Equipment, Appliances and Cabinets is Critical to Designing a Successful Outdoor Kitchen

The popularity of outdoor kitchens continues to skyrocket, and with it the availability of products and techniques that make them affordable and functional also is increasing. If a client's desire is to go beyond the standard grill, then an outdoor kitchen can provide all the conveniences to rival any indoor kitchen. Equipment selection remains the primary consideration. The second most critical consideration pertains to cabinetry. 

Equipment

With its various features, the grill entices the novie and expert. Therefore, careful assessment of a client's grilling style or desire is in order. 

Natural or propane gas and the accompanying storage/gas/electrical line placement is crucial. If built-in (versus freestanding), the 3/4-inch gas line needs to have a shutoff and quick disconnect for an emergency or season change. If using propane, there needs to be room for the tank that is easily accessible for replacement. If using natural gas, room for the line with a pressure  regulator is needed. All grills usually need an insulating surround (some come from the grill maker) to protect any material surrounding it, such as wood, particleboard or combustible materials. 

Attached lighting and electrical lines for igniters are a must with a shutoff if possible. All of these connections need to be sealed against water. A grill design element not usually considered is the placement of wind protection (a 10 - to 12-inch backsplash, if not in the design of the hood). When not considered, the hot air forced down from the back of the grill could melt plastic knobs. 

If you specify an icemaker and refrigerator, UL approved for outdoor use is necessary. A manufacturer's warranty usually is only for temperatures down to 32 F. This requires more consideration in colder climates for a complete disconnect. Ice machines and sinks require a couple quarts of marine-grade antifreeze be placed in the drains in off months. Water lines need a bleed-port through which water can be depleted so lines don't freeze. Ice machines should have a gravity drain; pump models are too prone to freezing. 

Cabinetry

With introductions of teak, cypress and other waterproof woods, outdoor-grade laminates and man-made materials, the aesthetics of cabinertry can be enhanced beyond stainless steel. Select cabinets made with marine-grade materials, such as plywood, that have weep holes for water to drain out of in cabinets and drawers. Doors and drawers need rubber gasket seals. The flashing on any grill insulation kit installed around the perimeter of the grill should protect the cabinet on each side, as well as from any heat below. 

Drawer glide systems should be of the highest stainless/nickel content to protect against moisture/dust infiltration. Hinges need to have a tighter tension to prevent wind from opening them; otherwise a lock may be needed. 

Equipment and cabinetry are the most important components of an outdoor kitchen. Once they are designed, selected and installed well, they will provide optimum pleasure. Ensure your design/construction team understands some of these practical but sometimes overlooked aspects of an outdoor kitchen.

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Monte Carlo Simulation Proves Safety of Granite Countertops

Supreme Granite Kitchen Island - Project Manager: Randy WilsonA comprehensive new scientific study sponsored by the Marble Institute of America definitively shows that granite countertops are an insignificant source of radon in the home and that 99.95% of countertops produce lower radon concentrations than are typically found outdoors in the U.S. The study also concluded that in normal applications there is no risk granite countertops will produce radon concentrations even close to levels the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency says require remediation (4 picocuries/liter).

Radon is a natural radioactive gas found in soil and stone. Most radon seeps harmlessly into the atmosphere. Prolonged exposure to high concentrations of radon can cause lung cancer.

"Our analysis shows that the likelihood of a granite countertop leading to a negative health impact due to radon is almost a statistical impossibility,"said Dr. Joseph Allen of Environmental Health & Engineering Inc., who led the study team. "The most typical granite countertop installation would produce radon concentrations in the home that are 10,000 times lower than the EPA action level, and are so low that they are not even measurable." Dr. Allen also stated that their model predicated that there was only a one-in-a-million chance of a granite countertop producing radon concentrations in the home that approached the EPA action level of 4 pCI/l, and that specific simulated countertop purchase involved an unrealistic scenario where 13& of the home's surface area was countertop. Dr. Allen reiterated the final conclusion in their paper, "this research supports evidence previously published in the scientific literature that the health risk of radon exposure from granite countertops is negligible."

The independent study, sponsored by the Marble Institute of America, involved a Monte Carlo simulation, a computer analysis to determine risks associated with various purchase decisions. The study simulates the installation of 1 million countertops of different kinds of granite in homes of different sizes and with different air exchange rates. The goal was to determine the probability that any countertop would produce significant radon concentrations. 

Monte Carlo simulations analyze the results of radon emissions for the full spectrum of granite installations including extreme possibilities, such as installing unrealistically large countertops in small, tightly insulated homes. The original analysis method was developed by scientists working on the first atom bomb. It is commonly used to assess risks in finance, engineering, insurance and other industries that deal with the interaction of many variables.

"Science again proves the safety of granite," said G.K. Naquin, MIA president. "Because the beauty and durability of natural stone is unparalleled, some manufacturers of competing materials have tried to scare the public into believing it may be dangerous. This study shows granite is safe."

The analysis will be submitted for publication to a peer-reviewed, scientific journal. This is the third MIA sponsored granite study to be submitted for publication. The first two, published in the Journal of Exposure Science & Environmental Epidemiology, appeared in 2010.

The MIA has invested in several studies to determine the safety and durability of natural stone countertops, to provide clear, unambiguous information for consumers to make educated decisions and to also protect the industry from baseless attacks by manufacturers of competing materials. 

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June 2012 Designer's Corner

"Shades of Grey"

Clay BernardAccording to the National Kitchen and Bath Association over the last three years there has been an increasing trend in grey color schemes in the kitchen and bath.

Greys can be used in any type of kitchen or bath design; from transitional to traditional. Whether it be grey stained oak cabinets that have a coastal feel or a stone look quartz countertop that is very contemporary; grey finishes provide a neutral background that will allow you to insert pops of dramatic color to give your kitchen the appeal it needs.

Come in and see me to incorporate this trend with your personal taste to make your remodel project shine!

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House Price Estimator Shows Value of Homes

The Shaffer Bathroom - Design Specialist: Clay BernardAccording to an online house price estimator and economic model just updated by the National Association of Home Builders (NAHB), a third full bathroom is the one feature that can have the greatest impact on the value of a standard new single-family detached house in a suburb, increasing the estimated price by about $43,000.

The estimator enables builders, developers, prospective home buyers and home owners to see the impact that various physical features might have on the price of a home.

"In an economic environment where consumers are particulary price-and-value-conscious, this is an important resource for assessing key features and charateristics that help determine housing prices," said NAHB Chairman Bob Nielsen, a home builder from Reno, NV.

"To get the most out of the estimator, those using it need to understand that the nation's housing marketplace is actually comprised of thousands of local markets and submarkets, with their own dynamics," he said.

The estimator "shows" what households are looking for in their homes and zeoes in on basic factors that enable Americans to shape and improve their lives through their individual housing choices," Nielsen said.

NAHB's Single-Family Detached House Price Estimator can be found on NAHB's website at: www.nahb.org/housepriceestimator.

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