June 2012 Newsletter

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American Cabinet & Flooring June 2012 Newsletter     Our Design Center Customers travel from far and wide to visit our 3,000 square foot Showroom located in Denver, CO. Warm and versatile, this facility was designed to help our customers get answers, find ideas, be inspired... you name it! We display eight different kitchen vignettes in various styles and colors so you can see how all the different elements; like the sink, backsplash and countertops all work together to create a unique look.    You will find samples of cabinets, floors, backsplashes, counters, and hardware so you can see how they all bring your design together. Our Design Specialist are always on hand to walk you through every step of your remodel project and also utilize 3D rendering software to design every kitchen so our customers know exactly what they're remodel project will look like upon completion. Come see our Showroom Monday - Friday 9am - 5pm and Saturdays 9am-3pm!  Designer's Corner Shades of Grey According to the National Kitchen and Bath Association over the last three years there has been increasing trends 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 and or bath the appeal it needs. Come in and see me to incorporate this trend with your personal taste to make your remodel project shine! ~ Clay Bernard Design Specialist We Want To Hear From You! Here at American Cabinet & Flooring, Inc., we want to make sure that we are providing not only the highest quality of products but also the very best in service! Your feedback is very important to us and we want to know how we did on your project. Did someone within our company really stand out and provide excellent service? If so, we want to know that too! You can easily submit a review of your remodel project as well as the service you recieved by filling out our review form on our Facebook page. Financing by Cambria Finance by Cambria is conveniet and easy! No money down Interest-free financing for up to one year without payments Financing up to $45k for any project that includes Cambria (including cabinets, flooring, sinks, plumbing, install and more) Secure paperless telephone application Credit decision in less than 10 minutes Financing by Mohwak and GE Capital Fast. Simple. Smart. Quick Credit Decisions Simple & fast application process Low minimum mothly payments Come in & see a Sales Associate for program details and apply today!

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Design an Entertainment Space

The Armstrong Bar Area - Project Manager: Randy WilsonWet Bars and Kitchenettes Have Evolved Well Beyond a Sink and Mini-fridge

A room with a sofa, a few chairs and possibly a television that kept the late 20th century family happy must now include all the latest electronic devices, including a flat-screen or 3-D TV with the latest built-in speakers that re-create the original recorded tones. To complete the package, wet bars, kitchenettes and conversation areas dominate. 

Friends gather to watch sporting events, movies, and catch up on each other's lives. Often, food and beverages become staples that foster a cohesive atmosphere. The kitchen historically has been the favorite gathering place during food and beverage preparation, but entertainment areas now must assume many of those duties to relieve the hosts from continually traveling to the main kitchen to refresh drinks and bring more snacks to the pantry.

Bars and entertainment spaces will vary in size and scope. Look to your first client interview to gain an in-depth understanding of the home owner's concept. The initial interview should include a discussion of the the cost factors for all the clients' desires. It is difficult and embarrassing to miss budget expectations by a large amount because we did not properly conduct the initial interview. We need their investment target and their prioritization of the desired features for the space.

Rarely do wet bars include a cooktop, but many might include a dishwasher, microwave, sink and some type of refrigeration. Planning for each of these items will require knowledge of how the owners intend to use this space, as well as the amount of dishes, glassware and flatware they intend to store there.

When starting the design process, keep in mind the spacing of appliances, countertop area and walkways should mimic a well-designed kitchen. Consider enlarging the landing space for a microwave from the recommended 15-inches wide by 16-inches deep to 24-inches wide times the entire depth of the countertop. This additional surface area will help tremendously when preparing hors d'oeuvres and snacks for a gathering.

When planning for seating and converstation areas, assume audio and video will probably be playing in the background. Traffic from the converstaion area to the bar or other conveniences should not cross paths with the seating for TV viewing. This presupposes the space available is adequate for such a design. 

Lighting is an important consideration and requires the attention of a lighting professional. Providing proper direct and indirect light levels with appropriate switching and dimming is vital to a successful space plan. Many well-designed projects fail because of poor lighting. Nowhere in the home is this more true than in the rooms most often remodeled--kitchens, baths, and entertainment areas. 

Keep in mind the three-legged stool test for excellent design. First, develop an efficient layout--one that accomplishes the "needs" first and as many of the "wants" as the budget permits. Here is where options can help the prospects increase their budget to capture their dream project. Second, be sure the decor is aesthetically pleasing. Third, the lighting should be designed to accentuate, enhance, and provide the moods desired at various times and in various areas of the room. 

Following these guidelines will help to create a well-designed and enjoyable entertainment space.

The experienced and talented Design Specialists at American Cabinet & Flooring are ready to help design your entertainment space!!

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Designing a Bathroom for Two

The Manion Master Bathroom - Designer: Janae ManionDesigning His and Her Bathrooms Requires Careful Thought

Designing a bath to be used by both sexes requires consideration of routines, habits and physical attributes. Begin by identifying all the activities the individuals will perform in the space. Today's master bath serves many activites beyond those of previous generations. These previous activites typically were limited to bathing, showering, using the toilet, grooming and some dressing. Today's master bath may require space for relaxation, health and wellness, growing plants and other hobbies, pet maintenance or doing laundry. The increased use of electronics and monitoring systems adds the dimension of power consumption beyond lighting controls; master baths may also include a flat-screen TV, mini-refrigerator or coffee maker.

Gather information specific to the couple at hand. Record the anthropometric data for the standing and seated positions of each client. Identify their reach and grasping abilities and mobility. Determine whether each is left- or right-handed and whether the bath will enjoy shared use or needs and accommodate privacy preferences.

Stations for grooming should reflect a client's stature, whether tasks will be accomplished in a standing or seated position, and if privacy is a concern. Perhaps a 5-foot 2-inch woman enjoys chatting with her 6-foot 2-inch husband while each completes their grooming. This criterions allows side-by-side placement with her station at 32- to 34-inch counter height where his might be at 38- to 40-inch height with a taller mirror. Mirror heights should be several inches taller than the end user. A continuous counter between stations can maximize the allotted counter space if the couple is similar in stature.

Central, deep storage between the stations introduces an element of privacy. Storage for grooming supplies can be a challenge when working with both genders. Always try to maximize point-of-use storage to minimize steps and avoid traffic-flow problems.

Install multiple forms of lighting, including wall sconces, to maintain continuity in the overall design while aiding user needs.

Selecting a shower's water source or sources and their placement requires a trip to the plumbing showroom. Each needs to experience the options available to ensure the showering experience meets or exceeds his or her expectations. If the shower is used simultaneously, the foot-print needs to increase from a minimum of 36 by 36 inches to approximately 42 by 60 inches or larger.

Location, height and size of shower interior shelving and/or benches needs to be determined based on both user's needs and statures. Benches should be a minimum of 17-inches above the finish floor and 15-inches deep. Check bench locations so they don't interfere with standing space under the shower head. Inclusion of multiple shower heads with differing sprays gives users more flexibility, but the anthropometric data identifies a stationary head height if that's the route your client has chosen. Water should be directed toward the body, not the face or hair. This could range between 70 and 80 inches off the floor but should be identified for your specific clients.

The best solution when dealing with clients with significant height differences is including a hand-held shower on an adjustable bar. Multiple choices in spray options might be available. Thermostatic control valves make wise investments. Multiple shower heads should have separate controls adjacent to those areas for ease of use. The National Kitchen and Bath Association recommends controls are located 6 inches from the outside of the shower so reaching or bending is minimized. Adjust the height off the floor according to the elbow height of the end users.

Once you understand both clients' needs and principles behind designing one area for two people, the possibilities are endless.

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$40,000 Kitchen Cabinet Giveaway Video Contest Winner Announcement

** The Nevins Family **

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We would like to thank all the families who participated in our $40,000 Kitchen Cabinet Giveaway Video Contest, all of the videos were very creative and truly amazing!

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Armstrong's Countdown to Cabinet Construction

Four thousand cabinets a day!

That's the current output at Armstrong Cabinet Products, a division of Armstrong World Industries.

In business since 1860, Armstrong World entered the wood products industry in 1998 following its acquisition of Triangle Pacific's cabinet and flooring businesses. Fiscal 2011 net sales for the Lancaster, PA-based corporation were $2.9 billion, with the cabinet division accounting for $136.4 million. 

Sales of the company's semi-custom kitchen and bath cabinets are driven by both multi-family as well as single-family new construction and remodeling markets, which are slowly showing signs of improvement. Armstrong sells its cabinet products through independent retailers; like American Cabinet & Flooring, Inc., and building supply distributors nationwide. It recently announced an agreement to also work with 84 Lumber for sales of its products.

Armstrong currently offers four series of cabinet constructions targeted at a variety of price points and environmental requirements:

• Allwood Series: this top-tier series features an all-plywood box construction, hardwood plywood sides and bottom panels, six-way adjustable concealed hinges and wood dovetail drawers. Available in traditional - contemporary - transitional - and causal country styles with a variety  of door options.

• Premier Series: with similar features to the Allwood; this series has a composite panel construction and is available in a wood grain or laminate exterior. Available in traditional - contemporary - transitional - and causal country styles with a variety  of door options.

• Origins Series: available on most cabinet styles, this series is environmentally friendly and uses urea-formaldehyde-free, soy-based adhesive PureBond panels from Columbia Forest Products; which the company says can contribute to LEED NC EQ Credit 4.4.

• Extreme Series: targeted for the public housing segment, with hardwood plywood end panels and multi-ply plywood top and bottom panel construction, and a pine drawer box.

Lean and Green Manufacturing

A proponent of green manufacturing, Armstrong has its Town & Country maple wood cabinets, part of the Origins Series, featured in Disney World's Epcot Vision House in Florida.

All cabinets are manufactured to order at the company's 300,000-square-foot facility, located on 27 acres in Thompsontown, PA. Approximately 450 people work at the cabinet plant. 

Panel processing, frame manufacture, drawer box construction, finishing and assembly are done in-house, with cabinet doors and drawer fronts currently outsourced. Approximately 90% of production is kitchen cabinets, with the remaining 10% for bath vanities. The majority of the product is veneered, in species that include: cherry - maple - oak birch - and plantation hardwood.

Armstrong sources the veneered panels with laminated panels laid-up, in-house. Panels are cut-to-size on one of four Schelling saws before being sent to the Andi CNC routers or the company's new Keystone Automation end panel machine for further processing.

In another area, Koch bore and dowel machines are used for frame construction. Armstrong uses a variety of sanders throughout the production and finishing process, including Timesaves, Costa and DMC.

Output at the machines is tracked throughout the plant. "With the lean process, you can see the movement of the product on the floor and know at a glance if you need to produce more. It's a very visual management tool, " says Tim Clontz, plant manager. 

Parts are finished before being married up in assembly. The company uses a combination of hand spraying and UV coating, with specialty finishes available on its higher-end lines.

Continually looking for ways to improve, Armstrong recently conducted a value stream mapping of the area, which identified a bottleneck in the door finishing process for topcoating. In a quick resolution to the problem, by early May, the company will have replaced a tow-hang line with a Superfici flatline system, which will provide significant improvements in the workflow speed and process, Clontz says. 

Another area targeted for improvement is assembly, Clontz says. Moving from three long lines to five shorter ones will not only speed production, but reduce overall handling on the cabinets, while enabling workers to "have more involvement" in the finished product. "Lean is a never-ending journey," he says. "Every day we're trying to get better."

Safety in Numbers

Armstrong also is aggressive about emphasizing the safety of its employees. Placards throughout the plant illustrate correct methods of operation. In addition, twice daily employees perform stretching exercises as part of the work routine. 

Clontz says he is proud of the recognition the cabinet plant received recently for going more than 600,000 hours without an accident. "Our best resource is our employees," he adds. 

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