Stainless Steel Kitchens - Contractor Talk - Professional Construction and Remodeling Forum

pyrosg · 01-29-2008, 04:32 PM

I am new to the kitchen market but I have been working with metal for a while. I am looking to see how I can get into the market of stainless steel kitchens.

Do any of you kitchen remodelers partner up with fabricators if your customer wants a stainless steel kitchen?

I am looking for advice to enter the market

thanks a lot.

**ChrWright** · 01-29-2008, 04:50 PM

I use a local stainless fabricator for custom range hoods and counters (with & without integral sinks.) There is a definite need for this in the high-end remodel market, but only if you've got the chops to turn out quality work.

I would recommend visiting whatever high-end kitchen showrooms there are in your area and introduce yourself to their designers. Track down any high end kitchen remodelers as well. Do you have photos of projects you've built these folks might respond to?

High end builders, designers and homeowners will be very demanding when it comes to quality. Minor imperfections that a school cafeteria or laboratory would overlook will more often than not be unacceptable.

Here are a few projects my fabricator has built for me:

Good luck!

pyrosg · 01-29-2008, 05:04 PM

Thanks a lot.

Also, is there a large commerical kitchen market or is everything already prefabricated?

**ChrWright** · 01-29-2008, 05:10 PM

There is, depending on how big a metropolitan area you're in.

My guy is doing mostly commercial now (less headaches, he says--FYI). I also know of a much larger group that does a ton of cafeteria, school, lab, etc. work.

kevjob · 01-29-2008, 06:53 PM

sweet sink chris! I have done a couple ss countetops and backsplashes.

**ChrWright** · 01-29-2008, 07:09 PM

Can't take credit for the design.

I only wish they could've made it with a standard 1 1/2" lav drain hole. My fabricator only had the die to stamp for a kitchen size.

Fortunately, that was the look the HO wanted.

kevjob · 01-29-2008, 08:45 PM

chris could you pm the cost of the sink?

beachremodlr · 02-04-2008, 11:50 AM

I have worked in strickly custom s/s fab shops and also catalog / production style fab shops in several parts of the country. All of them will do custom work for homeowners unless they are just to busy. Then again the competition for production s/s is getting out of hand. You can get an 8' 3 compartment sink from an oversea's manuf. for about $300, when a custom shop cannot compete with the cheap prices. Most s/s shops are use to shipping things out with flaws in the grinding and polishing aspect of their products. Check into the shops grade of metals. Overseas s/s is cheaper because of its high content of iron, meaning quicker to spot rust - not what a homeowner would want to see in 3 months. Most res. kitchen countertops are easy fabrication and minimum welding/polishing required. Find the best shop around for your supplier, use it as a selling point.

Kennyboy · 02-06-2008, 07:52 PM

wow, that's nice. It adds a high-tech look to the kitchen.

**Teetorbilt** · 02-06-2008, 08:00 PM

How long can you go? My source can shear and die form to 12 ft. There's money in it for sure, most is in the ability to grind/fill the welds and blend the finish. My guy can passivate as well.

Forry · 02-06-2008, 09:13 PM

"Passivate"? Sounds like what I do with clients when things aren't perfect... What, exactly is "passivate"?

**ChrWright** · 02-06-2008, 09:18 PM

What is Passivate?

Passivation is the removal of exogenous iron or iron compounds from the surface of stainless steel by means of a chemical dissolution, most typically by a treatment with an acid solution that will remove the surface contamination, but will not significantly affect the stainless steel itself. In addition, it also describes passivation as "the chemical treatment of stainless steel with a mild oxidant, such as a nitric or citric acid solution, for the purpose of enhancing the spontaneous formation of the protective passive film." In lay terms, the passivation process removes "free iron" contamination left behind on the surface of the stainless steel from machining and fabricating. These contaminants are potential corrosion sites that result in premature corrosion and ultimately result in deterioration of the component if not removed. In addition, the passivation process facilitates the formation of a thin, transparent oxide film that protects the stainless steel from selective oxidation (corrosion).

Forry · 02-06-2008, 09:26 PM

Well thank you very much! Guess I could've looked it up, but I was busy bein' a smart azz.

tyler durden · 02-07-2008, 03:49 AM

very nice