TWD Surfaces would like to thank you for your loyal business over the past year. We wish you a very happy holiday season and hope that the new year brings you joy, peace, and prosperity.

Warm Regards,

The Staff at TWD Surfaces

Here’s the schedule!

• December 14, 2011
  10:30 PM e/p
• December 14, 2011
  1:30 AM e/p
• December 19, 2011
  9:30 AM e/p
• December 25, 2011
  7:00 PM e/p
• December 26, 2011
  9:00 AM e/p

About Heritage Wood available at TWD Surfaces

• Waterproof
• Heat Resistant
• Stain Resistant
• Scratch Resistant
• Never out of style
• Low Maintenance
• Food Safe

If you’re interested in learning more about Heritage Wood or our services at TWD give us a call (508) 279-2650.

TWD was in fact chosen to work on the bathroom remodel for next season’s featured home on This Old House. Not much can be revealed as of yet but stay tuned for more information or check in from time-to-time to view TOH’s webcam!

Barrington House Background:

The two bedroom beach house is located in Barrington, Rhode Island. Built in 1925, this seaside retreat with gorgeous views of the Narragansett Bay is in need of some tender loving care. There were several poorly planned additions and changes made back in the 70′s that transformed the house into the  exact opposite of what you would expect from a sunny beach side home. Dark, dreary, and plain This Old House plans to put their magic touch on all rooms of the house and the exterior.

According to ThisOldHouse.com, “…the only full bath in the house is located just off a garage entry downstairs. Since Brewster’s plan calls for the addition of two full bathrooms upstairs, the downstairs one will be cut in half, with one portion used as a powder room and the remaining space given over to a small mudroom addition.”

Artisan Group’s nationwide sale, in which several of our fellow Artisan Group Members participated, raised $32,000 for the charity Homes for Our Troops. The charity builds specially adapted homes to help wounded veterans. Pictured above you will see Artisan Group’s, Chad Seiders presenting the $32,000 donation to Marine Corporal Neil Frustaglio. Neil is a Homes for our Troops Representative and Marine who recently received a home from the charity.

“These marines have given their blood, sweat, tears and in some cases part of themselves to defend our rights and freedoms in this country,” says Chad Seiders, Artisan Group Executive Director. “It is a privilege to give something back to them.”

“Homes for Our Troops appreciates the fundraising efforts of the Artisan Group,” says John Gonsalves, President and Founder of Homes For Our Troops. “Because of the support from patriotic companies across the nation, we are able to restore freedom and independence back to our severely injured veterans through the gift of a specially adapted home.”

Artisan Group members who participated in this Counters For A Cause sale and/or contributed include: Surface Products, Duracite, Block Tops, Front Range Stone, Atlanta Kitchen, Top Master, Solid Tops, Consolidated Kitchens & Fireplaces, Rocky Mountain Stone, Creative Countertops, RockStone Store, US Granite, Trindco, Artistic Counters, Innovative Surfaces and FLOFORM Countertops.

Artisan Group
Artisan Group™ is the premier network of stone fabricators in North America. Its extensive network allows the organization to offer the best granite from sources around the globe. Utilizing the most technically advanced, automated shops in the industry, highly skilled craftsmen ensure that each installation meets exacting standards. From classic to exotic, Artisan Group offers the most extensive array of stone choices in the industry, and is dedicated to customer service. For more information or to request a quote, visit www.artisan-counters.com.

Homes for Our Troops
Homes for Our Troops is a national non-profit, non-partisan 501(c)(3) organization strongly committed to helping those who have selflessly given to our country and have returned home with serious disabilities and injuries since September 11, 2001. They assist severely injured servicemen and servicewomen and their immediate families by raising donations of money, building materials and professional labor and to coordinate the process of building a home that provides maximum freedom of movement and the ability to live more independently.

 

The third-quarter, 2011 Kitchen and Bath Market Report from the National Kitchen & Bath Association (NKBA) was released this month revealing some encouraging news. The results indicated a rise in showroom traffic and an increase in kitchen remodels from one year ago. Bathroom remodels have declined since the second quarter but results show an overall increase from last year.

NKBA’s survey of NKBA dealers offers a promising outlook for fabricators in the coming year. It can only be predicted that kitchen and bath remodels will continue to prevail as the housing market struggles back to its feet. It’s common knowledge that homeowners are turning to home improvement rather than moving into a new home. It’s a perfect time for this industry to continually pursue new prospects and to get their name out there while the focus is on remodeling!

About the National Kitchen & Bath Association

The National Kitchen & Bath Association (NKBA) is a non-profit trade association with nearly 40,000 members that has educated and led the kitchen and bath industry for more than 45 years. To learn more, visit the NKBA Press Room or call 1-800-THE-NKBA (843-6522).

From This Old House

Working with architect Mary Brewster and local builder Andrew Tiplady, they plan to open up the house’s first floor, relocate an interior staircase, and install several new windows to take advantage of the views. A mudroom, laundry room, and two existing bathrooms will be updated. And some new spaces will appear on the second floor: a third bedroom, a master bath, and a covered porch off the master bedroom. Exterior changes will include a new entryway, a revamped roofline, and new white-cedar shingle siding.

This project will involve a lot more than just aesthetics. While the first floor of the house sits just above the flood zone, it’s in the “Zone II” wind zone, which means that it faces particular hazards associated with strong winds of up to 110 miles per hour. So the renovation team will need to find ways to harden it against storms, and to choose materials that can withstand the area’s corrosive, salt-laden air.

Finally, TOH will tap local craftspeople to create custom details and spaces that will add much-needed character to this bland little beach house. With Providence just 10 miles north and the historic mansions of Newport not far to the south, the renovation will benefit from the unique architectural heritage of the Ocean State.

We will keep you posted on the selection process. In the meantime– have fun tracking the Barrington House’s transformation progress! TOH Webcam

About Homes for Our Troops: http://is.gd/nPIvEf

America has been at war since 2001. During that time, two million of our nation’s sons and daughters have answered the call of duty. Over 5,000 of these brave men and women have been killed. Over 40,000 have suffered physical injuries. Of those 40,000, some have paid a terrible price, suffering injuries so severe that they must rely on others for care, losing much of their independence. These severely injured veterans have a desperate need for specially adapted homes that will help restore the independence they have lost.

Homes for Our Troops has launched the 100 More……Homes for Our Troops campaign. In the last seven years, Homes for Our Troops has committed to giving back freedom and independence to 100 military families.  This committment is set to be fulfilled in 2011 and we are looking toward the future; to 100 more and beyond. As the number of eligible applicants continues to grow, we estimate that there are between 1,000 to 1,500 OIF/OEF veterans among us that have injuries so severe that they are in need of an adapted home. With America’s support, Homes for Our Troops can “give back” freedom and independence to them through a gift of a specially adapted home.

http://www.stoneworld.com/articles/86602-massachusetts-fabricator-seizes-an-opportunity

In a Stone World magazine article author Michael Reis describes a little bit of our past, present, and hopeful future here are TWD Surfaces.

We are proud of where TWD Surfaces is today, but it still would not be possible without our fantastic customers backing us up, so thank you!

What are you seeing in today’s market? Is there a quantifiable uptick?

I would say in general, there is an uptick occurring in the stone industry. Of course, we thought the same thing last year around this time, but in hindsight, a lot of last year’s demand was driven by the new home buyers’ credit. This gave us a sense of false confidence last May and June, and we saw a hangover when the federal subsidy expired. This time, the demand feels real. Consumer confidence is building back slowly, with the stock market rebounding, and we still have record-low interest rates. The best news of all — for anyone in our industry — is that granite countertops are still in fashion. We would all have to find different jobs and industries if people no longer wanted granite countertops.

Are there certain markets or regions of the U.S. and Canada that seem to be improving better than others? Are there any regions that are flat or declining?

The markets that are doing best these days are the ones that were not overbuilt with new home inventory during the sub-prime fueled years. Markets like Las Vegas, Phoenix, Southern California and South Florida are still suffering, and fabricators and distributors in those markets are fighting it out for the few countertops being installed. Whereas re-model markets that did not have land for new home construction build-out have rebounded recently as consumer confidence has picked up.

What about price? Are fabricators and suppliers working on lower margins these days?

In talking to fabricators in Artisan Group, it seems that in 2009 and 2010, offering the lowest price was the number one priority to getting work, and there was a race to the bottom. Now that the dust has settled a bit, quality and customer service are becoming more important than being the absolute lowest price. But it varies quite a bit by market.

In terms of materials, are consumers still willing to pay for high-priced exotics? Has that market fallen off since the recession?

I feel like people who have money are spending again, and this bodes well for high-priced exotics, quartzites and other high-priced materials. One trend we’ve seen since the recession — due to the downward price pressure — is the influx of standard and commercial-grade material. I’m just glad my grandfather — who started in the stone industry in the 1953 — isn’t here to see some of the slabs that are being imported these days. Yet, does the consumer even care? They should, but most of the time they don’t.

Where do you see the market headed in the next five years? In the next 10 years?

In Texas right now, Tuscan — red tile roofs, gold granite, travertine — is out and contemporary — white marble, gray limestones, tile mosaics — is in. All of a sudden, Italy has become a very important source country again for stone distributors, as white marble is difficult to keep in stock. I also think it is a good sign that the leading quartz companies continue to try to mimic stone with their new color additions. As they say, “Imitation is the highest form of flattery.”

What would you say is the biggest challenge for the stone industry in the short-term and the long-term?

When you look at most markets in the U.S. right now, there is an interesting dynamic: There are fewer countertops being installed than prior to the recession, but more fabricators and distributors in each market. As the large, automated shops downsized, the workers they laid off all went out and started their own fabrication shops. The result has been even more competition for fewer countertops and, in many cases, an unlevel playing field because many of these shops do shoddy work, source commercial grade granite, don’t have insurance, worker’s comp, etc. The biggest challenge for the stone industry is to convince the consumer that it is not just about price. When shopping for a granite countertop, there is a difference not only in the quality of craftsmanship, but the actual material itself. Having a fabricator that will stand behind his or her product should matter to the consumer as well. This is why I am such a big fan of the MIA Accreditation program, because companies must abide by these standards to achieve accreditation status.

Chad Seiders graduated from the University of Texas at Austin, and he has served as the Artisan Group’s Executive Director since its inception. He is the third generation of his family in the stone business.

To read the article online or visit Stone World’s website click here.

"Despite a lingering recession, granite kitchen counters remain in fashion. Pictured is Artisan Stone Collection granite in Madura Gold with Absolute Black in a leather finish." (stoneworld.com)