Posts Tagged ‘remodeling trends’
Solid Surface’s for your kitchen
Recently, we ran across an article titled, “Costly Stone, Alternatives to Granite Countertops” and it brought out a couple of great points in comparing Granite to Solid Surfaces.
Consider the lifespan of your countertop materials. Al Gerhart, expert in the matter, indicates that some granite and cement countertops can crack, chip, and stain, becoming unusable after just a few years of use. Solid Surface or any other engineered composite countertops are much easier to repair!
The article also described how the “mining” of granite blocks leaves a considerable impact on the environment, while conversion from blocks to usable slabs that end up in your home produces a large amount of waste for which no alternative use has been developed.
Composite products such as solid surface countertops have a far smaller “waste footprint” with a higher potential for recycling than other products.
While this article did not mention pricing, Engineered Composites such as Solid Surface materials are more affordable than ever! When you add up the benefits of affordability, longer lifespan and being safer for the environment it makes sense to look into Solid Surfaces for your next kitchen countertop!
IMI’s Kitchen Counter Tops are manufactured using the newest technology in Solid Surface Polymers and MasterCast Performance Engineered Composites. They also can be made in dimensions that will work in any type of kitchen.
When you need a beautiful solid surfacing material that’s economical and as durable as premium solid surface sheets, there’s only one solution – VISION by International Marble Industries. Vision is a combination of solid surface polymers and cultured marble matrix. Vision Kitchen Countertops offer an elegant matte finish with four special edge choices as standard. Vision is seamless in most applications up to 140″ x 74″. The durable surface resists burns, scratches, scuffs, stains and corrosion. Vision countertops retain their color and are UV stabilized.
Our kitchen showroom at 304 Bell Park Drive shows our full line of products and is open by appointment from 9:00 am to 4:00 pm, Monday through Friday. Call us and we would be happy to give you a tour. Our phone number is 770.928.2252. We look forward to hearing from you!
IMI is a Lead-Safe Certified Firm!
IMI has fulfilled the new requirements of the Toxic Substance Control Act (TSCA). The EPA realized the growing concern about lead-based paints in homes and businesses and the real health hazard this situation poses for families and children.
In response to this concern, the EPA has established a new rule focused on renovation, repair and painting work. Beginning April 2010, all renovation, repair, and painting work done on structures built prior to 1978 are required to be done by an EPA certified firm, and a Certified Renovator from that firm must be on site during critical stages of the work.
IMI is excited that we have completed the EPA’s requirements, and if you would like to see our certificate you can view it here: IMI’s Certification. IMI is always committed to not only the highest standards in the manufacturing process, but also having the staff you need whether it is a General Contractor, a Certified-Aging-In-Place Specialist (CAPS), a Licensed Master Plumber or a Certified Renovator!
With IMI’s Gold Services program you can be assured that our cultured marble, cultured granite and SSP materials are members of the flourishing family of MasterCast Engineered Composites. Guided by industry quality control testing and standards since 1974, MasterCast™ is the product of choice for decorative and functional surfacing such as countertops, bathtubs, custom shower bases, shower/tub walls, and more.
If you are interested in seeing a video of how IMI can transform your bathroom, you can click here or here for our most recent YouTube videos!
If you would like to visit our showroom we would love to show it to you! We are open by appointment from 9:00 am to 4:00 pm, Monday through Friday. Call us and we would be happy to give you a tour. Our phone number is 770.928.2252. We look forward to hearing from you!
IMI’s Tile Shower to MasterCast Shower in One day!
Featuring removal of all tile, install custom shower base, new valve, MasterCast walls, valve trim and shower door.
If you would like to schedule a time to discuss your multi-family or single-family bathroom needs, we are open by appointment from 9:00 am to 4:00 pm, Monday through Friday. Call us and we would be happy to give you a tour. Our phone number is 770.928.2252. We look forward to hearing from you!
Universal Design
Many residential contractors are embracing a universal design principle. The goal is simple: Create living spaces that accommodate all people – from the able-bodied to the elderly and physically handicapped–without the need for adaptation or specialized design. The concept is especially marketable to the Active Adult baby-boomer population. “We are seeing the need for universal design and its’ implementation is quickly becoming accepted as normal throughout the country. You can see it in all facets of the residential building industry, including single-family, multi-family, and remodeling.” says Joel A. Bump, CAPS, EPA-RRP Certified. “Smart developers are building spaces that can be used by a larger group of people for a larger period of time.” (Source: http://www.multifamilyexecutive.com/finishes-and-surfaces)
IMI understands both the consumer needs and the builder needs. We currently have a Certified Aging In-Place Specialist (CAPS), EPA-RRP Certification, General Contractor & Master Plumber Licenses, and an Engineer on staff. The knowledge that these individuals bring to the table makes IMI and our MasterCast Engineered Composite vanity tops, tubs, shower bases, and wall surrounds the perfect choice for all your bathroom designs!
If you would like to schedule a time to discuss your multi-family or single-family bathroom needs, we are open by appointment from 9:00 am to 4:00 pm, Monday through Friday. Call us and we would be happy to give you a tour. Our phone number is 770.928.2252. We look forward to hearing from you!
IMI is headed to the Atlanta Home Show March 19th-21st.
In addition to IMI there will be over 300 participating companies offering you the latest home remodeling related products and services. IMI has products that can help whether you are buying or selling a home, adding an aging member of your family to the household, or if you are just looking to transform your bathroom!
The Spring Atlanta Home Show has been coming for 32 years! This year it is at the Cobb Galleria Centre. For more information on the hours and admission you can visit the website here.
The IMI Difference
IMI offers a hassle-free, all-in-one, custom remodeling process for the wet areas of your bathroom. Visualize your own private sanctuary, complete with the highest quality MasterCast Engineered Composite products that will add enduring beauty to your most personal space. Our Cultured Marble products can transform any bathroom into an area of beauty. Relax while our expert team of in-house trained staff builds the bathroom of your dreams!
Why IMI?
You can expect us to be fast and accurate. These enviable attributes are a “by product” of our incredible systems and processes that sets IMI apart from other companies.
Our accelerated time schedule minimizes disruptions to your home, family, pets or work life. Efficiency and experience combine to insure the highest quality in the shortest time frame.
Expert Design and Construction – Who knows bathrooms better than a company dedicated to one thing? IMI recently celebrated 25 years in the business of bathrooms! IMI is a GA State Licensed General Contractor, GA State Licensed Master Plumber, Certified Aging-In-Place Specialist, and EPA Certified.
Our years of experience help you create the bathroom of your dreams with the best products available. IMI is a manufacturer and fabricator of MasterCast Performance Engineered Composites, including Cultured Marble, Spray Granite, Cast Granite, and Spray Solid Surface Polymers. Our products include Vanity Tops, Soaking Tubs, Whirlpool Tubs, Shower Bases, Shower Wall Surrounds, Tub Wall Surrounds, and Stand Alone Luxury Tubs.
No Subcontractors – You know who is in your home and can trust our highly trained and experienced teams.
One Stop Shop – Convenience and a seamless process eliminate mistakes.
It’s as simple as one phone call! We handle all the details. All you have to do is imagine your new bath!
Guaranteed Price – Cost variances are a thing of the past.
You know exactly what you’re getting and exactly how much it will cost upfront. We price your project from a place of knowledge and experience, rather than a place of “guessing and hoping”.
What are you waiting for; call IMI today to set-up a free consultation! 770.928.2252
The smallest room in your house!

The smallest room in your home may require the largest number of professionals to remodel. With IMI’s Remodeler’s Edge, we have a general contractor, plumber and install crews that will be able to transform your bathroom all from the same location, International Marble Industries, in Woodstock, Georgia!
Every bathroom may have the same necessities; a vanity, toilet, tub and/or shower, but everything else is the frosting on the cake! IMI’s frostings include different edges for vanities, colors, patterns and the ability to customize your shower base or drain.
One of the first things you’ll consider when thinking about a bathroom remodel is the tub or shower. This choice sets the tone for the rest of the project. Do you dream of a whirlpool tub for leisurely soaking? Do you need a walk-in tub for health or safety reasons? Or maybe you just need an inexpensive alternative to what you currently have.
IMI has a wide range of products that will suite your wants and needs! In a price that you can afford to add some frosting to your bathroom, such as our wall surrounds. These surrounds can transform your bathroom and make it easier to clean all at the same time!
We have a showroom right here in Woodstock, GA if you are in the area, you can call us to make an appointment or you can visit our website to see more of our products!
Flipping has been replaced with nesting!
Times have changed flipping has been replaced with nesting! Personally, I can relate to this change, “flipping” was the buzzword of recent years, and even if we didn’t flip a house, we were in awe of those who could. Now we have came full circle, and “nesting” is the buzzword. Some of us are looking at our nest and thinking “maybe this nest could use a little work!”
In our current economic and real estate market, many of us figure that since we can’t sell our home we might as well make it more comfortable during this “nesting” time. Now, we just have to start deciding where we would like to invest in our homes. One area of the home that will create a higher return on our investment is remodeling our bathrooms. It gives us an immediate return by making us feel better and a long-term value for when we do sell.
IMI has a full line of cultured marble products for your bathroom remodeling needs. We have everything from standard shower bases, custom shower bases, shower and tub surrounds to pretty much anything you can imagine for your bathroom remodeling needs!
Why Choose an Engineered Composite Over Tile?
Whether you’re talking about a bathroom or a kitchen, a floor or a countertop, a shower or a tub; tile has traditionally been a consumer favorite. Tile touts itself as easy to clean, durable, with low maintenance and in a variety of colors and sizes. But before we all start mixing up the grout, why not consider some alternatives. It seems like many clients, remodelers and builders look to tile simply because “that’s what they’ve always used.” This, of course, is a saying that never leads to improvement or discovery.
Let an engineered composite onto the playing field and you just might find that the tile you’ve always used is suddenly not the clear winner. MasterCast Engineered Composites from International Marble Industries, Inc. (IMI) are recognized as “Beautiful, Durable, Versatile, (and) Affordable.” Four values that are obviously in competition with everything we thought we knew about tile. MasterCast Engineered Composites encompasses cultured marble, cultured granite, solid surface polymers, and engineered quartz Bathroom & Kitchen products.
The beauty of a MasterCast engineered composites product is immediately obvious. Used in high-end hotels around the world and first-time family homes alike this product boasts beauty that cannot be found anywhere else. From color to shape, the MasterCast Engineered Composite fabricators like IMI produce custom Bathroom Vanity Tops, Kitchen Countertops, Tubs, Shower Bases, and Shower/Tub Surrounds especially for remodelers, builders, dealers and re-sellers.
Have you ever seen a tile curve? Have you ever seen a tile shower with no visible seams, no grout lines? Imagine the beauty of a product that could do both! Now imagine that same product needing no sealing, no special cleaners, which resists stains and mold and is antibacterial. If it sounds too good to be true then you are starting to learn why engineered composites are quickly becoming a top choice in today’s economy.
Homeowners want a product that will be durable, easy to care for and add value to their home. An engineered composite can suit all of those needs, which has the end result of making the builders and remodelers who use them very happy.
A final reason these users, owners and makers of engineered composites stay so happy is the longevity of the product. No warranty visits when the tile grout starts cracking or the tile shower base starts leaking. No spreading mold or mildew which can cause major health problems. Engineered composites are waterproof and a non-porous surface that deliver a warmer, softer feel to the touch than cold tile.
If you are a builder, remodeler, kitchen and bath dealer or re-seller and you know your clients would like this product contact IMI today. IMI professionals would be happy to provide you with an on-line presentation of the products. On IMI’s website you can find your Contractor Kit as well as information for Kitchen and Bath Dealers. Please visit IMI on the web at: http://www.intlmarbleindustries.com/
Remodeling Professionals: Are Your Clients “Serial Remodelers”?
If they’re not you may just want them to be, because if it sounds like a bad thing – it’s not. Serial remodels, or phased remodeling projects, can go over several months and even years. For example, homeowners might opt to start slow with a remodel to a powder room or closet and then tackle a larger project, such as the kitchen, master bath or home addition.
According the the National Association of the Remodeling Industry, residential remodels are no longer those once-in-a-lifetime projects that keep homeowners dreaming years on end before they ever pick up a hammer. Instead, many homeowners opt to do a series of remodels as their schedules, budgets and lifestyles evolve over time!
Qualified Remodeler’s business website says that these phased remodeling projects are part of a larger trend in American consciousness, which Trendwatching calls “Foreverism.” It speaks to people’s desire to continue conversations, relationships and projects over time. Technology is driving people’s ability to find, follow, interact and collaborate forever with anyone and anything, and home improvement is just one of the areas benefiting from the trend.
According to Qualified Remodeler, phasing a remodeling project has a number of benefits, besides cultivating contractor/client relationships. For homeowners who can’t fund the entire project upfront, breaking elements of a major home remodel into stages can help extend costs over time. Embarking on a series of smaller projects also keeps homeowners less stressed.
IMI professionals would be happy to help you propose and prepare a phased remodeling project involving any of our products. It just may be a feasible way to allow your clients to realize their dream…in phases.
