MTEIXEIRA INTERNATIONAL

I knew that I didn't want granite counters for our kitchen (too cold and shiny) and did substantial research into other materials. I was intrigued by soapstone. You might remember it from your HS chem lab days, those black impervious surfaces in the lab were probably soapstone as it is a material not affected by heat or most chemicals. Touring the Teixeira showroom is a revelation. The sales people are extremely knowledgeable about the materials and take the time to show off the beautiful variations available. They explain the advantages and disadvantages of each type, and what care is needed to maintain them. I was able to view dozens of slabs and choose the combination that I felt would work best in my home. When my kitchen was ready for install, they sent a fabricator who inspected the cabinet surfaces, made specific recommendations to prepare the area and made an exact template of the surfaces to be covered. At that time, he told me that the stone would need to be reinforced due to a very narrow cut needed around my cook-top. Later that week the office provided me with a new estimate: the additional cost was only $400 which I felt was reasonable. Less than two weeks later, we had our counters. The fabricator/installer had precut the slabs so they fit in FIRST TIME! It was impressive. They had to cut holes for our cook-top, faucets etc on site. They were careful to vacuum the stone dust as they cut. It took less than 3 hours to complete the job. I am very pleased with the result.

Overall, very good. The soapstone looks fantastic (and for those who haven't looked into soapstone, it is an ideal countertop material). TEIXEIRA does only 1.25 inch counter tops, which is hard to find and looks way more professional (and as an added bonus, doesn't require a subdeck). I tend to ask a lot of questions, and Philip was very personable and patient with my regular phone calls. The cutting, prep and installation was handled by a guy named Guillermo who clearly knew what he was doing. Little details like seams were well planned, and the overall material looks great. Only two things to change: 1.) the sink took a looooong time to manufacture. I guess that's just the way it goes with custom jobs, and 2.) I would've appreciated a bit more guidance on maintenance and upkeep. Once the installation was done, the workers were out the door as quickly as possible. But like I said, not major issues. Overall, very satisfied.