Reputation. Service. Value. This is their motto for good reason!

I can’t overstate how amazing the service is at both these locations. Ninety per cent of their designer, architect and multi-residential development clients are past customers or direct referrals. Located in Burnaby and West Vancouver respectively, Edmonds and Y. Franks provide premium products with service to match. You’ll find a range of quality products at various price levels. This is the go-to company for developers specifying high-end appliances, which makes their prices competitive for retail customers.

Exclusive Floors provides supply and installation services for all types of flooring from hardwood and carpet to tile and vinyl. This family-owned company has been servicing homeowners and builders for over 30 years and prides itself on continually providing new training for its sales staff and installers. As a result, their employee turnover is very low and they have second generation installers on staff. Their achievements include a Better Business Bureau A+ rating, a Shell Busey recommendation and a Consumer Choice Award. Their Surrey, BC showroom displays a wide range of flooring products and includes a design centre where customers can spread out their samples and discuss selections.

Design Lighting is located in Surrey, BC. This family-owned company puts an emphasis on personalized service. Working with homeowners, developers, contractors and designers, the staff at Design Lighting will visit your home or review your plans in order to create a lighting plan unique to your project. Their technical knowledge is extensive and they can help you address challenges and determine what types of fixtures will function best in a given space.

European Touch Hardwood Inc. is a small Vancouver company carrying a broad range of hardwood products in varied price ranges. Their installation team is capable of putting down both pre-finished and finish-in-place hardwood.

Sales people here are committed to spending enough time with clients to understand their unique functional, lifestyle, aesthetic and budget requirements. Their approach is very ‘hands-on’ and you will deal directly with them from product selection through installation. Their new showroom is sleek and modern with simple displays that keep the environment from feeling overwhelming. Given the sophisticated aesthetic of their showroom, I was surprised to learn that they have many products in a competitive price range with Home Depot and Rona.

European Touch has provided me with outstanding service over the course of my career in design and they’re friendly, fun people. Their experience with both private residences and development projects, small (200 square feet) and large (the entire Vancouver Shangri-La building) enables them to better service all their clients. In addition, their experience with flood damage has given them a wealth of technical information regarding the effects of moisture on wood flooring.

Supreme Kitchens is located in East Vancouver, BC. The company shies away from advertising and has stayed busy over the years based on referrals and repeat customers. Their aim is to service small jobs with the same level of quality and professionalism they devote to their large scale development projects. Tom Chung, Marketing Manager, explains the belief here is that every job must be earned and work is never taken for granted, even with clients who have hired them over and over.

The company has three plants to produce its residential and commercial work. They have the capability to source custom materials and finishes and are not restricted to modular sizes.

Our local Vancouver Robinson Lighting & Bath Centre boasts one of the largest lighting showrooms in Western Canada. Part of the appeal of this established business is their ability to display a wide variety of products. A family-owned company, Robinson’s is based in Winnipeg and has been supplying bath and lighting fixtures for more than 70 years.

Products cater mostly to the residential market and staff members are equipped to assist the public, designers, contractors and developers.

Photos displayed on this page show the recently renovated plumbing showroom at Vancouver’s Cambie Street location.

You can find a full list of products available by clicking here.

Latch’s suppliers have been selected for their quality and reliability:
Ashley Norton
Astra
Baldwin
Bouvet
Colombo
Deltana
Dorex
Emtek
Fusion
FSB
Gallery
Hickory
Hoppe
Ives
Mayfair Signs
Omnia
Reliance
Schlage
Southwest Forge
Taymor
Top Knob
Weiser
Yale

Prior to cutting the stone slabs for your countertops or other stone surfaces, an electronic templating device is used for on-site measuring. It is accurate to 1/64″ in an 8 foot span and also allows for scanning of curved walls.

The Water Fusion Machine cuts according to AutoCAD computerized drawings, cutting straight lines with a saw and curved lines with the water jet. Two cameras mounted on the ceiling of the shop read the pattern of veining in individual slabs, enabling the machine to cut precisely where required in order to match the pattern on two pieces that would be installed adjacently. The photo below illustrates a slab in the process of being cut, with one of the cameras visible above.

You can see in the photo below how a complete countertop has been cut, including the cut-out for the sink.

A separate ‘CNC’ machine is used for more complicated shapes such as curved edge details like the one shown here.

At the time of this article, I’m told Pebo has the only Fusion Water Jet Machine in the Lower Mainland. They are very excited about their ability to increase efficiency and accuracy in fabrication due to this hi-tech investment. It was amazing to see this process in action; the speed with which it cuts, picks up, switches direction and makes another cut is truly impressive.

Based on info provided by Pebo Stones Corp.
www.pebostones.com

1. Marble, granite, slate and limestone are products of nature and as such, may have small cracks, blemishes, voids, variations in colour, veining, pitting and/or surface textures, which are inherent properties and are not considered defects.

2. Most natural stones, regardless of finish, have a natural absorption factor which will allow most staining agents (coffee, wine, juice, ink, etc.) to penetrate. Countertops should be sealed at time of installation and then re-sealed periodically during their lifetime.

3. Sealing does not make the countertop entirely impervious to stain, but rather provides a temporary barrier to stains. Spills should be wiped up immediately to prevent staining.

4. Do not use any abrasive cleaners, solvents, waxes or polishes that contain colour agents, oils, turpentine, leaded gasoline or kerosene. Do not use cleaning solutions such as sulfuric acids, acidic or alkaline cleaners.

5. Stone counters should be cleaned using a clean cloth with clean water mixed with light detergent.

Info provided by European Touch Hardwood Floors Inc.
www.ethfloors.com

1. Get the right type of flooring for your subfloor conditions. If concrete, use engineered. Radiant heat will have several issues relating to wood type. Some woods simply crack apart over those heating systems, even if they are engineered. Get professional advice from a bonded accredited firm.

2. Be aware of the wood hardness and color change characteristics. Some woods experience extreme color change over time. Some woods while described as hardwoods are actually quite soft and damage easily.

3. Understand and try to appreciate that woods of any species have variation in pattern, color, grain, etc. Avoid making your decision after looking at 1 or 2 pieces. Make your sales rep earn their pay by having them bring several pieces or in some cases a whole box and lay the floor out to get a true representation.

4. A level and flat floor starts with a level and flat subfloor. If you are currently living on carpet, be aware that the subfloor may be quite unlevel and require significant cost to flatten to hardwood flooring standards.

5. If you are in a Strata run building, be sure to let them know of your intentions to install a wood floor and ensure that you use a sound dampening underlay that will provide the appropriate amount of comfort for your neighbors below (unless of course, you do not like your neighbors below).