New Year gift recipe from Smartpack

Happy New Year everybody. I thought - enough with the technical blogs for our Smartpack readers,  so, as a New Year gift, my wife has agreed to gift this recipe to all the followers of our Smartpack blog. If this proves popular then I will intersperse more of her recipes (and favourites from my mother) among the latest technical and interest articles every month.

A fantastic  pre-dinner snack with drinks served with rice crackers or ryvita biscuits. This will be a whole conversation by itself with your guests. 

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                         DELICIOUS FETTA BAKE WITH PINK PEPPERCORNS

~ Place 1 slab of Danish fetta into a baking dish and slice into bite sized pieces.

~ Cover with olive oil and fresh thyme leaves and crushed garlic

~ Bake in an oven uncovered at 180 degrees until the fetta becomes golden brown.

~  Sprinkle with pink peppercorns and serve with crackers before dinner

Yummo!

(Danish fetta is the best because it is the only fetta which absorbs the marinade ~ all others are dry)

Well enjoy and may the best of 2011 be the worst of 2012 for you all from the Smartpack team.

Everything was easy to assemble and install - Customer applauds Smartpack

 

Hi Sally

Yes all has been received and installed

Everything was easy to assemble and install and you provided everything I

needed without fuss.

I would to thank The Smartpack Team and especially yourself for all the help

you provided.

I will be recommending you to all my friends in the future.

I have attached a couple of photos of the finished product 

Have a safe and great Christmas break and a happy new year

Best Regards

Dave

 

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Wear Resistant Laminate used in the standard range benchtops

Laminates are not all scuff resistant and environmentally preferable laminate.

This is why Smartpack has chosen a laminate with double the wear resistance performance for the standard range benchtops.

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Rolled edge Benchtop end with self edge

Introduced more than two decades ago, ARP is one of the most significant improvements in the performance of high pressure decorative laminates.  The armored protection surface is engineered using aluminium oxide particles blended with clear resins.  Together they form a protective layer that allows objects to slide over the laminate surface as if they were on ball bearings.

Unlike other laminates using overlays that cloud the design, ARP’s patented process always allows the subtlety and depth of the decorative paper to show through.  This dramatic clarity isn’t compromised by the surface protection during the serviceable life of the laminate.
Why Aluminum Oxide?
Aluminum oxide is harder than common everyday objects, protecting laminates against the wear caused when those objects slide across the surface.  Yet, aluminium oxide is softer than silicon carbide or diamond which are commonly used in making cutting tools and blades.

Armored Protection keeps laminates looking new longer in the following ways:

It protects the laminate’s color by reducing surface wear caused by common abrasive substances such as sand (silica) particles present in dirt, dust, paper bags an

d boxes.  Standard industry wear  resistance tests (NEMA LD3) show armored protection outlasts conventional laminates.

It reduces gloss change (dulling and buffing).

 

Substance

Knoop Hardness Value

Diamond

7000

Silicone Carbide

2480

Aluminium Oxide

2100

Steel Can

1570

Silica /Quartz

820

Glass

530

Iron Can

430

Aluminium Can

125

Read the rest of this post »

BECOMING A KITCHEN DESIGNER AS EASY AS D.Y.O.S

SmartPack Kitchens’ DYOS program gives renovators the ability to design, view in 3D and cost their kitchen or home office renovation. The results speak for themselves.

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The "DYOS" design

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...and the Reality 3 weeks later.

With SmartPack Kitchens’ new Design Your Own SmartPack (DYOS) software, renovators can point and click their way to kitchen and home office designs – seeing the results in 3D and getting an estimate of cabinetry costs – in their own home and without talking to a salesperson.

Downloadable free of charge from www.smartpackkit.com.au, the program guides customers through the design process: from entering their room’s dimensions, marking out windows and doors, adding to-scale cabinetry options and choosing colours and finishes. Customers can change their options with the click of the mouse – then view and print out their 3D design. Here is the direct link to the DYOS program .

DYOS automatically calculates the order requirements and cost (bar benchtops), so customers can easily consider the budget implications of different configurations. There’s also the option to buy $50 sample kit, which contains an extensive range of sample finishes for benches, doors and handles, plus a $100 SmartPack voucher which makes the end cost much less than zero.

Managing Director of SmartPack Kitchens, Mike Caminer says DYOS gives customers the best of both words: total control over the design with expert advice on-hand if required. A free video skype call can be made from the contact page and a designer can share the onscreen design with you while you chat.

“The system is almost foolproof, as most errors are obvious in 3D. But to be certain, SmartPack Kitchen’s qualified designers can check each DYOS design free of charge, picking up oversights that might only be evident to a trained eye,” Mike Caminer says.

Caminer adds that SmartPack can also design custom cabinetry, so that the finished kitchen fits the customers’ requirements exactly.

Australia’s premier quality flatpack system for kitchens, home offices and garage/workshops, SmartPack kitchens are constructed around a cam and dowel system that is easy-to-assemble and requires no sawing, drilling or screws.

Having backed more than 15,000 kitchen and other home renovation projects over the past 20 years, SmartPack Kitchens’ aim is providing the best value – rather than the cheapest price – in the market. The company’s components are manufactured in ISO 9001-accredited facilities and are guaranteed for seven years, while fittings – SmartPack uses leading European brands such as Hettich and Blum - carry the manufacturers’ lifetime warranties.

The result is that renovators get quality outcomes, a designer look – and now, complete design control - at $thousands less.

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“There’s no longer the need to put up with heavy sales pressure – or worse, ‘cowboy’ kitchen companies that are here one day and gone the next. With DYOS you are in control at every step of the way, with the option of free, expert advice to make sure you get a great result at a value-for-money price,” says Caminer.

Developed in third-generation technologies at a cost of more than $500,000, the DYOS program works on both Windows-based and Macintosh computers although there are some anomolies on Mac.  In addition to the kitchen and home office programs available now at www.smartpackkit.com.au 

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SmartpackCreativ is now offered as a premium service custom made individually designed kitchen

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SmartpackCreativ is a custom made and individually designed product with a very high quality standard using E1 board,hettich soft closing drawers and a in home design service at no extra cost. SmartpackCreativ is a fully assembled screwed together product which is delivered assembled and installed by one of our team of experienced tradespeople. We offer a full turnkey project management including plumbers,electricians,tilers and plaster board installation. 

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There is no better value for money product on the market offering Australian made cabinets and German engineered hardware with a lifetime warranty than that made by our nesting based production line for customised cabinetry. We offer you a hassle free experience in any of your kitchen ,wardrobe or home office product. 

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SmartpackCreativ is a new product line for a 25 year old company dedicated to quality manufacturing in Australia.

SmartpackCreativ has partnered with Hettich for all the german engineered hardware and accessories and offers a lifetime warranty on the hinges and softclose drawer runners. Visit the website for SmartpackCreativ to get some inspirational ideas for our kitchens and accessories. 

Arc appliances, Elica range hoods and Fagor European appliances are offered with our kitchens. There are a huge range of appliances from new-age range hoods to integrated dishwashers and ovens and coffee-machines. Click on the link on the SmartpacCreativ home page for Accessories ideas and Appliance recommendations.

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Call now or book an in home visit from one of our experienced designers.

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 Click here to Call now or request a designer visit.
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HI-MACS - Solid surface-step ahead of Stone

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Splashback to 60mm edge on the benchtop seamlessly.

HI-MACS solid surface is developed by LG Hauys, is a world leader in manufacturing technology, made for seamless installation. HI-MACS is different from traditional decorative surfacing products, as it is non-porous and easy to clean, impact resistant and repairable.

This makes HI-MACS the perfect choice for:

• Kitchen benchtops and splashbacks

• Vanity tops

• Integrated sinks, baths and shower units

• Interior wall cladding

• Commercial food preparation areas

• Retail/ Reception counter tops

• Laboratory benchtops


Extend the life of your benchtop

Commercial developers, designers, builders and renovators alike are upgrading to HI-MACS. Unlike laminate and stone and granite the advanced acrylic resin technology used in the manufacturing process of HI-MACS allows for the product to be repaired if it is scratched or chipped.

 

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Integrated sink and draining board incorporated seamlessly in the solid surface top

Design freedom

The unique seamless invisible joining system of HI-MACS gives you total design freedom. HI-MACS offer the beauty and elegance of stone surfaces without the disadvantages such as porosity or lack of flexibility.

HI-MACS can be cut into any shape and it can be manufactured to achieve the sharpest lines or the softest curves. It offers infinite possibilities with a wide variety of the edge treatments and inlays sink mounting options, invisible joins and coved splashbacks that eliminate water penetration.

 

Easy to clean

Unlike other surfaces HI-MACS does not absorb spillages or food odours that may occur during daily use, leaving surfaces hygienically clean for the life of the benchtop. It can be cleaned simply with warm water and a non-abrasive household cleaner. HI-MACS is so hygienic that it is officially certified as being suitable for contact with food.*

 

*HI-MACS is recognised by NSF International as complying with ANSI/NSF51 and is LGA 5631227 hygiene tested.

 

HI-MACS - a step ahead of Stone.

 

Kickboards- building on a solid base

The bases of cabinets are made in 3 ways:

1. Plinth attached to the cabinets.
2. Legs attached to the cabinet.
3. Inset kickboards with the cabinet sides going to the floor.
 
There are advantages and disadvantages to each type. Different installations can benefit fromfile:///tmp/Smartpack.jpg different bases. The basic principle is to have the doors raised from the floor to prevent damage from shoes, brooms and mops and to enable one to get closer to the cabinet and benchtop. The plinth is easily leveled in order to get the perfectly horizontal cabinet and benchtop regardless of the slope of the floor. The kickboard are also designed to  prevent the water damage to the cabinets in the kitchen, laundry or bathroom. 
  • Plinth - A plinth is made in the form of a box without the top and bottom normally with a height of 100-150mm. The plinth is wedged up to get the horizontal level and then a front fascia is placed onto the plinth to cover the gaps left by the wedges. The fascia is best scribed to the floor (the change in floor level traced onto the fascia and then cut to follow this line thus the fascia has a height varying to follow the floor level ). Plinths are subject to water damage the water can track from the floor saturating the plinth and then tracking into the cabinet above. This is obviously not the best solution for the kitchen, bathroom or laundry cabinets. It is cheap to make (using off cuts) and gives even support to the whole cabinet. The plinth gives very solid support for heavy cabinets in bedroom wardrobes and home office bookcases.
  • Adjustable Legs – Plastic legs made from hard PVC and easily fitted, easy to level by twisting the leg. The fascia is clipped to the legs (after scribing the fascia to the floor level difference). The legs must be positioned so that they support the cabinet sides. The weight is transferred through the sides to the legs which are very strong under compression. If it is not under the side then the weight of the cabinet is taken by the fixings of the bottom to the side panel which does not have the support strength. Water damage to the plinth fascia can be easily rectified by unclipping the fascia and replacing it without moving the cabinets. When supporting a heavy cabinet or stone top.  Place a fascia at the back of the cabinets for extra support. Legs can be predrilled in the bottom to take the adjustable legs as with Smartpack cabinets or they can be screwed onto the base of the cabinets. View the video on kickboard and leg installation.
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  • Inset kickboards – For non moisture areas this is the easiest solution and very stable as the sides go to the floor. Wedges are used to level the cabinets and a front fascia can be attached to the recess cut into the cabinet sides. Single cabinets in the home office or bathroom vanities this construction is used for its ease of installation. The kick fascia is fixed between the sides. Isolated cabinets of 1m or less, leveling is less  important as the total floor differential over 1m is relatively small. Where this method is used on a bathroom vanity it is advisable to embed the sides of the cabinet onto a silicone to reduce the risk of water damage to the cabinet sides
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