The world of bespoke Solid Surface worktops, reception desks, and wash troughs can seem daunting and complicated at first—when in fact, with an experienced specialist fabricator, the process is straightforward, collaborative, and transparent from start to finish.
Because every single item we manufacture at BSF Solid Surfaces Ltd is custom-made and handcrafted to order rather than pulled off a shelf, accuracy and attention to detail at every stage make all the difference. Here is a step-by-step look at how the Solid Surface process works, from initial quote and on-site templating through to workshop fabrication and seamless installation.
Step 1: Consultation, Colour Selection & Bespoke Estimating
Every project begins with your drawings, dimensions, or design brief. Unlike natural stone merchants, we do not offer a flat price per square metre (m²) or linear metre, because doing so can actually make your project more expensive! Because Solid Surface sheets can be cut, optimised, and joined invisibly, our in-house estimating database calculates exact sheet yields, sink cut-outs, drainer grooves, coved upstands, and thermoforming requirements to give you the most competitive price possible with minimal material waste.
At this stage, we also help you select the right brand and colour—sending out free physical samples so you can view the material in your space's actual lighting.
Step 2: Site Survey & Templating Solid Surface
Once your order is placed, our project management team arranges a site survey and template where required. Whether you are creating a domestic kitchen worktop, a curved commercial reception desk, or a multi-user wash trough, templates are the vital link between design intent and a perfectly finished installation.
What Is a Template?
A template is a full-size physical or digital plan of the work surface that represents the exact shape and dimensions of the finished product—capturing bowl cut-outs, hob cut-outs, tap holes, column casings, upstands, overhangs, and edge profiles. Depending on the project, templates are created using MDF, rigid plastic sheet, or digital laser templating files for direct CNC production.
Crucial Site Preparation Rule: All base kitchen cabinets, joinery carcasses, and support frames must be permanently fixed and levelled into their final position prior to a site survey or template being taken. Moving carcasses after templating will directly impact the fit of the finished Solid Surface piece.
Why Templates Matter So Much
Solid Surface materials such as Corian®, HIMACS, and Staron are highly stable, but no building has truly millimetre-perfect walls or right-angle corners, and all materials expand and contract slightly with temperature and humidity changes. Templates allow us to:
- Ensure On-Site Accuracy: Highlight irregularities in plastered walls, out-of-square corners, and joinery interfaces so we can scribe and adjust the final cut for a glove-like fit.
- Allow for Expansion and Contraction: Account for natural thermal movement alongside engineered "ladder" MDF or plywood substrates so seams and joints remain stress-free.
- Improve Communication & Sign-Off: Before fabrication begins, we produce detailed working drawings or templates for you to review and sign off—confirming every dimension, cut-out, and edge detail.
- Save Time and Prevent Rework: Identifying site discrepancies before a single sheet is cut prevents costly delays on site.
Step 3: Specialist Workshop Fabrication
Once your template and working drawings are signed off, production moves into our specialist factory in Brentwood, Essex. Solid Surface sheets are delivered to us in standard thicknesses and batch-matched codes, ready to be transformed by our skilled craftsmen using advanced machinery:
- Precision Cutting & Mirror Jointing: Using our Striebig vertical wall saw, we achieve razor-sharp cuts that allow for "mirror jointing"—ensuring two mating edges close together with zero gaps.
- 3-Axis & 5-Axis CNC Machining: Complex shapes, fluted vertical panels, recessed drainer grooves, sink cut-outs, and engraved logos are routed with sub-millimetre digital precision.
- 3D Thermoforming & Pressing: When a design calls for curves or organic 3D forms, sheets are heated to approximately 168°C in our multi-therm platen oven until malleable, then shaped over bespoke moulds and cooled in our 50-tonne water-cooled press.
- Reinforced Bonding & Hand Finishing: Sections, integrated sinks, and drop edges are bonded using two-part colour-matched structural adhesives, reinforced underneath at joint sites with Solid Surface cleats, and meticulously sanded using specialist Festool extraction sanders to achieve your chosen matte, satin, or gloss finish.
Step 4: Quality Control, Delivery & Seamless Installation
Once fabrication is complete, every finished piece is re-checked against its original template to verify accuracy within strict tolerance levels. We document every stage with photographs and quality assurance records before wrapping and labelling the items for transport.
If an item is small enough to be delivered in one piece, it can often be fitted by your site joiner. However, if the installation requires an on-site join (known as a seam), it must be installed by our trained, accredited fitting team. Using Class-M dust extraction and colour-matched adhesives, our installers manoeuvre the sections into place, bond and clamp the joints, and sand the seam flush so the finished installation looks like one continuous, monolithic piece—securing your 10-year manufacturer material warranty.
Start Your Project with BSF Solid Surfaces
With over 25 years of experience refining our templating, fabrication, and installation process, we make delivering bespoke Solid Surface projects effortless. Typical lead times range from 4 to 6 weeks depending on material stock and design complexity.
Have drawings ready or need technical advice on an upcoming project? Call our friendly team on 01277 263603 or email info@bsfsolidsurfaces.com.