FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
Do Maia worksurfaces come pre-edged?
Do Maia worksurfaces come ready finished?
How should I care for a Maia worktop?
How does Maia compare with other SSM products?
Do maia worksurfaces come pre-edged?
Yes, Maia worksurfaces come edged 1 long and 2 short sides (600mm and 650mm) and 2 long and 1 short side (900mm breakfast bar.) There is an extra length of edging (1200mm) supplied with each worktop and further lengths can be bought separately if necessary.
Do maia worksurfaces come ready finished?
Yes, Maia worksurfaces are supplied finished to a Scotch-Brite® 7447 (red) wet finish. When jointing the worktop, it is only the joint area which will require re-finishing.
The overall finish is close to an egg-shell effect.
Does it have a guarantee?
Maia has a 5 year manufacturer`s warranty. The warranty applies to a worksurface that is shown to be defective in manufacture only. It is therefore imperative that the installation, care and maintenance instructions are referred to both before and after installation, as misuse of the worksurface may affect the appearance of the product.
The warranty is validated by filling in and returning to Sylmar the warranty registration form that can be found in the back of the fitting, care and maintenance instructions booklet which is supplied with the worktop.
How is maia edging applied?
Maia worktops are supplied pre-edged on 1 long and 2 short edges (600mm and 650mm widths) or 2 long and 1 short edges (900mm widths.) Should you need to do any cut and re-edge work on site, however, there is an extra length of edging supplied in each box and the following instructions should be adhered to.
- Cut the worksurface to length +5mm using a saw.
- Trim to exact size using a router. Use the straight edge of a masons mitre jig as a guide for the router.
- All bonding surfaces must be cleaned with acetone or denatured alcohol using a clean, fluff-free rag and then no longer be touched with bare hands.
- Apply the acrylic adhesive to the edge strip or the substrate. Apply a bead of adhesive all the way around the edge of the area to be fixed, approx 5mm in from the edge. Also apply adhesive in a zig-zag pattern across the whole area.
- Clamp the edging every 100 to 150mm and using 3-way clamps leave the adhesive to cure for approximately 45 minutes. Tighten the clamps only hand-tight.
- Use a strip of wood between the clamp and the top of the worksurface to avoid the foot of the clamp bruising the surface material.
- After the adhesive has cured, trim off flush to all surfaces with a random orbital sander in order of: P120 to remove any adhesive and overhang of surface material, P240, P320 and then finish with a Scotch-Brite® 7447 (red) wet.
When planning the location of worktop joints it is important to note the following:
- Angle joints are not permitted
- No joints should be made above a dishwasher or in the area around hob cut-outs
- Joints should be at least 100mm away from all cut-outs and dishwasher installations
Tooling required:
- 2.5 HP router
- Masons mitre or "J" jig 12mm twin flute TCT cutter (sharp) with 30mm guide ring
- Titman UGALR arbor
- Titman UG3 groover
Also required:
- Maia jointing kit: the jointing kit is supplied with 3 tongues, adhesive sachet and 3 jointing bolts
- Random orbital sander for finishing plus sandpapers in the following grades: P120, P240, P320 and Scotch-Brite® 7447 (red)
- Use a router and 12mm cutter with a straight edge to cut the female worksurface to the desired length.
- To produce the 13mm groove for the loose tongues (supplied) use the straight edge of the mitre jig and the 3mm grooving blade.
- Set the grooving saw to score the underside of the solid surface. Care should be taken once the groove has been machined not to place pressure on the unsupported solid surface.
- Stop groove 3mm from front edge.
- Using 80-grit sandpaper score the underside of the solid surface and the top face of the loose tongue.
- Using de-natured alcohol or a slightly damp cloth clean the inside of the grooves and the loose tongue.
- Position 2 layers of masking tape approx 1mm from the edge of each joint line.
- It is advised that the joint is dry fitted before bonding, to check it.
- Ensure that the appropriate adhesive colour for the worksurface decor is being used.
- Position the first worksurface onto the base units and apply a coating of the Maia 2-part acrylic adhesive into the groove of the first board and insert the loose tongues (2 for 600mm tops, 3 for 900mm tops.)
- Apply adhesive into the groove of the second board, along one edge above the tongue and the board underneath the tongue.
- Pull the worksurfaces together using worksurface connecting bolts. NB The open time of the adhesive is 10-15 minutes. The worksurface can be processed further after approximately 45 minutes.
- Tap the surfaces level with a rubber mallet and tighten the bolts.
- Before the adhesive starts to cure, bridge the strips of masking tape with a spatula or scraper and remove any excess adhesive.
- Remove the masking tape to leave a small bead of adhesive.
- The hardening time of the adhesive depends on the ambient temperature and the amount of adhesive applied. The hardening can be checked with a fingernail.
- Once cured, the bead of adhesive can be removed by sanding with e random orbital sander with the following order of sandpaper grades: P120 to remove the bead, P240, P320 and then finish with a Scotch-Brite® 7447 (red) wet.
Ensure that dust is removed between sanding processes. When changing the grit, increase the sanding area slightly to blend in.
How should I care for a Maia worktop?
Click the following link to view more info on caring for your Maia worktops. Caring for Maia
How does Maia compare with other SSM products?
- Maia can be thermoformed, whereas Polyester based SSM is very limited (only extremely large radii are possible).
- Maia is less sensitive to stress fractures.
- Maia has a higher temperature resistance (eg, form stability in heat: Maia 95 C, polyester based SSM 80 C)
- Maia does not emit bad odour when processed, cut or drilled. Polyester dust can be very unpleasant.
- Maia is made of acrylic and is a completely safe material, and is used in the medical industry.
- Maia is suitable for close contact with food. Food tends to become tainted by polyester if left to long on the worktop.