Posted by Rich Marker on Mon, Mar 29, 2010 @ 07:07 PM
Some common questions we often hear when people ask about custom range hoods goes something like this, "Is the Copper real?" or "Is the copper pure?"
Those are great questions because nobody wants a FAKE copper range hood--sort of like buying the cubic zirconia instead of a diamond (don't worry, you won't have to learn about Copper's 4 C's).
Copper does come in different alloys and with different qualities, but, by and large, purchasing a sheet of copper from one shop is the same as from another.
Copper most typically comes in 36" x 120" flat sheets. The sheets are processed from giant rolls of copper, (think of a roll of toilet paper except for way bigger and not quite as smooth.)
Those big rolls come from the processing mill and are leveled on a special machine that unravels the roll into flat sheets and shears them off to exact length as the material flows through the rollers.
Fabrication shops then take the flat sheets and begin to craft their magic using machines like stomp shears, press brakes, welding & brazing machines, etc.
Posted by Rich Marker on Tue, Mar 09, 2010 @ 06:06 PM
We have already established the importance of venting kitchen cooking fumes out of the home. We mentioned that a huge part of house film (the junk on your windows & carpets) comes mostly from cooking "overspray" if you will.
Understanding that concept, one might ask the natural follow up question of "Just how much sucking do I need?"
Great question with some very specific answers.
First, "sucking power" is mostly measured in Cubic Feet per Minute, or CFM. If a person could imagine a one foot square cube filled with dirty, greasy, smelly air (think of a big, hollow Rubik's Cube), CFM is the measurement of how many "cubes" full of air would be sucked away every minute. A 600 CFM fan would suck 600 each 1' x 1' x 1' cubes of air every minute.
Calculating the CFM is mostly a function of the size of the cooking top. Generally, for every 10,000 BTU your gas stove generates you would need 100 CFM. Ex: 60,000 BTU divided by 100 = 600 CFM needed.
OK, so you will have to do some math--and you thought that eighth grade algebra would never be applicable in real life.
Most smaller-sized range hoods do fine with a 600 CFM exhaust system. Some things to consider, however, are whether or not the hood is wall mounted or island mounted? How is the duct work designed above the hood--lots of twists and turns? Any sharp 90 degree elbows?
All of these factors weigh in to the calculation. Professional help is often required to make sure the hood will "Suck" properly.
Posted by Rich Marker on Sat, Feb 13, 2010 @ 05:00 PM
Have you ever driven outside a restaurant--or heaven forbid a Carl's Junior--and smelled the aroma of the food cooking inside. Next time you track by a Burger King, particularly at night while the street lights are shooting across the dark sky, take a look above the joint and see if you don't notice a plume of smoke shooting upward.
What you are smelling and what you are seeing are the fumes, smoke, grease, and debris evacuating the building. This debris is actually being sucked up by large commercial hoods and being tossed out of the building.
Really, the fumes are not too toxic or harmful but they are irritating, particularly in restaurants when super large grills and cooking stations are cranking at full bore. If you have ever eaten at a restaurant when the ventilation system is not working correctly, you will know it immediately. The place fills with smoke, the air gets very hazy, and the smell of cooking food permeates the entire establishment.
Leaving your favorite restaurant behind now, we venture into your very house. Picture yourself grilling market fresh salmon in your kitchen--not allowed at my house because the entire place smells like fish...for a couple of days. 
Pick any of your favorite grilled meals--bacon & eggs, garlic-basted chicken breasts, buffalo burgers, stir fry--how many times does the meal last a day longer because of lingering odors that course through the house?
That is one of the great benefits of cooking with a range hood that really sucks. Custom range hoods work just like commercial range hoods in that they suck the fumes, grease, and smoke out of the house. I have literally walked in the house while my wife is cooking spaghetti and not smelled it until I got right in the kitchen.
Smoke, fumes, grease--all of those nasty things--are much better outside a person's house then eventually resting on their walls, furniture, windows, carpet and floors. Be clear, that is exactly what is happening when the cooking bi-product does not evacuate the house, and that is why carpets need cleaning and windows need washing. And that is also why Sucking does not always Suck!
My next range hood blog will focus on how to make your kitchen range hood vent better--there are some secrets that will surprise you!
Posted by Rich Marker on Fri, Oct 09, 2009 @ 06:02 PM
Many remodelers are stuck with the delemma of wanting a great looking range hood to revamp their kitchens, but not wanting the hassle of running some complicated vent pipe through rooms, walls, and floors that were never constructed with the original idea or layout that such a thing were possible.
Ventless Range Hoods or range hoods that use recirculating ventilation are very possible and, in fact, go an amazingly long way to revamping a twenty year old kitchen. Even smaller sized hoods make a wonderful statement in modernizing kitchens.
One of the keys is to make sure the kitchen range hood accentuates the colors, themes, and textures in the remodel. Copper, Zinc, Stainless Steel, and Painted metals are all plausible solutions to a fantastic kitchen. In addition, there are fantastic textures like hammering, smooth, and veined finishes and likewise numerous styles that are sleek, smooth, gothic, western, tropical, etc.
The point here is that there are numerous combinations of colors, shapes, and styles that are available, making it possible to get the perfect combination. Many people see a kitchen hood that they just love but it does not quite work--they sort of force the issue. That is not necessary and frankly it is something that will twitch, pester, inflict, and bug even the most willful among us.
Just think how much better the "I just love it!" voice will sound for the next decade than that nagging, "Is it OK, well...yea its great...no one will notice except me...I don't think?"
Ventless range hoods are particularly well suited for this type of customiziation because they are not forced to work around the mechanical unit inside the hood.
Even better, because they are often times smaller and do not require the mechanical exhaust unit, they can be much less costly.
Ventless range hoods really can work out tremendously well. Do not throw in the towel until you have invetigated what options are avaialbe to you!
Get the perfect size, shape, color, textures and tones because you can. Remodeling is the perfect time to get involved with a professional that has the experience to deliver the perfect kitchen hood--perfect size, perfect texture, perfect finish & color--just perfect and something to love for a very long time!
Posted by Rich Marker on Thu, Sep 17, 2009 @ 11:24 AM
How soon until copper hoods turns green? That is, perhaps, the most often asked question I hear. The answer--a long, long, long time, particularly if the material is inside your house. Most of the green domes that we are used to seeing, especially in Europe, have been around for literally hundreds of years. Climate, of course, plays a significant role in the oxidation process, but by and large, particularly for copper hoods or accessories inside one's house, the aging process will virtually be unnoticeable.
Some, on the other hand, want their copper hoods green. That can be accomplished through applying pre-engineering chemicals but I do not recommend trying to make that happen at home--even if you do find an internet article describing the voodoo mix of chemicals and application technique.
There are two reasons for that recommendation: first, chemical etching takes some practice to make look good. First timers rarely, if ever, have the ability to apply the chemical in a manner that that looks good. Just my advice, take it for what it is worth, but a splotchy, scabbed up copper hood in the middle of your kitchen is not always a positive outcome, even when your wife continually reminds you that love making starts in the kitchen. I am afraid, in this circumstance, the beginnings of courtship will start and stop right in the same place--and that ain't the bedroom.
Secondly, and a bit more on the serious side, these types of chemicals can cause serious harm to both person and other materials/surfaces that might come in contact with dripping or over spilled liquid chemical. Even the fumes, if inhaled directly, can cause lung damage.
To be sure, copper hoods, and copper accessories in general, are wonderful pieces of architecture and design. The classic nature of copper makes it a timeless. Hopefully, this information helps on the topic of green copper.
Write a comment or email a question if you wish to add or understand more about this topic.
Posted by Rich Marker on Mon, Sep 14, 2009 @ 03:37 PM
Like Copper Alloys, Zinc has gained increasing popularity, particularly in the states, as architects, designers, and builders have begun to understand the wonderfully natural effects that come from material that continually matures and ages under the influence of humidity, temperature, and atmospheric conditioning.
Zinc comes in a variety of colors and shades. However, it does not patina nearly as dramatically as copper, which, as most of us recognize, can evolve all the way to green if given enough decades of exposure to the outside elements.
Zinc usually comes in a fairly flat gray looking color but soon develops--or can be chemically enhanced--to into a robust blue-grey color. Like copper, Zinc's wonderful transition is not uniform across the material's exposed surface. It takes on various shades, developing a very natural (non-painted) look that even the best of man-made processes can not replicate.
Zinc can also come in pre-processed colors from the manufacturer. Deep black and charcoal colors are often popular among high-end designers.
Zinc is also environmentally sound material that lasts, literally, for multiple decades--even centuries. Put it this way, it will last as long as the house or construction site will stand. Even better, it will look terrific for that entire duration as well--we have all learned that classic work remains timeless no matter the architectural trend that is currently popular.
Zinc works terrifically well in many applications--hoods, countertops, back splash, shelf covers, mantles and fireplace wraps and other decorative places.
If you have any questions about how Zinc materials might work in your home or commercial building--send me an email.
Posted by Rich Marker on Thu, Aug 06, 2009 @ 01:34 PM
Many custom range hoods are uniquely designed with copper. Obviously, copper looks fantastic! Still, there are multiple questions about copper's staying power and preferred methods of care and cleaning.
Any type of kitchen hood, kitchen range hood, wall mount range hood, ventless range hood, etc. will eventually get dingy, mostly from grease and steam coming off your cook top. After all, that is the real intent of vent hoods--vent the junk out of your house so it doesn't stink up your house and settle small grease particles on your walls and furniture (Just ask Oprah).
Great looks are really just the icing on the cake but, obviously, most of us want to maintain that wonderful looking copper hood just the way it came.
The key element in cleaning is to make sure that nothing acidic is used to clean your copper hood. Vinegar works great on floors and granite countertops, but not so much on copper hoods!
Most grease removing cleaners will work fine with little or no effect on the copper. We, however, recommend something amazingly simple and inexpensive--dish soap and water. Don't overdo the soap either. Dish wasing soap does a wonderful job of disposing grease. Where most people error is that they keep the dirty water too long (remember this is inexpensive :)). Junk your water often as you work through the cleaning of your copper hood.
Start at the top of your hood and work your way down. Using that method, some of the soap mixed water will slide down your hood and start working at the bottom of the hood where the majority of grease has accumulated.
Make sure to use soft wiping rages like your spouse's old shirt--the one they refuse to throw away but really needs to be!
Never use anything abrasive like scotch pads, abrasive detergents, etc.!
After the elbow work is done and grease is removed, you can grab any stainless steel type cleaner, normally sold and used for stainless steel hoods and appliances, and apply that to your custom copper hood.
Stainless cleaner has a formulated polishing oil that will finish off and protect your hood. Do not be tempted to skip the first step, however, as the stainless cleaner is meant for finger prints. It will not effectively clean the cooking grease--mostly just smear it around.
We recommend the six month rule of cleaning. Schedule it with your windows or day-light savings time and you will maintain a beautiful copper hood that will last a lifetime!
Hope that tip will help.
Signature Hood Design Team