FAQ

Yes. Every STAINLESS.CA home worktop is 304-grade stainless (non-magnetic) with a clean brushed finish running along its longest side. Any slight difference you notice is simply light reflecting off the surface.

Ask for 304-grade, then run two quick checks:

• Key test: drag a key across an inconspicuous spot. Stainless won’t gouge; aluminum will.
• Magnet test: a magnet slides right off 304-grade. A firm pull means 400-series stainless, which is more prone to rust. (Bent or welded edges of 304 can pull very slightly, so test the flat surface.)

304 is fully approved for food prep, and it’s what we use for every home countertop. 316-grade adds extra corrosion resistance for marine, lab and medical use, which a home kitchen doesn’t need.

16 ga (0.059″ / 1.5 mm): the gauge commercial kitchens use for every work surface, and the residential standard. It’s rigid and dent-resistant without the extra cost and weight of 14 ga. Thinner 18 ga flexes and dents more easily, so we don’t use it for countertops.

We use 20 ga (0.035″ / 0.89 mm) for panels up to about 3′ × 3′ (914 × 914 mm), and 18 ga (0.047″ / 1.19 mm) for anything larger. A backsplash carries no load, so it can be lighter than a countertop while still shrugging off everyday knocks.

Yes. We weld or mold integrated sinks into 304-grade countertops of 16 ga (0.059″ / 1.5 mm) or thicker, so the sink and counter look like one seamless piece, with no rim or seam to trap dirt. See standard sink sizes.

Yes. Stainless is heat-resistant, so pots and pans can go straight from the stove to the counter. It won’t scorch or crack the way some stone and laminate can.

Keep it simple:

• Daily: warm water and mild dish soap, wiped with the grain, then dried with a soft cloth.
• Fingerprints: a stainless cleaner or a drop of mineral oil.
• Stubborn spots: a baking-soda paste, or an oxalic-acid cleaner such as Bar Keepers Friend, rinsed well.

Skip steel wool, abrasive pads and bleach, which can dull or mark the finish. And use a cutting board: it protects your knives as much as the counter.

304-grade stainless is non-porous and corrosion-resistant, so it never absorbs spills and never needs sealing. The rare surface spot usually comes from iron particles (steel wool, cast-iron pans) or salty or acidic spills left sitting, and it wipes away with an oxalic-acid cleaner. Wipe spills promptly and it will look great for decades.

It’s the soft, lived-in finish stainless develops with use. The straight brushed lines gradually give way to fine random micro-scratches, until the surface shows overlapping halos around any reflected light. The marks are purely cosmetic and don’t affect hygiene. Most people love the look, and it lasts forever. (It’s entropy. It’s science.)

Our finished projects are our showroom. Stainless varies slightly from mill to mill and polisher to polisher, and it keeps evolving as it builds a patina, so real kitchens are the best preview. Browse our gallery, or send us your layout and we’ll walk you through the options.

We can get you a countertop that works. Reworking someone else’s fabrication usually costs more in labour, logistics and material than it’s worth, with no guarantee at the end. A new made-to-measure top is almost always the faster, better-value route. Send us photos and measurements and we’ll recommend the best option.