TGI Cabinetworks LTD

04/17/2025

In March’s Pro Tips, we discussed the general order of operations when completing a kitchen renovation. This month we will move onto caring for your beautiful new kitchen to keep it looking it’s best.

Gentle cleaning is the best bet for cleaning cabinets and various countertops.

For all types of cabinets, we suggest dusting, then wiping with a cleaning solution of dish detergent (we use Dawn) and warm water. Finish off by drying with a clean cloth.

If you have wooden cabinets and doors, you may want to try warm water with a little Murphy’s oil soap. It freshens the wood nicely and leaves everything smelling fresh.

All types of countertop should be wiped with warm water and dish detergent. Stains can often be lifted by using a little paste of baking soda and water and letting it sit a few minutes before wiping off.

Be sure to avoid using any acidic products, a.k.a. vinegar, on granite or marble countertops. Granite and marble are porous and require a bit more maintenance to keep them looking new. Both of these materials require resealing, depending on usage. Re-sealing creates a protective barrier that prevents liquids and stains from penetrating, making the surface easier to clean.

A granite countertop is typically resealed every 1 to 3 years. First wipe clean, dry off and follow sealant instructions.

Marble is usually resealed every 6 to 12 months, again, depending on usage.

Quartzite is a natural stone, it is porous and needs to be sealed. Quartz (not to be confused with Quartzite) countertops are not porous and do not require resealing.

For butcher block countertops, use the same gentle cleaning with a microfibre cloth. These require monthly seasoning, or every couple of weeks, depending on usage. Use mineral oil when seasoning to prevent the absorption of stains and bacteria. Apply with a soft cloth, let it soak in for an hour and repeat. Seasoning will help prevent drying, cracking, and other damage and keep your countertop in peak condition.

And despite the common idea that you can put a hot pot directly onto a stone countertop, this should be avoided. There are only very few materials on the market that are actually heat resistant, and doing so can actually void a warranty due to the possibility of cracking.

A little effort on your part will go a long way and keeping your kitchen looking pristine!

02/25/2025

TGI Pro Tips - March

In February’s Pro Tips, we discussed setting up a budget for your kitchen renovation, having a design, selecting cabinetry, flooring, lighting and appliances and determining plumbing and electrical needs. This month we will move on to prioritizing projects. A kitchen renovation takes 3 to 5 months on
average, but may take longer depending on the extent of the demolition and construction required.

Below is the general order of operations when completing a kitchen renovation, although no 2 jobs will be exactly same. If you’re hiring a general contractor to oversee your renos, this process should be taken care of for you (in theory).

1. After determining where lighting, electrical outlets, sinks, and appliances will be placed and upgrade the wiring and plumbing to accommodate everything, tear down and demolition begins.
2. Rough in framing and plumbing, installation of insulation, electrical inspection and drywall.
3. Paint the walls and ceiling.
4. Install the flooring, doors and windows. The flooring choice will determine whether the cabinets will be installed before or after the flooring.
5. Install the cabinetry, sinks, faucets and counter tops.
6. Install the light fixtures.
7. Mount the back splash.
8. Bring in the appliances and hook them up. These should be chosen at the time of the kitchen design.

NOTE: Make sure to check with the cabinet and counter top suppliers regarding delivery times as this will vary depending on the style of counter tops and cabinets you choose.

Enjoy your beautiful new kitchen!

For this months video, Tony further explains some material options and important information regarding construction options.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=axmEKWmsFTE&ab_channel=TGICabinetworks

Next month: How to care for your new kitchen, cleaning products we recommend.

in part 2, we cover the pros & cons of the basic CABINET DOOR styles commonly used these days in kitchen cabinetry.

02/03/2025

TGI Pro Tips for February
Things to consider when building or renovating your kitchen

It can quickly feel overwhelming once you have decided to build or upgrade your kitchen. Here are some important considerations on how to begin.

* Have a clear plan for your kitchen and set up a budget. (Will you be keeping the existing layout or removing walls?)

* Once you have a design, get labour costs and Contractors estimates.

* Do your research on the types of tile, cabinetry, plumbing needs, electrical needs including labour costs.

* Look into the different appliances, styles, sizes, select what works for your design and do a cost estimate.

*Research lighting prices and options. Do you want task lighting or accent lighting? Lighting can affect how your kitchen looks and feels.

* If you are living in your house during the renovation, be sure to have an exterior cooking area and temporary kitchen set up in a different area of the house.

Next month: How to prioritize your project, expectations, setting a time line.

For more information, refer to Youtube TGI Cabinetworks Buying a new kitchen? Things you should know (Part 1)

this video is part 1 in the series "buying a new kitchen" and it covers the basic materials cabinets are made from, as well as the pros and cons of each...en...

01/03/2025

Sending best wishes for a happy, healthy and successful 2025 from all of us at TGI.

12/02/2024

10/10/2024

Happy Thanksgiving to family, friends and valued customers.
Fall is in the air and as the days get cooler, it's comforting to snuggle up by a fireplace or luxuriate in a bubble bath and relax.

We'd like to showcase three beautiful and unique bath boards hand crafted by a local Artisan:
A beautiful cherry bath board, 6" w x 36" L. Retails for $65 plus tax.
Secondly, a deluxe bath board was created from white oak.
8" w x 36" L Retails for $115 plus tax.
This final bath board is created from gorgeous walnut with live edge, 10" w x 31" L. Retails for $195 plus tax.

Pamper yourself or give a one-of-a-kind creation to someone special.

09/09/2024

It's September and with the kids back at school, you can focus on a project that you want to do....like creating your dream kitchen. We at TGI can help you with that.
We thank you for your patience while we made the successful transition to our new location. We are up and running and busier than ever! Our contact information is the same and the showroom is available by appointment only.
We value your business and look forward to helping you with your next project.

02/13/2024

To all of our valued customers and friends:

The time has come to close our little showroom in Mill Bay on February 29/24.

We will be opening our new office in Shawnigan Lake on March 1st, which will be by appointment only at this time.

We have enjoyed our time in Mill Bay and look forward to continuing to serve our clients’ needs at our new location.

Please feel free to contact us by phone or e-mail to set up a time to get together. 🎉

250-733-0799
[email protected]

01/31/2023

February is fast approaching… and with it brings our NO GST EVENT! 💰🤑

Bring us some basic measurements of your space or email an inquiry to [email protected] to get started on a free estimate, and see how much you could save by placing your order in the month of February!

Beautiful custom cabinetry, made locally in Shawnigan Lake.

03/31/2021

Wow... what crazy busy times we’re experiencing! Thank you very much for all of your inquiries in the last few months!

Quotes are taking a little bit longer to produce right now unfortunately as the volume of work we’ve been receiving is a lot for our little shop, but be patient with us, and we will get to everyone as soon as possible!

We’re very grateful to everyone who’s kept us so busy - this time last year we weren’t sure we would even make it through the year, as did so many other small businesses 💕

Cheers to everyone who’s worked so hard to stay in business over the last year, and everyone who’s worked so hard to support local companies! 🍻

12/11/2020

Emails like this absolutely make our day... Loved working with these clients so so much! I wish there was a platform where we could leave reviews for them as customers, as well!

"Dear Tony, Jessie and Brad,

We want to thank you all for our wonderful kitchen! We love the design, we love the look, we love how functional it is.

We so very much appreciated all your flexibility and patience with us when made changes, didn’t understand correctly, wanted something different etc. etc

Tony: you were so very patient with us, when we made changes, didn’t understand, your measurements and suggestions for a difficult kitchen space were front on. We are so grateful to get someone with your experience.

Jessie: your design is awesome and you had so many great suggestions from the first time we met. You sold us on TGI Cabinets.

Brad: You are the Installer Supreme- the installation was perfect-no gaps, the kitchen even looks straight and even. You were a pleasure to have in our home.

Anyway, we are very grateful to you folks and we wanted to express our thanks to you as well as to wish you all the very best.

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year to each of you.

-Steve and Sher"

12/10/2020

A couple of “construction zone” shots from projects recently 😍 we really do need to hire a photographer 📷 one of these days!