COVID-19 has made a dramatic impact everywhere, and your countertop project is no exception. Navigating a home improvement project during the current health crises may sound intimidating – but it doesn’t have to be. The countertop team you choose can be the difference between a successful, safe experience, and a dangerous one. A necessity of this process is having people enter your home. It is critical that you hold your chosen countertop provider to the highest safety and sanitation standards.

If Lakeside doesn’t have a product or service that meets your needs, we ask that you consider the following information when choosing a provider:

• Insist that all of the workers that enter your home are on-staff. Sub-contracting work puts one additional step between the values of the company you are purchasing from, and the workers accountability to that standard. This is particularly common of big-box providers, but could be possible of any local countertop company.

• Ask about their safety procedures:
  • Do they conduct health screenings of customers and of staff to make sure their workers are limiting exposure to the virus and therefore it’s spread?
  • What kind of training does their staff get to ensure safety and sanitization of your home?
  • What kinds of Personal Protective Equipment is provided and is the staff trained in proper usage?
  • What resources do they have to help support you remotely and limit face-to-face interaction? (Virtual consultations, electronic signatures, direct sample shipments, etc.)

Most importantly, does the business seem to genuinely care about your safety, or are they just “going through the motions”? Don’t settle for flowery language. Look for actions, and specifics, that support the outcome you desire.

If Lakeside does end up being your chosen provider, review the information below to understand how we put safety first, for all of our projects. Even in the event that the stay at home order is lifted, or the immediate state of emergency ends, we plan to continue these practices for the foreseeable future.

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SAFETY IS OUR FIRST PRIORITY

More than anything, we care about the safety of our employees, customers, and community, so please know that we at Lakeside are diligently working to ensure that your needs are met, and in the safest way possible.  Our safety protocols are industry leading, and these guidelines are critical to keeping everyone safe and healthy.

We ask you to assist us in ensuring a collaborative effort while working onsite.

• Before we arrive on site, you will be contacted to participate in a survey regarding the health and safety of those related to the job site.
• Sanitization practices are essential. Before our arrival, you must sanitize all surfaces our workers will come in contact with. We will do the same before we leave.
• On site, we will not be conducting “business as usual”. This means some of our typical customer service practices (signing documents, shaking hands, etc.) will not be happening. We apologize in advance for the lack of personal interaction during this unprecedented time. Please know this is essential for keeping everyone safe.
• When our workers arrive, it is important that you are located in a separate room, until we leave, to minimize the exposure between individuals.

Personal Protective Equipment

We know how important the safety and security of your home is, and we understand being concerned with outside crews entering your space. Please rest assured knowing that our install crews are performing the best safety practices in the industry and care about keeping your family safe. Below are the requirements Lakeside Surfaces follows:

• Use a new pair of gloves at each job site, replacing frequently if they are torn or compromised in any way.
• Always wearing an N-95 mask for your protection, and ours.
• We will also be performing proper social distancing; no hand shaking and always standing at least 6 feet from others.

SANITIZATION

You will notice that we are taking a little more time upon arrival to ensure your jobsite is properly sanitized.  Our crews will perform the following at each and every jobsite:

• Sanitize work area surfaces with disinfectant spray or wipes before, during and at completion of install.
• Disinfectant wipes: we will wipe the entire surface or area down and allow for it to fully air-dry.  Wipes will be properly disposed of in our provided trash bags.
• Disinfectant spray: we will spray the entire surface or area and allow it to sit for two minutes.  Then we’ll wipe down with a clean paper towel.  Paper towel will be properly disposed of in our provided trash bag.
• Lakeside provided trash bags will be properly disposed of at our distribution facility – nothing will be left behind in your home, except for beautiful new countertops.

SOCIAL DISTANCING

All of our employees are practicing social distancing, maintaining at least 6 feet between people at any given time. We also will not shake hands.

VENTILATION

We are keeping windows cracked to allow for proper air flow in the vehicle and on the jobsite.

VIRTUAL CONSULTATIONS

While our Gallery locations are closed to in person traffic for the next few weeks, our designers can set-up a virtual visit with you. Please email [email protected] to schedule your virtual consultation.

• Our designers are available for virtual appointments by phone, or via web chat. Email us at [email protected] to get started.
• We can also mail you samples, should you need to see the color in your space.

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While we understand these times are unprecedented, and the safety and cleanliness of your home is now more important than ever, we feel confident that you’ll be very satisfied with the level of seriousness our team is performing at. IF, for ANY reason you don’t see us doing one of the above outlined requirements, or if you have any general questions or concerns, please give us a call at 231-798-8872