Earlier this year, the Formica Corporation
introduced a new surfacing
material called Nuvel. When
a customer recently asked me about
the product, I hadn't yet heard of
it, so I called Formica and my local
distributor to get the lowdown.
Soon after Nuvel became available
(in June), my company, Four
Corners Construction, fabricated
our first Nuvel job for this same
customer, a large U-shaped countertop
with hardwood edging (see
Figure 1).
Characteristics
Nuvel is a "high-density,
mineral-filled thermoplastic
polymer" manufactured by General
Electric for Formica. It comes in
thin sheets — 0.090 inch thick
(about 3/32 inch) — and in five
sizes: 30 inches by 8, 10, and 12
feet; 4x8 feet; and 5x12 feet.
A Nuvel countertop is fabricated
partly in the manner