By Rachel Deliz
KunkelWorks is a small business serving homeowners in Hawaii by importing authentic aluminum outdoor products, like carports, patio covers, gates and fences, from Japan since 1998.
Since the 1980s, the Japanese have honed their skills in extruding, anodizing, coating and fabricating aluminum. Every part is meticulously tested and inspected for shape, surface, color and assembly. Nowhere else in the world has this technology been perfected to produce such superior quality products.
Quality matters and little things make the difference
Not only are the products’ basic metal profile of superior quality, but also its whole fabrication process, which has been fine-tuned over decades. For example, improvements to the design of fence panels — by riveting the spokes to the side frame — now eliminate areas where water can puddle. If you can keep your outdoor products dry, corrosion cannot take hold. Genuine Japanese products will feature the little things that make the difference.
Recently, copycat products have been showing up in Hawaii that might look similar, but with no engineering, these products are a big risk. Only the genuine Japanese products have been tested and can meet local permit requirements.
How to recognize a cheaply made substitute
A genuine Japanese carport has CAPS on top of the posts, so water cannot reach the steel bracket inside and create corrosion. A cheap replica carport will have no such cap, and within a couple of months, the steel brackets will eat its way through the aluminum posts and the carport will fail (see photo).
KunkelWorks has been importing products directly from Japan for more than a decade. See the patio covers, carports, gates and fences installed in Hawaii at Kunkel Works.com. To learn more about the company or for a free estimate, call 955-8211.
KUNKELWORKS
contact // 955-8211
address // 106 Makaweli St.
web // kunkelworks.com
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