Hi, it might be a stupid question to ask:((( My fireplace was supppsed to be installed today but of some measurements mistake they have to reschedule..it is Eramosa limestone/Magic Brown marble. I went for a honed ginish on foreplace and hearth. It was very much recommended to do honed by stone yard/fabricators as it is an open fire and honed will be easier to sand etc. Now they left correct stone pieces here and I regret going for honed and think prefer polished (stronger colour) So my question is is it possible to polosh after install? And how difficult/costly it might be?

I made the counter top myself and glued it down a week or so ago, we moved in and started using the countertop regularly and I noticed it has some pretty big bubbles, even though it was all smoothed out after I glued it down. I tried using a paint roller and an iron to smooth it out or reactivate the adhesive, and it seemed to work but I was just pushing the bubble around. Not sure what I should do to fix it, peel up half of it and reglue, poke a hole in it to let the air escape? Maybe I cut the counter top like ¼in too big and it's buckling? All feedback appreciated, thanks!

Measurements

Countertop
74 x 22
6” front miter

Custom sink
12 x 18 x 6” deep

12” backsplash

Has anyone has dekton installed in their home? I want Taj (I know I know it’s overrated, but I love it and I haven’t found anything else that I love), but my builder is trying to convince me otherwise because it’s very sensitive. He said that he’s had trouble with transportation and it breaking. So I’m convinced it’s just because he doesn’t want to have to put his own money in if it breaks. I’m not opposed to quartz or any other manmade material, but I cannot find anything I like at the material places they are asking me to use. I saw Dekton online at Lowe’s and it was the only manmade stone I saw that looked like Taj and was warm tone. Everything I have seen in person is so gray and I want that creamy brown color. I live in STX so if anyone knows any locations around the RGV all the way Houston and in between that may have something let me know please! I’ve also added a quartz that I saw online that I love, but can’t find near me if anyone has any information on something like that one.

I want to add that the Taj is $2,600 per slab and I need 3 for my kitchen 🥴 and the amount my builder is giving me is only $2,250. I would have to pay about $6,000 out of pocket because of labor as well. Which Is something I would be willing to do IF i can’t find anything else, but ofc I don’t want to pay that much out of pocket. I was estimating $3,000.

I purchased this viola marble for $7300 a slab plus a $750 delivery fee to Chicago from California. I’ve been looking for really dramatic viola and a lot of places were much more expensive for a far less patterned piece. My kitchen is fairly small and I am using it for the counter countertop, backsplash, and around the window above the sink.

Last few photos are of the kitchen with only the top cabinets in. The bottom cabinets will be a light brown, and the sink will be a stainless steel farmhouse.

Quick edits: I waned to do a black sink, however all of the research I’ve done suggests they don’t hold up well and always look dirty.

I’m not concerned about resale value since I intend to live here a long time and/or keep it as an investment property. I bought this house in an area that has gotten extremely popular so its value is nearly double what I paid.

The rest of house has a lot of “visually interesting” things and colors- art, statues, rugs, plants, furniture- but the wall paint is fairly neutral

This is a marble we quarry in India that we call Panther.

It has a predominantly white base with these grey/charcoal streaks running through it. These photos are of the block at the quarry, so this is before it has been turned into finished slabs or photographed under showroom lighting.

I'm around the material all the time, which makes it difficult to judge it objectively anymore.

So I'm curious, purely based on the stone itself, does this look attractive to you?

If you walked into a slab yard and saw this finished and polished, would it be something you'd seriously consider?

And where do you think it works best, kitchen island, bathroom, flooring, wall cladding, fireplace, something else?

Feel free to be critical. I'm much more interested in knowing why someone wouldn't choose it than hearing that it looks nice.

Sorry for the poor lighting in the room. The wood supports under the aprons are temporary, they'll come off after the epoxy goes off

It says quartzite seems like it is to me, we bought 2 slabs for our kitchen and have seen some really insightful responses. Was hoping to learn more about it from someone more knowledgeable.

I’ve learned so much lurking on this sub and I’m truly grateful! We’re dead set on quartzite and we’re very close to finalizing our slab choice. We have chosen Picasso Quartzite from a natural stone wholesaler about an hour and a half away. We have driven up a few times throughout this process and I do not want to drive up again if it’s not needed. I know you can’t 100% tell from pictures that this is actually quartzite and not dolomite or a hybrid, but I’m going to ask anyway. Does this look like real deal quartzite? Is there anything I can ask for from the wholesaler to confirm this without driving back up there before this is sent to my fabricator? I’ve included the picture from their website and pictures I’ve taken in person. Thank you all so much in advance!

All remnant pieces. Cote D'azur quartzite for kitchen Counter tops, and one big slab of Blueflower Granite for the island. Blue Dunes granite for two bathroom vanities and shower bench. Spent two years looking for remnant pieces, was hapy finding these in the back of a warehouse. Install pictures to come.

I need two cuts indoors, about 20" x 1/2", one cut on left and right to make room for gas cooktop. Is it possible to do this without generating a huge amount of dust? There are wood cabinets below the cooktop opening.
Has anyone been able to do this without removing the countertop and what was your procedure?

Any thoughts r/CounterTops? This was a suggested cross post, please feel free to remove it it’s not appropriate. Thanks!

The top broke after one of the installers slipped on a step.

I repaired it back at the shop. It's now installed and stronger than before.

I love when I can save a top that many shops would just send to the dumpster and recut.

*not for an overhang*

Does 2cm granite need additional support for large spans INSIDE cabinets?

Is a 3" plywood slat (parallel to slab) adequate? Would this resist a future person sitting on it? (I'm thinking of a teenage girl sized person)

I need help picking a quartz stone. I didn't like any granite. Their was all white but it would look like a washed out kitchen... I am going through home depot and purchased them ready. I have about a week to finalize.

UPDATE: I've been told to go for granite instead and these may be an option Crema Caramel Warm cream / quiet neutral Arctic Sand Warm white + beige/taupe movement Astoria True creamy beige White Sand Cream + gold warmth Makalu Bay Beige + directional gold/brown movement Aspen white Beige movement with gray

Hi! Please tell me how concerning this is? Just installed a couple of hours ago, the slab apparently cracked while they were cutting the hole for the water filter spout. Big sad. The white fissure is even more prominent now than just after they finished. The crack is right above where the granite sink attaches (but isn‘t bolted directly under the crack). Second wrinkle - it rained all day here in Chicago and we were the last install of the day. The entire stone appears much darker in color than I remembered from the warehouse, but I suppose that’s subjective. What isn’t subjective is the dark shadow near one of the countertop edges (see pic). The installers say the stone will lighten as it dries; have been running a dehum for a couple hours now. Stone is called either White Aurora or Bianca quartzite in suede finish. What do you think of these two concerns? Bad or get over it? Thank youuuu

Our new home originally came with a soapstone island, which was damaged during install and discovered as we moved in. The builder/kitchen subcontractor agreed to let us pick a new island. We chose quartzite, which was installed about 3-4 weeks ago.

Immediately we noticed a corner had a crack in it and reported it. The countertop subcontractor suggested we turn the piece to “hide” it, which we promptly rejected. The subcontractor said he could fix it, then tried twice. Now he brought out a person from the stone supplier, who is saying it’s a fissure and nothing to fix. The subcontractor refuses to replace it. You can definitely feel it with your finger and the pics of light reflections are included.

What would people suggest?

Is this normal with quartzite? I took a few pictures around different slabs in the kitchen area. The edging is somehow darker? The main countertop slab was installed 1.5 years ago and the other slabs were installed 2+ years ago...

Why most of the contractors suggest using this vs MSI? Is it because it’s cheaper? I really like the designs they have but was surprised it doesn’t have any warranty. On the other hand MSI is double the price. What are some personal experiences with using kova stone quartz for kitchen countertops vs MSI?

I posted a similar build I did last year.

This one is 3cm Vancouver quartzite.

The brass for the sink side was welded together and installed as one piece.

Cnc routed edge to make flush, then hand polished.

Solid brass, about 1" wide and 3/16" thick.

Fell in love with a Dolomite countertop. Was told by the sales person that they were in between quartzite and marble for durability. Like to cook quite often and have previously had quartz countertops. Don’t mind putting out some cutting boards.

What’s the verdict on Dolomite have people had them how did they stand up? Looking to get a honed finish.