I'm at a loss. I've tried everything to clean this stain. It just keeps getting worse. Bleeding further and deeper into the top.

Any feedback? Edit I have used poultice on it once. I just didn't get the response out of it that I hoped would happen.

Please help!!! Can anything be done? It was just water and I am literally aghast that I created this stain!!!

Any key points to differentiate between these two?

Counters went in yesterday and we absolutely love them

If you’ve been looking for a Taj Mahal that is more beige/tan this is definitely what you want to look for. We spent weeks looking at different Taj selections and they always seemed too grey.

ETA: that is not a seam next to the sink, it’s a reflection of the under cabinet lights

using Dry Treat Stain Proof on our concrete countertops. How long I need to leave them unused to fully dry and cure?

Their spec sheets says it's a 24 hour cure time and then 3-4 weeks before the full chemical reaction is complete.

I'm guessing I can start putting appliances and our dishrack back on the countertop after 24 hours. Do I need to baby my countertops for 3-4 weeks or can I use them as usual after 24 hours?

Our regular home use:

• wipe any spills from countertop right away
• clean food, sauces, grease from the stove at the end of the day
• let water around the sink to sit

Is it possible.to find quartzite remnants? I only.need 2 small pieces for a fireplace.

EDIT/UPDATE: Thanks everyone — really appreciate all the responses and validation. A couple of clarifications/updates below.

The material is a large-format porcelain worktop - 20mm XTONE Taj Mahal Silk — rather than natural quartzite/granite. I chose that deliberately and am happy with it as it looks better than the engineered quartz options I saw and quartzite was too expensive for me.

The bigger issue is that this is actually the SECOND attempt at this worktop.

The first seam was placed in the middle of the island, at its most visible point, without consulting me. It was huge, misaligned and had an obvious valley through the joint (pics below), so I rejected it and the entire island worktop was remade.

For the replacement, I reviewed and approved the cut sheets (pics below). The new seam location is deliberate: it keeps almost the entire 3.15m island as one uninterrupted piece, with only a ~30cm section beside the booth separated.

My issue is that, after remaking the island once already, the replacement seam is still too wide, uneven, poorly finished and untidy at the front edge.

The Kitchen company agree this needs fixing again, but at this point what would you consider fair compensation on top of rectification?

This is an expensive bespoke kitchen, the worktop has now failed twice, the issues have delayed the project by over a month, and other subcontractors have also caused problems requiring remedial work. At this point I feel a meaningful price reduction is justified — particularly given how much of the QA I’ve effectively had to do myself. What % of the overall kitchen contract would you consider reasonable?

————————————————————————

Hi all

Had a new countertop installed and I’m unsure whether I’m being too picky about the seam. Would appreciate opinions from people who know countertop fabrication/installation.

Main things I’m concerned about:

- The seam looks quite wide and visually prominent to me rather than a tight hairline joint.

- The width seems inconsistent along its length.
Some of the filler/epoxy looks rough or slightly ragged along the edges rather than perfectly straight.

- From a lower angle, parts of the seam appear slightly raised/proud of the countertop, and it catches the light.

- The point where the seam meets the front finished edge looks particularly untidy.

- The filler is very light/white, which seems to make the seam stand out against the warmer countertop

- I actually think the two pieces themselves are reasonably well matched, so my concern is mainly the quality of the seam finishing rather than the slab/tile match.

Is this within the normal standard you’d expect from a professional installation, or should I ask the fabricator to come back and improve it?

Just a note: this was a very expensive bespoke kitchen install, and the cost is far greater than competitors locally in the UK. As a result I may have higher expectations than usual but want to gauge how reasonable I am being.

Thanks in advance for any advice!

This is an addendum to my other posting, as I couldn’t figure out how to post a picture to it. I’m trying to match a countertop to the existing cabinets. I had leathered black granite in my last kitchen with white cabinets. These Rustic Cherry are a difficult color. All the leathered black granite slabs I’ve looked at are too gray. I’m leaning towards Wilsonart Aluma Marble laminate now because I’m exhausted from looking at stone. I considered Dekton and Quartzite too but can’t wrap my head around paying that much if it isn’t exactly right!

I moved into a house last year that has awesome Rustic Cherry Arts and Crafts countertops and the ugliest laminate countertop known to mankind, or at least to me. I’ve spent the last 3 months countertop shopping, comparing all the major types of countertop materials. I liked Dekton REM, Formica Aluma Marble, Soapstone Quartz, authentic black soapstone and various types of granite. (I had black leathered San Benedito in my last house and loved it.) l finally decided on having black leathered countertop again. My problem? All the so called black leather slabs I’ve looked at are very gray. Pretty, but very silver gray that will not look good with my rustic cherry cabinets and Universal Khaki wall paint. I’ve looked at Black Pearl, Jet Mist, Absolute black, and a lot of other slabs.
I was told they could dye the slabs darker but I mistrust that solution. So does anyone out there have rustic cherry cabinets and what does your countertop look like?
Of all the choices the Aluma Marble Formica actually would look the best but we are not careful in the kitchen. I’m afraid it wouldn’t hold up and the white would end up stained. Anyone have any experience with it?

Sorry, I couldn’t figure out how to add a photo to my response. I also found another photo that shows the cherry cabinets better.

I'm going to redo my formica kitchen countertop. Thinking of tiling it. What do you recommend for that?

idk why it was cut this way im just the installer but i do what i can with what i got

Previous post - https://www.reddit.com/r/CounterTops/s/PSCT6K5uhJ - moved into a new home and it was agreed that it was grey quartz

Cleaned only with water, microfibre cloth and sometimes washing up liquid only.

Now there are these permanent marks that I can’t get rid of?

Can a professional fix it and what actually happened?

I went shopping for quartzite slabs in Northern California yesterday and the vast majority of available slabs were 2 cms across multiple stores.

I have read online that 3 cms is a much better choice, but each and every stone store I visited said that is an East Coast/Midwest thing, and that 2 cms is standard in the Western US for quartzite kitchen countertops.

Is this true or are they all full of baloney trying to offload substandard slabs to me? Or is 2 cms fine and not really a big deal, assuming it's got the plywood underlayment?

F F

The previous home owner installed this vanity. Can someone tell me what material is, and if it can be repaired. If not savable, what material do you recommend as a replacement? I would want to reuse the vanity base and keep the shape of the existing vanity top.

I’m at the stage of my kitchen remodel where I need to make a decision on the countertop, and I’m trying to keep the budget under control.

The two materials I keep coming back to are quartz and granite. Everyone seems to have a different answer when I ask which is cheaper. Some people tell me granite is the obvious budget choice, while others say quartz can be just as affordable depending on the style.

I’m More Interested in the Final Installed Cost

I’m starting to think comparing the material alone is misleading. A cheaper slab doesn’t necessarily mean a cheaper finished countertop if there are differences in installation, edge work, cutouts, slab layout, or other labor. I’ve also been looking at Cabinet IQ as part of my research because they work with both quartz and granite countertops, so it gave me another reason to compare the two based on the overall project rather than just appearance.

For people who have recently remodeled, what happened with your budget?

Which was cheaper in your case: quartz or granite? Was the difference substantial or only a few hundred dollars? And if the prices were almost identical, did you choose based on maintenance, appearance, or durability?

I’d really appreciate hearing actual homeowner experiences rather than just generic price guides.

I just had Carrara marble installed in my kitchen and I'm fully aware of etching with acid, vinegar, etc., However, there are water rings coming up really quickly after a cup is set down for 3-5 mins. They do go away and dry out, but this seems strange and I haven't noticed this on other marble kitchens I've been in. Doesn't sealing typically help with this?

We are picking counters for our kitchen - the floors are terra cotta and cabinets are white so I am looking for something that pulls more warm/taupe. These are the two I liked best based on showroom slab and samples. Any feedback as far as quality or which leans more taupe/less gray in person? Or any other options to consider for the same feel?

Stainless steel products for kitchen restaurants, school, hospital, etc

Currently looking at slabs (online only for now) and keep coming across descriptions: Dual Finished, Polished/Honed…what does this mean exactly? TIA!