Thank you so much for this thread. I also just got a Blanco metallic grey sink and it had the exact same spots as you describe. I tried 1) paste of water and baking soda and scrub with a sponge for 5 min, 2) thick application of Dawn liquid dish soap, let it sit for 5 min, then scrub with a sponge for 5 min, 3) Bar Keepers Friend cleaning powder, 4) BlancoClean Daily+ Sink Cleaner, applied thick layer and let it sit for 7 min, then scrub. None of this worked. I contacted the manufacturer and here's what they suggested. -------------- Silgranit sinks are non-porous and are a solid color all the way through and therefore stains are only on the surface and all food grade stains can be removed. I would suggest the below two methods: Fill the sink with very hot water and adding 2-3 cups of white vinegar. Once the water has cooled, drain and you can then use a Scotch Brite pad or Mr. Clean Magic Eraser and give it a little scrub with a baking soda and water paste. Once the sink is clean you can apply a thin layer of mineral oil, and this will usually rejuvenate the look of the Silgranit. Dishwasher Tablets- Fill sink with HOT water into the bowl, dissolve a tablet overnight, and then scrub with scotch-Brite nylon pad and then thoroughly rinse with dish soap and water. Apply a thin coat of mineral oil to restore the sheen. -------------- For me, suggestion #1 worked beautifully. However, I think the key was the thin layer of mineral oil. Reading this thread, and seeing that others tried various types of oil, gave the confidence to try it. I'm glad I did!

Without taking a moisture reading it's hard to determine the cause. Cupping is caused when the top of the board is drier than the bottom. With this cupping I assume it's solid wood. Was new plywood installed? Is there a vapor/moisture retarder? How wide are the planks? Was the floor allowed to acclimate before or after installation? If so, how long? Was other work done at the same time? Painting? Tile work? Was the area climate controlled for the duration of the work? Have the indoor humidity and/or temperature changed significantly since the completion of the work? Did you get a new HVAC or new windows/doors? What is the current range of relative humidity inside the unit? Does your unit have a humidistat? When something like this happens, if an exact cause cannot be pinpointed, it's not a bad idea to let the floor go through a full season to see if it will rectify itself. I generally recommend waiting a year so the floor goes through all of the possible seasonal changes. I would still recommend that you personally engage an NWFA certified inspector to try to determine the cause.

I cannot address the install question but we have a similar tile in our shower, and we really like it. 3+ years of shopping tile and this is the only one hubs liked. I was apprehensive for the reasons mentioned above but it has not been a problem. It hasn't been difficult to keep clean and only one of us actually squeegees. No one in our house can be bothered to wipe with a towel, lol. Our mastiff gets bathed in it once a week (he has terrible allergies). The shower gets cleaned afterwards w/ a soft sponge and mild dish soap. It only takes a few minutes. No mildew, etc. I agree that you will not like a darker grout. We matched to the tile and it just disappears. You won't lose any of the handmade effect of the tile by matching the grout. Up close our grout varies in thickness due to the nature of the tile edge. Good luck with your project!

On Friday, I finally went to the doctor who diagnosed a “peri tonsillar abscess”, which means a swollen sac of infected pus in my throat, resulting in severe throat pain, jaw pain, ear pain, low fever etc. Sent me to the E.D. to get it drained. That resulted in 6 hours waiting in a room, and 1 hour of three doctors pushing an ultrasound probe down my throat, and then poking a fat needle through the back of my throat where the abscess was supposed to be. In the end, the exact right spot was never found, but they decided they’d poked enough holes that the abscess would figure out how to drain, helped along with an antibiotic course. I spent Saturday recuperating at home, then headed to the coast on Sunday to join the others. Dinner that night was linguine with homemade pesto; sort of a convenience meal. Last night I stopped by a marina and picked up a mess of crab and oysters. We also had some asparagus with mushrooms and Chinese sausage. Tonight I need to do something with 8 pounds of clams.