Have you priced the Eco yet? I kind of fell for it too and my counter guy said it was a lot more than regular Silestone. Better check the price before you fall totally in love.

camero... I saw the Eco at Lowe's too, they had just gotten it in, March maybe? Anyway, I fell in love too, talked myself out of it because of the warranty and have almost decided on Cambria. I'll have to look at it again at the lower price and do some hard thinking also!

I'll be watching this thread with you. Hope there is someone that has it....

Hi wizard. I've spent my evening searching the web for glass counter info. Again the problem is that the Eco line just came out in March of 09, which is why at this point the warranty period is so limited. There is a lot more info out there on the durability of those that use concrete as the filler and the reviews on them are great. Since the main difference is the corn based epoxy/polymer used as a binder, I did a bit of research on that as well and found that there are a lot of industrial articles on future applications, its eco-friendliness, and particularly how it incorporates both flexibility and hardness, which is supposed to increase strength and decrease the likliness of cracking and breaking. The bigger deal compared to other glass tops is that it doesn't require any sealers, because the concrete types require sealers that are not very heat tolerant. I think I may just have to take a leap of faith on this one. I did research the Cosentino brand name itself and found that they have been in business for like a 100 years importing stone/quartz etc. and there have been a lot of architectural and design publications that have have given it (Eco) high praise as well as several well known businesses that have begun using it (including the Ritz Carlton in NY). LOL...heck...I guess if it's good enough for the Ritz and high traffic places like Starbucks, it should hold up to my kitchen traffic.

I fell in love with the Iron Ore color but once hubby found out the price I had to put it out of my mind. One countertop guy that carries the Icestone line told me he has heard of lot of problems with Icestone (glass particles flaking out, penetrating stains) but he hasn't heard of such issues yet with the Eco products. Keep in mind too that the Eco tops are 2cm vs the usual 3cm you usually get with granite or quartz. I wish I could take your leap of faith! Good luck!

Hmmm...I haven't yet gone to a store to see Eco, but I had been looking at the product brochures online, and there it says that the product has a 10-year warranty...

Here is a link that might be useful: ECO Warranty Manual Online

Thank you so much Carol...LOL...now I am TOTALLY bewildered though. I did a google on the warranty after I checked out your link and GEEZ....I found several sites that said 10 yrs and several that said 5 yrs. The actual site where it said you would register for your warranty clearly says 10. At first, after I saw your post I thought that maybe the brochure I read at Lowes was just outdated, but after my search there were so many conflicting sites that now I have no idea. Since sites rarely show posting dates, I don't know which is the most current/reliable.Soooo I guess a call to Lowes is in order to try and clear this up. Thank you so much for the info and I'll get back when I hear from Lowes.

Here is a link that might be useful: Eco warranty registration

I have heard super things about Eco. I hope it works
out as this is helping our planet. I wish there
were more kitchen products that were green earth
friendly.

~boxer

Well Lowes called back and the warranty is 10 yrs (Thanks again Carol)! Looks like I may be the first one here to take the plunge because I'm lovin this countertop and I've waited a long time to get updates that belong to me and not the original owner. I'm not splurging on a bunch of new appliances, so even at the reduced price, these countertops will be my splurge.

That's great news, camarogranny! Keep us posted on how it all works out.

Camaro, how long before you plan on the install? I think I'll stop by Lowe's tomorrow myself and look again... There was on sample that was dark I liked and another that was light. The amount of mirror used is what intrigued me. I'm going contemporary and Eco just had the right look to me.
I like the fact that is a green product but wish I didn't have to go thru a big box store to get it...

Camaro, how long before you plan on the install? I think I'll stop by Lowe's tomorrow myself and look again... There was on sample that was dark I liked and another that was light. The amount of mirror used is what intrigued me. I'm going contemporary and Eco just had the right look to me.
I like the fact that is a green product but wish I didn't have to go thru a big box store to get it...

Hi, wizardnm--Have you checked Eco's "store locator" on line? In my area, there are a lot of dealers beside the big box stores. Maybe not where you are, of course.

Here is a link that might be useful: Eco store locator

Camarogranny, what I've learned from this forum is to always check your slabs before installation--no matter what the product is (granite, quartz, etc.). I would think that would apply to Eco, too. Lowes may give you a hard time about this, but I would insist on it. You don't want any unpleasant surprises as some have had.

I have to admit, I made my post and then thought about checking for other dealers. Found a couple in my area so I'll check them out. Thanks!

I have ECO by Cosentino Riverbed in my bathroom and I love it. It's been in 7 months and it looks brand new. It seems impervious to everything. Try the Gardenweb Bathrooms forum to search for others with experience. I have red polished marble on our kitchen island and it was etched and scratched at the end of day 1. My ECO Cosentino hasn't had the orange juice pitcher left on it overnight....they sell samples for $4 on the website you linked so do the countertop tests I've read about on this site like leave a red wine spill on it overnight and check it in the morning.

This little piece is 22 inches by 18 inches & was $700 with the side and backsplash. I don't think you'll see a slab. It goes to your fabricator, they template and bring it back to install. It's a uniform product so all samples are exactly what you'll get. Let me know if I can tell you anything else.

Thank you so much Sue. LOL...I even love looking at it in your bathroom.

I already have a sample size..a couple in fact. The very first thing I did with them and with all the other corian, quartz, laminate, and granite samples I brought home was...get ready....pulled a knife out of my drawer and tried to scratch them. First I tried with the serated edge knife in a normal cutting position and with good pressure gave them a good slice. Remarkably, the only two to pass this test were the textured laminate and the Eco. Then I took it one step further and turned the knife on its side and with a lot of pressure drug it along the surface. The laminate was still not too bad (considering this is a test most counters would not be exposed to anyway) BUT, the Eco did not show a single mark. Every other sample type I tried showed scratches. The next test I tried was on a white sample of Eco. I placed a blackberry, ketchup, lemon slice, peanut oil, mustard, and a piece of sponge soaked in wine and one in vinegar on the sample and let it sit overnight. Next morning I rinsed it off and there was absolutely no change. LOL...now it's not that I typically go to bed with a mess in my kitchen, but I never know what type of mess one of the grands or even hubby might leave sitting for me to clean up.

Sue, I did notice that you have a flat edge and an undermount sink. These are the only two things that concerned me enough to consider changing for my kitchen.
1st- I read that rounded edges on all types of counters are less likely to chip than flat or ogee style edges. 2nd-because of that concern I've also decided to keep my top mount sink style. I do a lot of canning and hubby uses large heavy pots for cooking crabs and I just didn't want to subject an inside sink edge to that kind of beating. It wouldn't concern me in a bath because the wear and tear is totally different. Love that yours is paired with the dark cabinetry. I'm choosing to go with solid oak stained with a chocolate with mocha glaze...(the color exactly matches the brown flecks in the riverbed).

Wizardmom...yep the mirror definitely gives it a glam factor, but what appealed to me was the actual depth you could see in the Eco. I was and am still in love with the Luna color as well. That was on display in Lowes and it was awesome. I'm seriously considering going with that shade on my island. My island is actually 2 bisque colored sideboards placed back to back to create a 3x5 area. The family (mostly mom and hubby) think that I should keep all the countertops the same, BUT going with 2 tones doesn't scare me. I just couldn't decide at first whether I'd like to go with the lighter luna color on the dark cabinetry and the riverbed on the island...or vice versa. But I think I'll stick with the dark/dark, light/light combo, just because I think the lighter center island will suit me best when it comes to decorating for Christmas. ( LOL..I try to plan ahead and think about how I like to change color schemes throughout the year!)

Sue, I definitely will check out the bath section today.

Thx for the tip flwers, but as Sue said, the fabricators come out and measure for this product and then it is poured as a single custom slab. No previews....just a grand surprise on install day.

Wow, camarogranny. Those tests you did of the Eco samples sound amazing. I don't know anybody with Eco countertops and when I googled them for reviews I found one very negative reviewer who complained about scratches and divots--and not much else. Your tests are very reassuring.

I think flwrs' suggestion about previewing the slabs comes from GW discussions of potential problems with resin pooling in quartz countertops (which result in occasional ugly blobs of resin amidst the otherwise homogeneous mixture). I hope the binder used in Eco isn't subject to the same problem.

I'm redoing my kitchen right now I'm pretty certain I'll be buying Eco. I like the "White Diamond" color. It's $70 sq ft at my local Lowes (Florida Gulf coast).

I'm installing white painted shaker cabinets and think White Diamond will look very nice with a light blue glass subway tile backsplash to set it off.

I know it's still a relatively new product but I'm not too concerned about the warranty.

Tipsy

I just read about another material called Eco Top so I'll start a new thread about it. It's 50% recycled wood/paper and 50% bamboo.

Here is a link that might be useful: Eco Top PR article

If you buy your countertop at lowes I suggest you go the the atm at the bank get out as many $100 bills as you can and light them on fire! That is what your doing buying countertops at lowes or home depot. They sell their cabinets at a low mark up and they know you are a sucker for the countertop and they make much higher margins on the tops regardless of type.

I have not got my supplier set up for ECO in Orlando. In Dc where I was a partner in a store till Dec I want to say dealer cost was 40's-60's depending on the color. those are not the exact dealer costs but it is in the range. I would not pay over 70 for it. 100 is crazy! Everyone got in the granite market as a supplier and fabricator. Eco and other products are intended to give dealers a way to make lots of money on tops again. Do not be a sucker! How is recycled glass which is sand heated up more less that much better then a rock from a hole in the ground? If you like its look that is great but I do not see the value of it as recyled product. I do not understand why we as a society do not mandate recycling of plastic products at fast food places for example. If the countertop was made of plastic I could see being oil based which I would think is less plentiful then silica.

Daveinorlado...I'm paying $70 sq ft installed at Lowes for Eco (White Diamond).

Doesn't seem so outrageous based on the dealer cost you suggest.

Tipsy

It depends on how the craftsmen would do that. But it would most be likely messy. Try the counter tops design from Salt Lake City. Could get an idea out there.

Here is a link that might be useful: Salt Lake City Countertops

If you do order from Lowes or HD, make sure you get a 20% off coupon from ebay to help lower the cost. It is worth it on big orders!

Any update on the Eco kitchen counter installs? We're almost ready to pick our countertop, and I'm having a tough time deciding between granite and Eco. Love what the manufacturer says about Eco's durability and whatnot, need to back it up with some opinions from actual installs.
If we go with granite it will be a dark green almost black "Indian Green Labradorite". Afraid of the horror stories about granite etching, cracking, staining, etc.

Our kitchen is black/gray/stainless steel Ikea contemporary style.

I changed my mind and went with granite instead of Eco.

Went with 3cm Shiva Gold.

Tipsy

Considering going with Eco but worried about the 2 cm thickness. Anybody go with this width? It sounds awfully thin. Don't want to pay for added built-up edge. Costs a lot already.

Great testing from camarogranny, you should try the heat test. put a nice hot pan on it, and see the result. I doubt anyone will be that aggressive with a knife, its probably more reasonable to put a hot pot or pan on it that attack it with a knife.

Here is a link that might be useful: Engineered Stone

I was a little turned off by the 2 cm. thickness at first. But someone pointed out that that is a more contemporary look, and that's the look I'm going for, so it doesn't bother me now. Have no idea if it affects the durability, but somehow I doubt it. It's down to $68 a SF at my Home Depot.

Dying to know what camarogranny ended up doing!

I would love to hear more on the Eco counter install too. I just purchased the Eco Riverbed for ours. I was looking close at a quartz but just couldn't get my eyes off that Riverbed. lol!

We put Eco white diamond in my Grampas vacation home in Maui. We put it in the kitchen,laundry and both bathrooms. The pics came out great but I have not had the chance to see it yet. We are going next month and it will be a year since the install so we will see how it has held up. The home is rented out constantly and we needed something that was going to hold up and require less maintenance. I now am looking at redoing my kitchen and I've got my eye on Eco terra. I'll make my decision after I see how the white diamond has held up.

I would to see an update from someone who has had the Eco countertops for a while. Home Depot has it for $57 all inclusive and I love the black. Trying to decide between Silestone Stellar night ($56) and Eco Starlight.

Does anyone have any stories on problems they encountered with purchasing ECO? I ordered my countertop from Lowes last month. The installer is now telling me that my counter is on back order from Spain and could take another 2 weeks or more to get in. I'm considering looking around for something else. It seems ridiculous to have to wait that long.

I'm new to these boards, too, so first a hearty Thank You!
Y'all are so full of amazing knowledge and experiences. I'm
in the design stage of a major rehab/remodel/addition and
have oh, roughly 10zillion decisions to make. Yikes!

I saw the ECO by Constantino countertops at Lowe's today
and thought they were lovely. I also love the idea of 75%
post-consumer recycled materials. They're down to $57/sf
with a sale on some at $47/sf.

Did anyone end up installing it? Geanie in Florida? Is it
holding up, easy to maintain, nice to work on? I'm hesitant
to use something with so little actual track-record info.

Heidi in Austin

I'd love to hear and see photos too please!

I really like Eco luna and have gone out for bids. I paid $ 35 (non returnable) to Lowe's for the estimate. When I emailed back to all 3 bidders if their estimate included everything and listed some thing the other bidders had included that they had not, I was told by Lowes that to get a complete estimate I would have to pay another $75 for the more complete estimate. This $75 would be applied to the cost if they "won" the bid. Since they are presently the lowest bidder, I'm torn as to whether to pay the additional $75 because then with the extra they will be adding, they may not be lowest bidder. Have those of you who have used Lowe's been pleased with the final cost as compared to their estimate and the quality of workmanship?

I really like Eco luna and have gone out for bids. I paid $ 35 (non returnable) to Lowe's for the estimate. When I emailed back to all 3 bidders if their estimate included everything and listed some thing the other bidders had included that they had not, I was told by Lowes that to get a complete estimate I would have to pay another $ 75 for the more complete estimate. This$ 75 would be applied to the cost if they "won" the bid. Since they are presently the lowest bidder, I'm torn as to whether to pay the additional $ 75 because then with the extra they will be adding, the may not be lowest bidder. Have those of you who have used Lowe's been pleased with the final cost as compared to the estimate and the quality of workmanship?

Hello I am new on this because I am extremely interested in buying the eco white diamond for my kitchen. Any advice would help and if any one has any pictures and any other places I could purchase it other than lowes or HD I would appreciate it so much

Cindyrmax, or anyone ,did you end up purchasing eco white diamond? Please let me know as I am on the fence about it and need to know thoughts from someone who has installed it. Thanks!

We have white diamond. They started out beautifully. I adored the look in our kitchen. 6 years now and they are staining. It is awful. Especially around the sink. We bought these because we were told they do not stain and are easy to take care of because they do not need to be sealed. The ecos.countertops Warrenty covers nothing!!!! It's a lot of words but, if you read it, they will be responsible for zilch. I am beyond disappointed. We paid the premium price because we wanted something easy and pretty. If you plan on keeping these for more than 6 y R s, goodluck. The little glass pieces are popping out everywhere. It is only my husband and I and we are very careful. Have never placed anything hot on them. This simplicity has turned into a nightmare. Cosentino says 'sunlight" could have affected them??? We have 1 small window in our kitchen. Who doesn't have a window in kitchen???? Think twice about purchasing this product as the company doesn't stand behind this product in any way at all. Ours now have an orangy-beige Hugh in the background. I can't believe we bought these. The warranty is 25 yrs, and this is 6 yrs in....imagine another 10. Not worth the headache. We purchased from home depot and felt great knowing they "wouldn't stain." Joke is on us it seems.

I'm adding my 2 cents, as I'm on the phone with a client in San Francisco, who had it installed last year (ECO White Diamond) for their kitchen counters, (yes we loved the look) and is having it chip off already. This is unacceptable for a food prep area...have been doing some research, and nothing much to report, except yes, their warranty basically exempts them from all responsibility as noted above. DO NOT USE FOR KITCHEN COUNTERS!

queenofwaves:

Pull that undermount sink and drop in a Kohler Vault. No chipping and the flange will probably cover the staining.

People forget that sometimes major countertop companies manufacture and sell great big fat flops.

Years ago, Ralph Wilson Plastics, aka Wilsonart, a major plastic laminate manufacturer, sold Solid Surface Veneer in an attempt to undercut DuPont's Corian. The complaints started rolling in immediately, so Wilsonart started bonding the sheets to the substrate with the new phenolic backer at the factory. Didn't help much. They had to pull it from the marketplace, but not without entering into a class action lawsuit settlement that lasted a decade. I was reimbursed by Wilsonart for several repairs under that program, now expired, although that hasn't stopped the calls.

Here is one from last year; factory laminated with phenolic backer, their "fix". This stuff literally self destructed:

This was after Wilsonart's notorious "blue glue" contact cement fiasco. Imagine you walk into Macy's and walls full of laminated veneer are peeling from the top down. As a fabricator, you thought the call from Ms. Jones about her countertop was bad. Ha. Oh well, Wilsonart did reimburse fabricators .33 on the dollar for their losses.

Judging from some of the posts here, the sintered tops, particularly Neolith, aren't out of the technical woods yet either. There has NEVER been this type of complaining about Corian for 50 YEARS. And I've got to listen to how it isn't shiny enough and scratches. Errrrr.....

Oh, then there's Granicoat (sp?)

A fabricator would make your countertops out of MDF, then, I swear I'm not making this up, would spray a 1/8" thick layer of plastic over them. Believe it or not, this stuff held up better than SSV.

I refinished this acrylic/fiberglass sink bonded to the MDF/Granicoat this week:

I couldn't cost effectively replace that sink. The customers could have new granite and a new sink installed for about $1,000.00 more than what I would have charged them just to replace the sink.

Shirestone anyone?

Cement over plywood and lath performs particularly well in wet areas:

You may rub the color off though.

Thanks! Unfortunately I can't pull the undermine sink because the chipping and staining is everywhere. I'm thinking class action lawsuit would be in order if I can find enough other people with the same issue. I am particularly upset that the product is sold by Lowe's and Home Depot. They should have a talk with the manufacturer and tell them they will not carry a product with absolutely no warrenty. It's jibber jabber for "we are not responsible in any way for out product because we don't stand behind it." The warrenty is for nothing at all.

After a lot of checking we also went with the Eco by Cosentino Black Starlight, purchase through Lowes and installed by It was beautiful when installed by Stone Systems of South Florida. After 8 years we are so upset of how this environmentally safe product pits and fades I started a warranty claim. Cosentino referred me back to the installer SSoSF who after multiple calls finally came out to inspect the area and admitted that there is a definite problem with the product and started a warranty claim with Cosentino. several months and multiple phone calls to SSoSF and they now state that the warranty claim has been DENIED do to water damage??? How is it possible to install a counter top in a kitchen with a sink dropped through it that water can damage??? there is also an area that is damaged no where near the sink area. I have filed a complaint with the BBB and will contact an attorney to see if a class action suit is in order due to the number of similar complaints.

I was in the Corian business when it was going great guns. Then fashion changed and everyone wanted hard and shiny. Say what you will about solid surface, we NEVER got complaints like the above and never will.

I also have ECO by Cosentino in my kitchen, from 2017. I was impressed by their claims that it needs no maintenance (sealing or other) and now I have severe dark staining around the kitchen faucet (possibly due to our hard water), and no idea how to clean it, as their recommendations are to avoid all caustic or abrasive cleaning products. (Might have to experiment, since it's hard to imagine anything will make it WORSE.)

(Btw, this replaced a Corian countertop & built-in sink that had a HUGE CRACK running through it, so yeah, no complaints about glass pop-outs or staining, but...)

I have Vetrazzo (also recycled glass) in the bathroom, and even though they say to re-seal it, I never have and it looks great 12 years later. I don't know how it would hold up to coffee, red wine, or soy sauce spills, but at least it hasn't had a problem with water! The bad news is that Vetrazzo was bought by Polycor, which has really under-promoted it, and now it's very hard to find. I managed to get a Vetrazzo fireplace mantel in 2017 from a fabricator who had a remnant, but now neither they nor the fabricator who did my bathroom still carry Vetrazzo.

I have also had Icestone in another bathroom since 2017 (I guess I am inadvertently testing all the recycled glass countertop materials) and it has also held up well. No water stains.

Of the 3, Vetrazzo is my favorite because of the look (the glass bits are bigger than Icestone and just beautiful, IMHO), but I would also go with Icestone again. Don't buy ECO if you're going to have water.