I'm adding to this thread because it seems like many folks who are posting comments here don't have a thorough background in the toxicity of a wide variety of home remodeling materials. Unless you buy your flooring (wood, bamboo, cork, etc.) from a well-known, long-running green housing material distributor, it is likely that your flooring is filled with toxic glues, sealers, and other chemicals that produce VOCs (volatile organic compounds). Bamboo in particular has a lot of glue because bamboo stalks are so thin (look at a bamboo cutting board to fully appreciate how much glue is needed). I have a MPH degree (Master of Public Health) and one of my areas of expertise is environmental health. I'm currently renovating a new condo apartment and for every material, I had to buy it from a specialty distributor that carefully vetted their product portfolio. The benefit of buying from green supply companies -- living in a healthy home. The challenge of purchasing green, healthy building materials -- cost. Green materials are more expensive. But, if you add up all the costs related to adverse health reactions and getting medical treatment to address them...then cheaper, less healthy building materials aren't so cheap, are they? A good place to start is Green Building Supply (based in Illinois, they have a great website), which ships all over the U.S. I bought cork flooring from them, they're great. Can't recommend them enough. They carry a wide array of building materials including safe paints, safe caulks and sealers, safe flooring, etc. If you want to get advice before a purchase, check out the website, 'My Chemical Free House.' Corinne is a building biologist and her site is filled with awesome tips for choosing safe and healthy building materials. Take good care & stay safe!

Sue36: The assets of the estate have to fulfill the debts of the estate first and the wishes of deceased second. As I have stated earlier, my parents want their sons buried in the six family plots on our St. Sava Eastern Orthodox Church property in Libertyville, Illinois if possible. They knew that marriages, distant lives, and other situations may not make that possible. Even if my brothers objected to the prepayment of funeral expenses,which they have not, I would move to carry out the request with all the power, assets, and will to make it happen. It is a nonissue with my brothers and not something that has ever been a consideration with my brothers wives, ex-wives, or children. The point you make about giving too much money to lawyers on this matter is a good one because the matter and the estate would be at greater jeopardy and suffer a reduced value if anyone wanted to fight the relatively low cost of prepaid funerals compared to the high cost of infighting with attornies. It is simply a nonissue because my brothers know anyone not buried in Libertyville will simply be allowing our church to retain the funds. Our cemetery does not give refunds or allow you to resell grave plots once you buy them. You either use them or surrender them back to the church with no compensation. It is a nonissue. The matter of right of first refusal for the heirs is not for the purpose of reducing or deflecting my fiduciary obligations, but will be a part of the process so that my brothers will have a chance to buy a solidly built all brick home at three-quarters of the price of the highest offer because they have a one quarter interest already built in. I have already stated that unless I strike gold somewhere, I am in no position to purchase the house at any price. My oldest brother and my second youngest brother could. My youngest brother, who is currently 51 years old, is an irrepairable drug addict who will probably blow his share of the estate on drugs if one of his associates doesn't kill him for it. I sold my parents last home with the help of an estate attorney and did not pay any brokers and I don't feel a need to bribe someone that is supposed to be working for and being paid by their clients who are looking to buy a house. There will not be that many "looky-loo" types because the terms for the professionals will be too "lame"?, and the escorted tours will be too short and too few per day for the penniless dreamers. Thanks for the concern, but the last time around I got good advice from a good lawyer and it cost us about $500.00 for his services to sell the home in West Allis, Wisconsin. I know the lawyers fees will be higher this time around, but as a percentage of the selling price it will probably be less. Joobee: At least your opinion is with the majority, but realtors value is highly overrated by those not smart enough to talk to a real estate attorney. A regular auction would bring less money for the home. Dianemargret: Why do I get the impression you write to penpals in prison for henious felonies? I will not be running a fake Dutch auction that will stop at a certain price, but one that will go on until the house is sold. On that basis, yes I want to get the highest price possible but if it is not a high price, it doesn't matter. It is not a matter of the house going to the less advantaged, but simply a desire to have interested parties start accrueing money if they wish to get involved. This will put more interested wannabe homeowners in the pool. A lot of people who do not have substantial assets at hand may have the ability to get financed and the advance notice will give them time. Sorry Dianemargret, I am old school and I have not given you or anyone permission to insult me, so why waste my time answering questions that are not important to me. I do find your behavior toward me interesting, but not surprising in a world with so many "politically correct" wussy men. Minibim: Responding to opinions and questions hardly constitutes attention seeking. Maybe we read different books. If I live long enough to execute this plan, I will be back to advise anyone still around about the results, and I will be honest whether I win, lose, or draw. Thank you for the well wishes. Ruudman

Klake - in my opinion - what your fabricator said : that the "CNC cutter gets worn and striations show more on quartz and our color" and "will try to clean up best we can". Says the dust can take a couple of days to settle....." is total BS - if the CNC cutter gets worn - why then is the other side of the kitchen (the pieces installed that DO have the polish) look better? And as far as DUST goes - what he's really saying in the "will try to clean up best we can" line is REALLY meaning - there's going to be a huge dust mess (because WE screwed up) but never mind that it will permeate EVERYTHING near the kitchen - LIVE WITH IT...??? Besides.. when a CNC is used, the machine "cycles" up through a series of six to seven different grits in order to rough shape, sand, hone and THEN polish. The grits start around 36 to 50, and go to 100, 200, 400, 800, 1500 and finally 3000 grit. (the lower the grit number - the coarser the grit, the higher the grit number - the finer the grit. 3000 grit is used to polish glass - to put this into perspective) Guys will either "run the grits" or only do the first two or three (50.100 &200) - THEN, they'll take the piece off the CNC and finish the rest of the grits (400, 800, 1500 & 3000) using 4" or 5" polishers WET - by hand. THIS helps to ELIMINATE the horizontal striations that you see on the rough pieces in your kitchen, but not so much (if at all) on the polished pieces in your kitchen. Does this make sense? If I were you - this is what I'd do: 1. get a copy of his business insurance policy. This is the policy that will cover your claim AFTER he's done - for cleaning up all of the dust and the mess and any other collateral damage that he will create trying to fix this in place. Make sure that it is current, and if you can - see what it covers and excludes in terms of liquidated damages caused by the contractor. 2. get a second opinion (or you can use mine posted above - I do this for a living on top of Fabrication here in Arizona) and then a third and fourth. if you live in California, Arizona or Florida there is a Registrar of Contractors that can help mediate things between you an your fabricator 3. insist that the tops in question be removed, completed and re-installed to your satisfaction - or have them start over - either way - I would NOT be paying another dime towards completion until this is resolved !!! Ask your fabricator how he intends to keep from burning the edges when he does what he's proposing - polishing dry with no water. ALL ES polishes differently that Natural Stone. ES is made up of epoxy resin and quartz particulate and resembles terrazzo. The epoxy resin that surrounds each particle of quartz polishes at a lower speed and the resin can melt and burn REALLY EASY (hence the burning potential) Anyone who's worked with ES knows this too - that you also have to use A LOT OF WATER when polishing so you can keep the resins in the material cool and get a good polish quality...... IMHO - ES ia a harder product to polish, and takes considerable practice if a guy has never worked with t before, or just hasn't done much of it. The bottom line for your situation is just getting the damn thing done to your satisfaction - and with as little mess and damage as possible. YOU do not have to accept his plan for remedy. HE wants you to because it;s easier for him, and you can deal with the mess (is my suspicion)....... Take what I've written above and previous posts on this thread as my advice to you. I would not polish the edges in question in place and dry if I had another - safer way for the work to be completed to your satisfaction....... hth kevin

THINK TWICE BEFORE CHOOSING QUARTZ. My personal experience... it is NOT MORE RESILIANT, IT IS UNFORGIVING AND IT IS MORE WORK. Last year we opted to get a high quality quartz RADIANZ CHARCOAL counter because every counter company seemed in agreement that quartz was more resilient than Granite and less maintenance. It wasn't long that we noticed clouding on the counter in certain angles despite only using only a gentle dish soap to clean it (per company recommendations). Also it began showing shade differences under certain pieces on my counter... a glass plate near the oven... and toaster oven (btw it was not caused by heat... because we move it from that spot when we use it). The shading difference remained despite removing all items from the counter every week to do a full clean up. Our company recommended bar keepers friend... it did not help... may have worsened (caused clouding). I then accidentally ruined my counter while cleaning my humidifier... (a solution of 1 litre of water w 1 tsp bleach) which dripped on the counter ... When I noticed the liquid on my counter... I tried to remove it with dish soap... then barkeepers friend... it was stained. Our company was surprised thought the water had perhaps dried on... or was there for hours... and said that at that level of dilution even for 15 min it should not have stained because the counter is non porous. Many quartz companies suggest that a diluted bleach can help with some stains (then looking at some posts from people who have tried it... they mentioned yellowing and clouding). Many quartz companies suggest different solutions for stains but then say that it may cause clouding... I'm here to tell you ... it probably will cause clouding... this is not a solution! I have since done research on quartz counters... many complaints of permanent clouding... many stains that cannot be removed... I've seen posts saying that the only real way to clean the counter is daily cleaning with only hot water because dish soap and yes even the recommended bar keepers friend can leave a residue on certain quartz. We bought a high end Quartz product because we were told that this was the best way to ensure a resilient higher quality.. So my conclusion...Quartz is less resilient and more work ... it may not need to be resealed like granite ... but I'm sure I am working much harder than granite customers on the daily maintenance. Even before the stain... it began having cloudy areas... despite only using the recommended dish soap for daily maintenance. Finally it is unforgiving... I have not had granite and realize it may come with its own limitations... but at least a granite counter can be re finished. If you are thinking quartz... look for customers who've had quartz to know the real story. Currently I wash my counter with dove diluted with water and re rinse completely till all smell of dove perfume is gone... I did use a non scented natural dish soap at one point... but it was harder to tell if I was rinsing enough and creating a residue. Hope this helps.