Have your tilers already sealed the stone? They may have. The bottle of Miracle 511 that I have said you only need "...at least 6-12 hours before grouting". Grout release is a type of product that helps keep the grout out of the pours, I believe, and help with the cleanup process. I am a DIY tiler. I tiled my kitchen backsplash with marble 2x4s. I cut the mesh backing off and laid the stone the way I wanted. It was a cheaper product and the spacing was not perfect on the mesh. When I finished with the tile, I did what you suggested in your comment above, used a rag and applied the sealer over the face of the stone, not letting it run into the grout spaces, where it might interfere with grout adhesion. I followed the instructions. I then grouted. I had no troubles with the cementous grout that I used. On my slate floor, I used epoxy grout. Again, I sealed my stone, then grouted with epoxy. I really don't know if it helps with clean up with epoxy because epoxy grout is a different animal when compared to cementous grout. Be aware that an "enhancer" type sealer will darken your stone. Can look nice but if you want the look you've got don't use an "enhancer". I am almost positive that my stone fabricator used Miracle 511 impregnator sealer on my carrara counter that I just had installed a few months ago.

lynn2006: Thanks and I am happy to share, just as others have shared before me. erinf8: Attached is a grouted picture; sorry this was at night with the undercounter lighting on; you see we are getting some reflection from the LEDs. It is not bad from far away, however, just at certain angles up close. The grout is Platinum. We went with this choice to make the veining the star, rather than the grout lines. The UC ighting is also a slightly cooler temp (3K) to emphasize the contrast. The tile was actually my second choice, my first choice was online at the Builders Stone Depot, but that did not work out. After some searching at dealers by my GC and I, I found these, in stock, at a regular warehouse called Liberty Builders in South SF. SparkingWater: Thanks. I did not get to view the slabs before hand. I jumped in with both feet first! I never made it to the Caesarstone local warehouse. Someone asked about the edge earlier: it is mitered and slightly eased, by about 1/8", I think, per the Caesarstone Warranty specifications.

neesie, be nice. New info turned up on the Crema Bordeaux and people need to know of it. You got a problem with a potential problem being discussed? Ever think that others might want to know? As to checking weekly, the harm caused by low dose radiation might take years to show up. Larrylwill, You have to admit that the mold issue caught the insurance industry flat footed and their reaction was to eliminate coverage for mold related problems, or at least that was what I was last told. The Radon researchers still has to fight a fringe group of people that refuse to believe it is a problem. And at one point, we still sold lead paint here in the US, despite the Europen countries banning it decades before. So just because they aren't aware of the potential risk doesn't mean they know about it. Mark my words, once they hear of it, it will be excluded from policies. As to the potential risk of future lawsuits over granite and radiation/Radon, I emailed one of the most respected lawyers in the toxic law field, Dr. Chiodo from Chicago. He called me the next day, and warned of a storm of future lawsuits over sterility, cancer, and even birth defects caused by the levels of radiation we were finding. He mentioned that standing at a granite countertop subjected the wrong area of your body to a lot of radiation if you have a hotter than normal granite top. Dr. Chiodo warned us to hire the best enviromental lawyer in our state and get a disclosure/consent form drawn up. But, he warned that even if the homeowners both signed, it would not be binding for their kids or any visitors. We aren't too worried since we test before purchasing slabs. Note that I called him Dr. Chiodo. He is a doctor, lawyer, an industrial hygenist anda biomedical engineer among other credintials. Said he was an over acheiver. LOL There is a link below with more info on Dr. Chiodo. Look down a ways to the section on "What the Experts say about Radiation in Granite Countertops" I didn't post this to start another debate. I posted it because new info disproved what we previously thought, that most Crema Bordeaux was likely safe. Now we aren't as sure. It won't cost $10 to check it, or send me a sample if you have one left and I'll check it then send it for professional testing if needed. Here is a link that might be useful: Dr. Chiodo, more info.

paigeysmom, attention to details are what will pay off in the long run. Details sell. The careful alignment of details in architectural elements are what makes a thing beautiful. Please, don't you ever let anyone lead you astray when you know that something is not balanced or right. Even if it doesn't seem right, make your subs prove to you they know their stuff. Stick to your guns and take all the credit for careful supervision later when the job is done. I know, it is way too easy to hire people to do a job half-a$$ and it co$t$ no one a dime to tell you to forget about correcting mistakes and you're being too picky. Picky is as picky does. It's my money, my stuff. I want my bricks aligned. I want my cabinets level. I want my skirt and pants hems even. It takes courage to stand up to slackers, but you can do it. They are stealing your hard earned money and delivering an inferior product when you let them get away with shoddy work. Don't you let them. It's your reputation on the line, too. :) I don't normally 'thump' anyone on this forum, but honestly, miles661, you must be a husband that does not notice details or give a rat$ fanny about the finished product. Sometimes it is best to keep your mouth shut if you can't encourage someone or give constructive commentary. Of COURSE paigeysmom is thankful for her kitchen. She'll be more thankful and easier to live with now that someone heard her and encouraged her to make her subs do the job right. The istallation and finishing details are what make a job one of quality or sub par. I'm betting that she's shooting for a quality job. It's quite obvious that the person putting her cabinets together needs total supervision to do the job right. You aren't by chance the one putting her kitchen cabinets together, are you? Paigeysmom, your kitchen is going to look lovely. I cannot wait to see how it all turns out. FWIW, I, do agree with your husband about the wine cabinet. I don't think you'll notice the bead-board much at all once you have in wine bottles and decorative elements. I 'see' exactly what you mean... and if you know it's going to bother you, then by all means remove it before templating. HOWEVER, you really need to look at the top cabinet run and how that last base cabinet will look without the wine cabinet there. You might be better off leaving it.