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Stunning option for bathroom vanity or other countertop

Granite City Services

6 years ago

I am a fabricator. On several occasion s we have installed onyx tops over an LED array creating a countertop that "glows in the dark". Prior to the advent of inexpensive LED arrays this was a very expensive option . With LED's there is no problem with heat and you can use a dimmer switch. Onyx is not a particularly expensive stone (although for this type of application you want a piece that has a lot of translucent areas). The LED arrays are also continually coming down in price. It works great for vanity tops as the countertop can become the bathroom night lite. We've also used onyx for bars, wine rooms, & foyers in residences and full height backsplash behind the bar in commercial locations.

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Barb J

6 years ago

The floor in front of and under my vanity and in my shower is a gold onyx mosaic tile. I've had it in for about 6y and haven't had any issues at all with staining. The grout on the other hand is another issue altogether.

It had to be sealed before it was grouted though. When it was first installed, it was so beautiful before it was grouted, then turned into a cement-looking mess afterwards. They had to tear it all out and start over again. That was a really expensive mistake.

I've sealed the shower floor several times since then, but that was really only to do the grout, not because I was concerned about the tile. Its also weathered many, many (many) applications of X14 too. I never want to have grout on a shower floor again or at least not that much.

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Comments (9)

MongoCT
6 years ago
I've done backlit onyx countertops, shower walls, and stair risers. It's a different look for sure.
palimpsest
6 years ago
They now make glowing panel LEDs to install behind translucent stone panels.
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aprilneverends
6 years ago
last modified: 6 years ago
I saw it in a winery(a gorgeous one)..I was smitten. Asked them what their countertop is made of. I suspected it's onyx but thought it's too hard to clean probably? Red wine=spills..They said "no, not at all"..don't remember what was their explanation..I think it was sealed? But honestly can't remember.
chispa
6 years ago
last modified: 6 years ago
Oldryder said:

"Onyx is not a particularly expensive stone"

Last year I redid the fireplace in my master bedroom. I was going to need 3 slabs of Onyx at $10K per slab, so $30k total for material alone. It was so pretty ... I talked myself out of spending that much for a rarely seen fireplace, but I wouldn't call it an inexpensive stone! I'm in the LA area.
Nancy in Mich
6 years ago
I would like to add at this point that the onyx discussed here is the actual natural stone onyx. There is a manufactured product that is called Onyx that is used to make solid-surface shower enclosures, shower pans, counters, and bath tub surrounds. Some of its colors may be translucent enough to look good when light is shining through it, but for the most part, it is not used with LEDs shining through it like the natural product onyx stone is.
granite guru
6 years ago
There are some solid surface colours that can be thinned down enough to be translucent. This is minera and prince town by Cambria. What ever colour light you put the Minera will glow that colour!
Nancy in Mich
6 years ago
Wow!
PRO
Joseph Corlett, LLC
6 years ago
Stoneglow Backlighting System.

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