The primary slab will sit directly on the cabinets and should have a thin strip of Neolith glued to the exposed edged so it looks thicker (1" or 1.5").

Thank you for the help Akari. I also found this page from the 2017 Neolith North American Kitchen Technical Manual, which I plan on discussing in more detail with the fabricator and contractor tomorrow.

I have also contacted Neolith.

You best make sure your Fabricator is approved/trained to cut and handle neolith from the MFG..

what they told you gets them fired day 1 on my job but they wouldnt have even held my ear that long. I hope your not caught in the Wanting and price point conundrum and taking risks.

I would use A layer of 3/4 EXP ply glued and screwed to the faceframes and stretchers followed by layers of BONDED wedi or USG foam board to get the elevation correct and 100% full coverage bonding of the neolith to substrate with a flexbond LFT mortar. Its a premium price project anywhere and not one you take chances on.

Ms. Kuhn:

Most cabinets are 34 1/2" high. A 1/2" thick countertop will put you at 35". You may want to check that the feet on any slide in range can be adjusted that low.

Corian and other solid surfaces can be installed directly on cabinets and if the cabinets are on plane to each other, I wouldn't see a problem except when the manufacturer specifically prohibits the practice, the top fails, you make a warranty claim, the manufacturer abdicates, and the fabricator is out of business.

I would seriously rethink this material. Catastrophic failures are common

"Catastrophic failures are common"

They are?

Most cracks in solid surface are repairable. A crack is sintered is not.

Your counters really should be thicker -- at least 3/4" to withstand the beating in a typical kitchen.

"Your counters really should be thicker -- at least 3/4" to withstand the beating in a typical kitchen."

Really?

Disclaimer: I'm not familiar with Neolith. Having said that, a 1/2" countertop might end up looking chintzy and not performing well. What is it about the Neolith that attracts you?

There are other products (quartz) that have the same features and are thicker (1 1/4"). Look at Caesarstone London Gray

Or MSI Calcutta Grigio

Quartz is not heat resistant. Who doesn't use trivets?

I looked at Houzz pictures and all of the photos are of tops that seem to be 1 1/2" thick. The thickness at the sink is about 1/2". If someone's selling you on a 1/2" thick countertop, they're not fabricating it correctly and the manufacturer probably isn't certified. If they haven't started on it yet, pick another fabricator.

Dee, quartz is not heat proof, but the fact is that if you've got to get something off the range or out of the oven right away, you can put it down on a quartz countertop without harming the top, as long as you pick it right back up and put a trivet under it. Same with granite. Longer exposure to heat begins to crystallize the resins in the top.

For some reason, people always want to know if you can put a hot pot on it, or if you can cut on it. (You can, but it will dull your knives, so why would you want to?)

Brittany, I highly recommend you take another look at quartz and granite. I think there is a high likelihood of problems if you go with your current selection.

I have Neolith all over my house. Master bath floors, walls, countertop. Two other bath countertops, full kitchen with island and full backsplash to the ceiling! It’s beautiful!! I LOVE it. You have to get a good installer. I’ve had great customer service with Neolith as well advising me etc. I wouldn’t use any other product.