No engineered stone is approved for UV exposure. It’s not an industry secret at all. None can go outside. Period. If your professionals that you worked with had done their jobs, you’d be an educated consumer and know that it’s not an exclusion just for Cambria. Direct sun from standard new windows shouldn’t pass enough UV to damage your floors, furniture, or e-stone. Standard windows already come with UV blocking properties, so if yours are so old that they don’t have it, you’ve got other issues about UV exposure in your house. Old windows need UV blocking film installed to avoid degradation to all kinds of interior finishes. Not just your e-stone. If it’s a relatively new window, that’s a conversation that you need to have with your window manufacturer. It’s defective. This is Not on Cambria. Or Silestone. Or Pental. Or Zodiaq. Or any e-stone manufacturer. New windows shouldn’t have issues with transmitting enough UV to damage your home.. Poop happens. This isn’t on Cambria. Talk to your window manufacturer.

I am a fabricator. I agree the cutting board/cheese tray are heavy and a hazard. As cuttitng boards they can also be tough on your cutlery. However, fabricators often look for some way to use the remnants that are too small for countertops. We often make lazy susans which can be quite functional for a corner, large island, or dining table. Sometimes the material matches the countertops and sometimes they are made from the remnants of exotic stones

I have Cambria Torquay in my kitchen. It is so beautiful & I could not be happier with it. I too had a terrible time getting my kitchen design place to get a sample so I finally ordered a sample directly from Cambria & it came in a couple of days. Cambria shipped it out the day after I ordered it. It seems that Cambria subcontracts out the job of supplying kitchen design places with the samples & the subcontractors do a really poor job of supplying samples. Cambria themselves were super fast. I had gotten so discouraged waiting for the kitchen design place to get samples that I also ordered samples from Silestone (Lyra & Lagoon) in case I wanted to give up on Cambria. I liked Cambria's Torquay so much better. Torquay's white is whiter instead of being just shades of gray or slightly muddy. It is a very serene design to me. If you have any doubts about what you want and you cannot find a sample, just order a sample. The cost is nothing when you compare living with a countertop pretty much forever. BTW, Cambria's samples are 12"X12" so you get a really good picture of what it is like, not like looking at a 1" square!

Cambria IS the only quartz countertop made in the USA. Zodiaq (DuPont) is made in Canada. Silestone is made in Spain. Ceasarstone is made in Israel. Silestone� (Made in Spain) Made in Spain by Cosentino, it claims that this it's technology is over 15 years old, making it the old player in the field of quartz stone surfaces. The makers of Silestone promoted it as a classic or contemporary, inner-city chic or colonial charm in their product. Silestone is another brand if engineered stone which is technically similar to the other brands because it is comprised of approximately 93% quartz and 7% epoxy binders. As with all other quartz stone surfaces, Silestone is scratch resistant, stain resistant, amd heat resistant. Silestone has a color range of over 40 Colors. Silestone claims to have received the best possible score for stain resistance from the CSIRO. It also has a 10 year limited warranty. A unique feature is Silestone is the Microban technology that is intergraded on the product. Microban claims to continuously fights the growth of microbes that can cause stains and odors and Microban protection makes your Silestone countertops easier to clean and keeps them cleaner between cleanings. The promotion of Microban antimicrobial protection is that it is effective against most common bacteria, yeasts, molds and fungi that cause stains and odors. Microban technology is not designed to protect users from disease-causing microorganisms. Zodiaq� (Made in Canada) From the maker of Corian, comes Zodiaq�. DuPontTM Zodiaq� claims to have produced an advanced composite material made of 93% quartz with a DuPont proprietary binding polymer and pigments. If anyone has the money for R&D, DuPont does. Their stated goal was to create a new material with its own depth and character and a unique aesthetic, suggesting a sense of enlightened luxury and an attitude of bold sophistication. Zodiaq� covers the gamut with alternative to the polished finish and a collection of matt finish colors in neutral tones. Just like the other quartz stone and otherwise known as engineered stone brands, Zodiaq� has a very sophisticated technology. When you think of Zodiaq�, most people do not know that it is made by one of the largest and most sophisticated countertop maker in the world. Cambria� (Made in USA) Perhaps the smallest player in the market is Cambria quartz stone surfaces which is American owned and operated by the Davis Family. This company has gone from manufacturing cheese for over 60 years to luxury quartz stone product and their website claims this is a natural fit. Regardless of their smaller marketing approach, Cambria does offer some unique colors that the other bigger brand do not. Their color choices are worth looking and the pricing is competitive with the other brands. As with all the other brand names, Cambria quartz stone surfaces are also comprised of approximately 93% quartz and claim the same low maintenance advantages. CaesarStone� (Made in Israel) CaesarStone� it is made of approximately 93% quartz by weight. The other 7% is epoxy resin which is required to hold the quartz together. Quartz is one of the hardest minerals and is calculated at a hardness level of 7 on the Mohs Scale of Hardness. CaesarStone� is manufactured in Israel. The company proclaims to be the originator of quartz kitchen and bath countertops, and claims to have advantages over other surfaces. Benefits include less chipping, cracking or discoloring and a less porous surface that does not require sealing. Many installation professionals dispute Caesarstone's claims that it does not allow bacteria growth and cleans with just a moist cloth. It is promoted to resist damage from heat and acids such as caustic wine spills and knife scratches. These claims are also questionable. The colors that CaesarStone� offers are different than other brand names listed below and are perhaps more popular because of this characteristic. Honed finishes and marble-like textures are a couple features. CaesarStone� offers a 10 year limited warranty, when installed by a Certified Fabricator. Read the limited warranty carefully as it is very 'limited'. Hth