If you get rectified tile, you can butt it up with almost no grout lines. I know someone posted pictures of what they did last fall, and it was so nice that it got even my hubby interested in maybe doing tile on the counter. In the end, after looking at the cost of making the frame for the tile and the cost of tile, we chose to get soapstone and install it ourselves. Then DH thought about it more, and decided to have the supplier do the fabrication too (finish cutting and edge treatment) but we did the install including four small seams. Ended up costing more than I expected compared to what we were looking at when we started - but it always seems to go that way!

I think that is universal, as I know of no state that is willing to spend millions of dollars a year to test thousands of unique appliances in order to come up with their own rules. (I prefer to use the relevant example) ;D " What I'm understanding is that installation instructions are designed to meet building code." - yes, but many of the installation instructions seem to be worded by lawyers, and designed to be decieving to the average consumer. "Listing" is what happens after the independent testing laboratory makes sure the product's clearances label and installation instructions meet the ANSI standards and put that "UL sticker" (label) on it. - the whole code process works together with the "listed and labeled" requirement and ANSI safety standards. . [https://www.houzz.com/discussions/tile-backsplash-wont-meet-building-code-dsvw-vd~3992018?n=57[(https://www.houzz.com/discussions/tile-backsplash-wont-meet-building-code-dsvw-vd~3992018?n=57) .

You do not need to stack two 2cm slabs on top of each other to make it look like you are using 4cm thick slabs. You only need a small amount of extra material (1-2â inches depending on edge type) to beef up just the outside edges of the counters. Laminated or mitered edges are very common here in So. Cal., where most stone and quartz is sold in 2cm size, rather than 3cm. The fabricator will put a 5/8â thick plywood subtop that is a little narrower than the finished counter size on top of the cabinet. Then the 2cm slab counter is put on top of the plywood. A narrow strip of the quartz is attached just at the edge of the counter to hide the edge of the plywood and make the whole counter look thicker. For standard 24â deep cabinets, the finished counter width with overhang is typically 25.5.â I donâÂÂt know what brand of quartz you plan to buy, but Caesarstone slabs are 56.5â wide, Hanstone is 55â wide, Silestone is 54âÂÂ, Cambria is 55.â (Some brands sell wider âÂÂjumboâ slabs if you have deeper counters.) Assuming a 55â wide slab, two 25.5â deep counters will use up 51â (plus a small amount of loss in the cutting process), leaving the few inches you need for the edge strips. You should need the same number of slabs whether you use 2cm or 3cm material. The thinner material will cost less, which should offset the increased labor cost for the laminated or mitered edge. I am going to try to attach pictures that show the different types of edges.

I have Cambria Torquay and use Clorox wipes on them all the time. I use them to wipe down my counters, then follow it up with Method granite polish from Target (LOVE that stuff!) There is absolutely no streaking, haze, residue, discoloration, etc. I frequently put hot items straight onto the countertop, but try to use a trivet or pot holder most of the time. I'm not super worried about it, but I figure it doesn't hurt to use a little extra caution. I was given the option of having the sink cut-out finished into a cutting board, so I used that for a long time as a tester of sorts. It has held up to all stains and temperatures I've subjected it to. I was advised by the installer to use a it of straight acetone for any stains that couldn't be removed with regular cleaner or by scraping with a razor blade. That was four years ago, and I have yet to find anything that didn't wipe right off. And that's saying something, because I have young children. I absolutely love my quartz counters and would buy them again in a heartbeat.