Why not have your counter look like this? I know this is a bathroom but I like how the tile edge is done. [Contemporary Bathroom[(https://www.houzz.com/photos/contemporary-bathroom-ideas-phbr1-bp~t_712~s_2103) by Brentwood Interior Designers & Decorators AB HOME Interiors Attached is a link to bill vincent's website. He is a member on this forum and has lots of photos of granite and tile counters. Here is a link that might be useful: bill vincent's website

The lippage system that was used has straps that extend perpendicular out of the grout joint as all of them do. The problem arises when the straps are pulled straight out or snapped by knocking them sideways as the system used does. Normally there would be a spacer or wedge between the modular stones to level them as well as the straps for the lippage system. The weight of the top stone would be on the wedge. Not the lippage system strap. Unfortunately the installer allowed the weight of the above stone to rest on the lippage system strap by using it as a spacer. In the installers thought process " it can't be done without chipping" Yes by improperly installing the stone he actually could not remove the straps without causing damage to the soft stones. This will certainly be a lesson learned for the installer and I'm willing to bet he won't do it this way again. Provided he understands what he did wrong. You may want to share this thread with him. It really is a nice looking stone. Keep in mind with the ceiling lights that close, any lippage will be exaggerated and even if the joints are flush there will still be a shadow. Hope this helped.

We are DIYers and have installed many, many floors (both laminate and traditional tiles). These tiles were the worst!! The clicking/locking mechanism snaps off quite easily. Each tile weighs approximately 6 pounds (12" x 24")...try holding a tile of that weight without breaking off a piece of the plastic locking mechanism. Daltile has built in a tolerance which allows the system to work even if a portion of the locking mechanism snaps off. Watching any video available regarding the installation of these tiles makes it look like a snap (no pun intended). Unfortunately, it is nothing like they show in the videos. After spending an entire day figuring out the proper technique to lay these tiles, we were on our way to completing our project (renovating our large master bathroom and hallway leading into the master bathroom). Whether or not we did this correctly, we figured out that using a pull bar and block to "tap" each tile into place was mandatory (for every single tile). We had no issue cutting the tiles, however, we made sure that we did not need to cut out anything in the middle of a tile (by strategically placing the tiles around pipes, etc.). We used a handheld tile saw which worked like a charm. We also used a 24" manual tile cutter which also worked well. Grouting was easy, however, the grout glaze is a real issue. We were very careful to make sure we cleaned each tile after applying the grout, however, the glaze is still there. Next step is to clean off the glaze... Ugh! Regardless of all of this, with a GREAT deal of patience and persistence, our floors look awesome! The tiles are sturdy, the grout lines are consistent, and the floor looks great. As a side note, I would not recommend this product if you lack patience! One more comment -- Daltile customer service was excellent when we had to purchase a few more boxes of these tiles... They only sell to contractors out of their showroom, however, we tried several times to purchase these boxes through a Home Improvement store, and each time they arrived broken into pieces (EACH TIME)! We went to the showroom to hope for some help, and they came through for us!

In a situation like this I think sheet products (vinyl or linoleum) are the way to go. As a cork flooring expert, I would tend to work with cork glue down tiles instead of tile for this situation. The tiles are VERY light weight (compared with the tile) and the 4mm and 6mm cork glue down tiles can handle a bit of a roller coaster subfloor. The 'resilient' flooring industry is well worth a look at this. The COST of cork glue down = IDENTICAL to TILE. If you paid a flooring pro to do this, you will pay $18/sf for the ENTIRE project. That is the cost of a cork glue down tile OR a porcelain glue down tile. The costs come in different formats....but the end result (the amount of money removed from your bank account) is identical. Sheet vinyl is the most price advantageous...but has little hope of DIY. The linoleum (the real stuff from Marmoleum) is the MOST EXPENSIVE of the three options. Again it has no hope of DIY. Cork glue down tiles are 100% a DIY level project. That way you can save the $10-$12/sf LABOUR costs of the installation. That goes for Porcelain tiles as well. They are DIY-able....if you are that comfortable with your skills. I've walked SOOOO many homeowners through a glue down process. It isn't rocket science. All you need is 'prepared' plywood (which is the same for sheet products....), some cork, a chalk line, an Exact-O knife, a straight edge, glue and some polyurethane for finish. It is roughly the same amount of effort to install porcelain and cork. The difference: 22sf of cork tile = 5 lbs. Compare that to 18sf of tile = 20+ pounds. Right. Easier to carry up and down stairs.