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.

Any marks on my quartz counter that have terrified me have come out with a light application of Barkeeper's Friend Soft Cleanser for Porcelain. Wet a cloth, put a little of the stuff on it, rub very lightly in circles on the mark (red wine, weird circular differences in reflectivity etc), then rinse with a lot of water, and it's perfect! We have had our quartz since 2017 and with this trick it is still completely like new. Note that we do not set the Barkeeper's Friend bottle on the counter, and the cloth we use for Barkeeper's Friend is different from any other cloth in the kitchen, because prolonged undiluted contact with the stuff could damage your counter, so be careful, apply judiciously and hopefully you'll have the same success we've had.

I would also be interested in hearing how they are holding up. I have pure white quartz from Vicostone. They show marks from foil, pans, silverware ......basically everything that touches them. Thankfully bar keepers friend and a lot of scrubbing will remove the mark. However - the shine is now mottled or spotty. Looks like some areas are dusty and need buffing. Drives me crazy that there isn't a smooth and consistent shine. I am so very careful with them and have never used harsh chemicals. I have watered down the bar keepers friend so it won't be abrasive. My huge center island gets so much light and it bothers me that it isn't beautiful like it should be. Solid white isn't a good choice in my opinion. (or stay away from Vicostone)

GC agrees and is fantastic - I use them on every project. My post was to get some objective viewpoints because after looking at it for a week straight, I've lost perspective on the two options. Faced with an option to just "accept it and move on" as live_wire stated is appealing on one hand because we are several weeks behind schedule (COVID supply chain issues) and without even basic use of the kitchen for 10 weeks now - so the thought of just plowing forward and getting this done is enticing. However, we did pay a premium for an upgraded feature from a reputable and experienced fabricator...having to look at something that is "a solid B" when that isn't what we paid for nor were promised, and doesn't match the quality of the rest of the project will probably irk me to see each time we walk into the kitchen. Again, was looking for some perspective on if this is acceptable or poor from professionals or people with more experience with mitered edges than myself. The chastizing over the inherent pitfalls of renovation and "overdone fad features" really is just white noise - this isn't my first or even 10th reno, but I'm also not a stone fabricator. But then again, who doesn't enjoy armchair quarterbacking other peoples' projects from behind a keyboard? 🙂