Hi all, I've read through a bunch of the discussions on sintered stone but they seem to focus on countertops. We are going with granite for our countertops, but need something that's basically a plain white / light grey with no patterns for one of the backsplashes that can take very high heat ASTM E 136, 750 C / 1382 F). The size we're trying to cover is about 120" wide by 30" high with potentially an extension on the right side up to 60" to form an L. Assuming we'll do this in 3 pieces (63x30 & 42x30 & 15x60) to get it up the building elevator.

Our best option seems to be porcelain slabs or sintered stone / ultra compact if we exclude grout+small tiles. In the above context, I'm assuming the risk of the cracking/chipping problems reported by countertop users of this material is much less post installation. But probably still need a good fabricator to avoid issues during and pre installation?

A few questions:

Are there differences between the different brands (Dekton, Lapitec, Corian Endura, avoid Neolith?) in terms of their cracking potential, especially in a vertical/backsplash context? Are there important differences to consider between those materials and porcelain slabs (Florim, Daltile Panoramic, Laminam, etc) in this context?

What is the proper thickness we should be getting? Assuming 12mm, but is 6mm doable or is that asking for trouble? Or even slimmer (Dekton Slim in 4mm)?

How do I go about finding fabricators near the NYC area that is known to be good with porcelain or sintered stone slabs? Or can I look basically anywhere on the east coast if I'm in NYC?

Thanks!

cc @Aglitter, @Joseph Corlett, LLC, @M, @j_bruno, @Kontrast [Curated Danish Design], @User, @Josh Ritti