Solid slab quartz backsplash

Hi all! Finally nearing the end of our endless reno 🙂 and planning for our kitchen backsplash install.

We’re interested in installing a solid slab quartz backsplash (I know, very trendy) on two walls of our small (80 Sq ft) L shaped kitchen. Would greatly appreciate any tips for:
1) stone brands – we originally planned on caesarstone but have started looking at other, more affordable options (MSI and leadstone). Any thoughts on durability, value, etc?
2) stone installers – would love any recs for a stone supplier and installer. We spoke with Milestone Kitchen and Bath in Sunnyside and they were helpful but a bit skeptical of the slab backsplash idea. Would ideally find someone a bit more familiar with this type of install.
3) any broader tips for installation, care, other things to be consider. Anything special we should be planning on in terms of bracing the stone etc? Our contractor seems to think we’ll be OK as long as the stone thickness is 3/4inch – any tho ughts? 🙂 Would just generally value hearing the experience of anyone who has taken this route.

Thanks so much as always!

evan

in General Discussion 3 years and 5 months ago

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Guest User | 3 years and 5 months ago

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I’ve been happy with purchases from Andes Marble & Granite (718) 384-7947 in the last few years. Supply only. I sent my wife to their shop to pick out what she wanted for our own kitchen. She was happy… I was happy. They cut it just how we needed it and even mounted an under mount sink for us since we took it to their shop

evan | 3 years and 5 months ago

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Thanks so much as always for the helpful input, all – really appreciate it. Have reached out to some of the folks suggested here and will bear these points in mind. Take care!

cobblehillhome | 3 years and 5 months ago

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Sharing that if you get a light quartz backsplash and you have a stove vent there, it might yellow. Mine did… and only Dawn powerwash helped remove it.

Other stories here: https://www.houzz.com/discussions/6216192/yellowing-quartz-backsplash

cobblehillhome | 3 years and 5 months ago

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Sharing that if you get a light quartz backsplash and you have a stove vent there, it might yellow. Mine did… and only Dawn powerwash helped remove it.

Other stories here: https://www.houzz.com/discussions/6216192/yellowing-quartz-backsplash

andriywww1990 | 3 years and 5 months ago

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Ata i think is in a corner building there. They are very good.

RobertGMarvin

in General Discussion 3 years and 5 months ago

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FWIW we used ATA Stone Works, on Meserole Ave. for granite counters. I mention them because they did a great job of installing a stone counter on our original, somewhat modified 1899 kitchen cabinet, which was far from a standard installation. Based on that I suspect that they could do a great job with any dificult installation, [Kitchen Cabinet with Counter](//muut.com/u/brownstoner/s1/:brownstoner:fjJh:kitchencabinetwithcounter.jpg.jpg)

hotpinksharpie | 3 years and 5 months ago

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when we did our kitchen remodel in 2014 we got our caesarstone from ES Stone in Greenpoint. They came through when a different company completely botched the job. the person they sent did v careful measurements in our wonky, oddly sized brownstone kitchen with uneven walls. A few years later they helped me with a small custom-cut marble threshold, so they could be fine with small pieces. Worth noting my kitchen isn’t huge either so small jobs may be their thing.
As far as caesarstone and durability in general, I have a similar experience to tinkers wagon. Have had a few chips in the surface (once from dropping a porcelain ramekin from cabinet above), tho the chips usually stay in one piece and can be glued back in if you can find it! The style of stone I got makes it not super obvious. for this reason I would recommend a style that looks more textured/veined vs something that is a solid color. Also I went with very squared-off corners on my counters against the re commendation of the stone place. They said the sharper the edges the easier they chip and they were right. But all in all I’m talking maybe 2-3 chips in the 8 years I ‘ve had them. And they are gorgeous!

andriywww1990 | 3 years and 5 months ago

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And yes, mine is 3/4″ thick. The counters are 5/4″ thick. The back splash on my counter does not have a sink so i did not caulk the line between it and the counter. The quartz counter it rests on is perfectly flat and the edge on the backsplash is perfect so they make a perfect joint.

The wall i put the back splash to was almost perfect. This made it easy to put the pl premium to and press the counter to. The side i tiled was not level so i filled it with dash patch.

I had a very very slight chamfer put on the counter. Someone dropped a can of something on it and it chipped it. The size of a pea split in half. I was able to fix it with stone epoxy, but a little more of a chamfer might have helped prevent that.

I am assuming that this is a very small job. It may be so small a stone shop does not want to do it. They will but you will pay proportionally more than you would if it were a little larger of a job. I told you what i did so you can do this yourself.

andriywww1990 | 3 years and 5 months ago

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Listen. You can buy remnants for something this small. I made my kitchen counters and one backsplash using remnants. And i installed them myself and i do not claim to be a stone guy.

In addition to doing my counters with quartz, i use a lot of it making door saddles. I often ask for caesarstone but don’t really know what i am getting and don’t see a difference.

As for the shops. A customer of mine had me go to a shop on like 13th st in the area of 5th ave recently. I was happy i went to them. I can get a name.

I also use some in like greenpoint off greenpoint ave. I think they are around monitor street.

This is an easy thing to have the shops prepare and easy for you to install. Making a template helps. I draw mine. You have to know how to handle, carrying it up on edge like glass. Never carry it flat or lie it flat in a vehicle. Your contractor should be able to install it. In my case, i cut the hole in the backsplash for an outlet box. Other than watching others and asking a couple of questions, no one taught me.

Pl premium is great for affixing it.

Do not make the mistake i did. When you buy this stuff as remnant, you are walking in the yard and pointing at it. They are not taking an order and writing it on a ticket. Make sure they write the name of that stone on the ticket in case in a year later you need another piece. When i bought mine for the counters and one backsplash, i asked the guy what it was and told him i would need more in a month for a second backsplash. He said don’t worry, i always have it. A month later he had no idea what i was talking about. I ended up tiling that backsplash.