I have Silestone Haiku counterop...same problem: chips and nicks not only on the edge but all over the countertop. When I called the company, they told me I must have "abused" it. I am in my 50's, live alone, and I'm a meticulous housekeeper. I am furious with the company.

Is it the suede finish or the polished one? I am so sorry you are dealing with this. A company should stand behind their products

Wow, so glad I came across this thread. Thinking about upgrading my kitchen with quartz. I can get silestone through Costco, but after seeing the bad experiences here, I'll pass! Costco used to offer Cambria. What a shame they switched to Cosentino.

Amanda:

Engineered stone is all the same stuff, especially among the bigger brands. One is not more stain or chip resistant than another. You can pick one over another on aesthetics, but not on performance. I've fixed them all.

I've had both Ceasarstone and Silestone. Only the latter has these issues. There should be a class action suit.

Amanda, I have polished.

Joseph you are 100% flat out wrong! I too have had both and there is nothing I could do to chip or scratch my Caesarstone after 8 years, but the Silestone in my last house was chipped during our move in day and kept chipping. No validity in your assessment Joseph.

unfree03:

Your evidence is anecdotal in nature; mine is not. Chipping is primarily a result of taking your designer's, not your fabricator's, advice when selecting an edge profile.

Certain terrazzo-like tops such as Vetrazzo have known problems with glass particulates blowing out, particularly during fabrication. Engineered stone does not.

Who is this arrogant #/y*k? I didn't work with a designer....I ONLY had a fabricator. Like I said, I have multiple nicks on the TOP surface of my Silestone countertop. And, only one chip at the edge. It is more than just an edge profile issue. The material is not durable. Like I wrote earlier, I'm in my 50's, no kids, and I'm gentle on my countertop. I use a butcher block cutting board for all chopping, and I never put hot pans directly on the countertop. None-the-less, the Silestone countertop, only 5 years old, is full of nicks.

Spent €50k on new kitchen with Silestone counters that we were sold as heat,chip and crack resistant. 3 months later chips, scratches and small fissures. This is a very poor material. Talk all the rubbish about edge profiling you want but the material is not what it is sold as. Class action on its way.

Joseph, are you telling me that Siltstone is just as durable as any other manufactured stone product. Is it as durable as natural products, like granite? I think it's not very good having only had it a few months and already all the chips (7 to date) I see in it. Household of two people, both around 60. We take care of things.

Now, last night my wife inadvertently taps an edge which is 2 CM square, with a cereal bowl as she took the bowl from the dishwasher. And now...big chip. Granite isn't like that...in my opinion.

I bought Silestone because it was supposed to be the best. The most durable product, they say. The hardest. The best.

I think those are all false statements as I don't think it''s a very good product but maybe all of it is like that. Stone, manufactured stone....you're the expert...I'd like to hear your opinion. Do you know anything about Cosentino and how this product came to be sold in the US. Just a yes or no will suffice as I am curious who you are...

Thank you sir.

It is the worst product. Never buy it. Consentino does not live up to their warranty, nor does the product perform anywhere near to the level they claim.

I'm so sad. Our new kitchen renovation was just finished in August, and I woke up this morning to a big nick out of the edge of the counter, in front of the sink. It was not there yesterday when I was washing dishes, so I'm not sure what caused it. We have only had our new Silestone counters for 4 months, and I've been super careful with it. This is extremely upsetting and now I'm worried about what it will look like in 5 years. I fully expected to get 25 years out of this counter.

So sorry for your experience dleonstevens, We bought our silestone at HD 16 years ago, we have since replaced our large island 4 years ago ( it was so bad with nicks and surface marks/blemishes) with granite ( greatest decision ever), and now we are finishing the switch, on our sink countertop...we never should have purchased this very poor product. DO NOT EVER BUY SILESTONE. What a waste of money.

dleonstevens:

Your chips are repairable inconspicuously. Don't panic please. Chipping has much more to do with edge profile selection than material/brand selection.

I only have one nick on the edge. The rest are smack dab in the center on top. There has got to be a class action suit.

Hey Joseph, I see no reply to my comment above. I assume you must be a funded mouth piece for Cosentino whom invented the product. I assume that since you're always here to tell people the other side of the Silestone picture, the good side. Who is paying you to do that as I assume you're not here just doing that out of the kindness of your heart, lol.

Yeah, the product can be repaired however, the point is, it's sold using deceptive trade practices which is against the law in the State of Texas. A federal class action....just thinking of that gets the gears turning. Yeah...they've been turning since I bought this product.

I'll be curious to see what happens in Discovery when all of the facts come out as to who you are, and how much you're paid to reassure everyone that is buying this product and not happy with it...which, by the way, is pretty much everyone.

Thomas:

Your reply is the logical fallacy of relevance, ad hominem circumstantial. It's like when my ex-sister-in-law told me that people who are childless by choice (my circumstances) shouldn't tell people who do have children (her) that their children are brats (my argument). Bratty child behavior is not very subjective and quite easily documented. The circumstances of the documenter, teacher, pastor, or childless Uncle Joe, are completely irrelevant to the argument.

Same thing here. It doesn't matter if I were on Silestone's payroll (it's irrelevant, but I'm not) you must address my arguments that minor chips are relatively easily repaired and caused predominantly by edge profile selection, not customer abuse or manufacturer defect.

Furthermore, had you done a bit of research here and elsewhere , you would find an article I've written documenting Silestone's disastrous policy of selling to anyone who claims to be a fabricator. I was called to a job where the seams were misplaced and the finish ruined when the fabricator tried to polish the deck to make the seams look good. It was a perfect example of a manufacturer not vetting the credentials of their fabricator customer with horrific results. (I've done the same for Cambria.) Due to my written consultation, the tops were replaced. Silestone probably donated the do-over slabs.

If you'd like another spankie, keep typing please.

Joseph, have you considered a career in comedy? Btw, I purchased my Silestone countertop from a custom kitchen designer with high reviews on Houzz, Angie's List and Yelp.

we're not talking about installer error Joseph. the complaints here are not about installer error. yes, Silestone can be repaired. pretty much anything can be repaired. the problem is the marketing of this product using deceptive trade practices. this product would not be marketable if all known facts were provided when being marketed. no one would buy it, at least not at the price it's being sold for. they'd buy something else. that is illegal. Pretty easy to find out who you are since you advertise your name here. BBB says 7 years in business with one complaint which you resolved. You have some history of being reputable. I know your business well, and it's a hard job doing what you do. hard to make everyone happy. a lot of people want something for nothing. The fact that you don't have a string of complaints in your wake speaks volumes about you. to me anyway. do you have any substantive response to what I am stating here? Seriously, sir? Who would buy Silestone if they knew all of the facts?

Thomas:

There is no substantial difference between Silestone, Cambria, Caesarstone, Corian Quartz or many others. None. You would have to indict the entire engineered stone industry to substantiate your claim that they all use deceptive trade practices. Not happening.

Joseph needs a hobby!

"Joseph, have you considered a career in comedy?"

No, but thanks anyway. I wrote an essay about my first colonoscopy 15 years ago. I digress, but many have found it amusing:

After thoroughly checking out my testicles, prostate and heart, my good-lookin’ lady doctor drops the bomb: Colonoscopy. She wants one every decade starting now, probably because I’m fifty years old. She fills out the paperwork and says, “They’ll call you.” The butt police called the next day and we scheduled an appointment. A letter arrived with very specific instructions and timelines. Ten days before, no aspirin and arrange for a driver to stay the duration of the test. No driver, no test. Three days before, no blood thinners, no Iron supplements. The day before, clear liquid diet only and no alcohol. Damn. At 4:00 p.m. swallow a 1.5 ounce bottle of Fleets Phosphate and wash it down with water.

Here’s a hint: Don’t leave the house after drinking the Fleet’s, because you’re going to visit the john about five times in the next couple hours or so. I cheated and took mine at three o’clock so I could make pistol league at six. I had trepidations about going and my wife thought I was crazy, but you know how us gun-nuts love to shoot. I swear I’m not making this up, I put a tarp on my car seat and brought a change of clothes just in case. If I could shoot as well as I can s#*t right now, I’d lead the league. Fortunately, no accidents and a buddy let me shoot his H&K. Sweet.

At seven o’clock p.m. you’ve gotta drink another ounce and a half of Fleet’s Poop-a-Lot and more clear fluids. Don’t worry, there isn’t much left in you after those first few blasts. Here’s another suggestion and I’m serious: Splurge and buy some top-of-the-line Charmin toilet paper. You’ll be sorry if you use the cheap 80 grit you buy to save money.

My procedure was in the morning so I wasn’t supposed to have anything to eat or drink after midnight. I missed that part and had a cup of black coffee (decaf) but that didn’t stop the Sphincter Squad.

Clothes off, in the bag, don the robe, on the gurney, IV in, and the nurse instructs that they’re going to pump me full of air so don’t be bashful about blowing it out after the procedure. That’s never been a problem for me. They wheel me down the hall to the operating room where I meet the doctor and the nurse/anesthetist who explains that the drug is going to cause some burning in my arm. Holy BeJesus, he wasn’t lying. I thought he set my arm on fire. Just as I thought I couldn’t possibly stand any more, I went out. Out-out. Whacked-on-the-head-with-a-two-by-four-out.

I wake up in la-la land. Now I know why narcotics are illegal. I love this stuff, thank God I can’t get any more of it or I’d stay this way all the time. I must have asked them if they had a joint to burn, because my niece (driver) is laughing at me. Where did that come from? I gave that up decades ago. They let me blow the air out and sober up before I change clothes and escort me to the door, pictures in hand, all clear.

Breakfast is good, but I thought I’d be hungrier since I hadn’t eaten in thirty hours or so. I read the rest of the newspaper and a nap seemed like just the thing. I was out for three hours. Unless you’re a children’s story writer, you’re not going back to work today. It took a caffeinated Starbucks with two chocolate-covered gram crackers to get me back to semi-normalcy. I’m not supposed to drink, but I have half a glass of wine, nursing it slowly. The caffeine kicks back in and I watched Conan for the first time in years last night. I think I’m back to normal this morning

Joseph is awesome. So is Silestone. I’ve said it before, and I’ll say it again:

I have Silestone countertops in my kitchen. I purchased them about 20 years ago when Silestone was brand new to the market here, and was marketed by a door-to-door salesman as an inexpensive alternative to granite (which I did not want anyway thank goodness, because no way could we have afforded it back then!). I probably have about 50sf of it. I swear those countertops cost about $500 installed. The salesman had about 4-5 options to choose from...mine are “Alpina White” - or something incredibly similar to it. I remember there was a beige/off-white one with little primary colored polka dots in it (if you can believe that!)...like a circus. He told me that they were ”heat-proof, scratch-proof, and stain-proof.” And I believed him. Soooo...needless to say, I have been chopping on them, taking hot bowls/dishes/baking pans out of the oven/microwave all this time (for YEARS!) and placing them directly on the counters. They look EXACTLY the same as they did the day they were installed. Our three boys have grown up, towered over, and moved away from those countertops, but the Silestone remains.

I am about to redo our kitchen and replace them with a different Silestone (my tastes have changed, of course). But those counters will always be one of the smartest decisions we ever made. Of course now the rest of the world has discovered quartz and the price will never be the same. *sigh*

Updated info:

@Thomas Brown - I would. I did. And I am.

Just yesterday, our new Silestone (et Serena) was installed in our current master bath, master closet, and powder/laundry room renovation. It’s magnificent.

Due to Joseph Corlett’s well-earned excellent reputation, and because of his expert recommendation, I will not be getting the pencil-edged, potentially grand-children blinding design that I so dearly want. But I will be installing approximately 110 square feet of wonderful Silestone in our soon to be remodeled kitchen.

Although...I have been looking at Dekton samples and am intrigued...

Love your colonoscopy story, Joseph!

Joseph, you said it is "easy" to replace the chips. My Silestone countertop is in the Haiku color (the polished version). I called Silestone: they told me my chips are due to my use and abuse, and said won't honor their warranty and fix the chips. (Btw I am a woman in her 50's, no children, no pets, and very conscientious/meticulous. I've had no mishaps in the kitchen that would cause these chips). My installer acted like it would be a big hassle for them to come out, and told me it would cost me $250-300 for them to come out and fix the chips. I thought this was excessive, since my chips and nicks are relatively small. (It also irked me that they'd be charging me so much only 2 years after I spent thousands on this product at their store). I called another installer who installed the Ceasarstone countertops in my master bathroom a few years ago. (The Ceasarstone has held up perfectly, btw). At first he said, "I can't guarantee my repairs of the Silestone will blend/look good or even hold up.". Later he said he'd "try" to repair the chips for $100. Who-where-what-how do you recommend I repair these unsightly chips?

Abby:

Thanks for making me take the opportunity to qualify my remarks. Engineered stones with particulates are "easy" to repair inconspicuously. Estone with movement is a bit more difficult, and unfortunately your solid color is probably the most difficult.

I'd go to www.integra-adhesives.com and look up your color. Clean the chips with acetone, put two layers of masking tape around each, push equal parts of the adhesive into a sandwich bag, mix, and pull the end of the bag off (don't cut, pulling stretches the bag and makes a nice dispensing nipple). Fill the chips and screed to flush with the tape. When it hardens in 20 minutes or so, pull the tape and use a ceramic blade to scrape the adhesive to flush. You won't get metal marks using those. Use a dab of polish on a rag with a fingertip to get the gloss to match. Good luck.

If the edges of your repair don't look good, it's probably because your chip isn't deep enough and the sides of the chip are tapered. In that case, you've got to Dremel the chip deeper, square up the edges, and do-over.

When I was in the repair business $300.00 was my minimum charge. It's $500.00 now.

The worst most rotten company i've ever had to deal with - their 25 year warranty isn't worth the paper it's written on. I had my counter crack in half because the installer didn't radius the corner routes for the hob cavity and it broke under its own weight. Neither installer or Silestone offered any sort of interest of a replacement and instead wiped blue wax on it to prove it was thermal shock they alleged we did by placing a hot pan on it.

I installed silestone on countertops throughout my kitchen and the island countertop chipped within three months. Not banged. Flaked off. manufacturer will do nothing. DO NOT BUY SILESTONE

Our brand new Silestone Calcutta Gold has a chip in it within a few months. Not banged. Flaked off. DO NOT BUY SILESTONE

I used Caesarstone for a different room and have had no problems.

My Silestone counter chipped in a place where nothing could have hit it and we have used the kitchen maybe 12 times since it has been renovated/installed. #buyersremorse #chips #silestone

#kitchenreno #kitchenmistakes

@cosentinosilestone

I used to have granite countertops and i decided to upgrade to quartz, worst mistake ever!! was sold on silestone pearl jasmine “ scratch resistant and stain proof” yeah good one lol. Im 35 years old i live alone and extremely OCD I got a 8’ 4’ kitchen island put in that i dont even use and ive started to see so many scratches already. i had a representative from the store that i purchased it from come out and i was LMAO he blamed me for the scratches 😳 my response was i dont set anything on top of it all i do is clean it with a microfiber and 409 and that the only person that ive had over was my girlfriend. He said maybe she scratched when i wasnt looking. lol im still trying to submit a claim threw silestone but they want pictures, how am i supposed to get pictures on a white surface? Ill go with grante next time. Made in spain? i should of gone with made in china i would have paid half and probably better quality too. DONT BUY SILESTONE PRODUCTS THEY SUCK!!

I have had my Silestone (color: soap stone ) for several years now in my kitchen. No chips, no stains, easy to clean. I always use a trivet under hot dishes or pots, and have always used trivets on all type of counters that I had in the past. I love my Silestone ❣️

Gorgeous!😍

Just learned the hard way that Silestone is not worth it’s weight at all. Had a pottery mug fall out of the cupboard and it chipped the countertop. I thought the color (black) was solid thru, but nope. I have a grey dimple. It’s maybe 4mm. Installer wants $250 to come and repair and charge additional bases on repair. We’re empty nesters, and don’t abuse surfaces.

slhodgman:

The color does go all the way through the Silestone. What you're seeing is "brusing" of the resin binder that holds the quartz together which make up 33% of your top. If this were natural stone, you'd probably have a chip anyway.

I'd probably hit it with a color matched Sharpie and some super glue, overfill, and scrape it to flush. That or color-matched methacrylate. The guy who inspects your home for the buyers some day will never find it, and that should be the standard, but you'll probably always find it.

$250.00 is cheap. We just charged a lady $300.00 to glue an edge chip back in. Our usual minimum is $750.00:

Your charges have a direct positive correlation to your fussiness and sophistication level. She wanted invisible and could have had it for $1,500.00 when we ripped off her edge and chip and reprofiled and polished her edge. She thought "highly inconspicuous" at $300.00 was a better value.

That is CRAZY good work, Joseph! Kudos!🌟

Just as a follow up…we ended up going with Dekton for our kitchen remodel. Another Cosentino product - and it is MAGNIFICENT!

ZERO porosity - and absolutely beautiful. We couldn’t be happier.

It's been a few years since this post...does anyone have experience with SileStone matte/suede finish NBOOST? Does it hold up as they show in the videos?

If you have another option, take it. I bought a Silestone countertop for my kitchen remodel 5 years ago. The product chips EASILY, and if you check previous threads, you'll see this problem is common.

They don't honor the warranty.

Like kclubers above we have had the matte finish soapstone silestone. installed in 2018. just beautiful. no chips dings, etc etc. we have had a glass or two fall and break on the counter with minor scuffing but not visible. we are always careful.

Garreth, do you have an etching? In 2010 we got their black matte finish and we do have etching. Not sure how much the product has changed in 12 years. We're thinking of getting 'suede/honed"

white.

Hmmm i am not sure what an etching is, but now that you mentioned it, i do think we have a suede finish

I have polished Silestone soapstone countertops and love them. No issues.

HORRIBLE, DO NOT BUY COSANTINO SILESTONE countertops!!! Had less than 1 year, cracked and they won't warranty. One of many many of us who this has happened to. Blames the customer for everything, no testing to figure out what happened, and walks away.

Joseph is incorrect about Silestone being reparable. Firstly, you can wipe your a$$ with the warranty, because that's all it's good for. I paid almost $300 to get the small nicks repaired, but the "patches" are very obvious on my solid off white countertop, and also, you tend to get a lot of "pin prick nicks" all over the countertop...the patch material doesn't adhere to these smaller chips.

teme:

Please pull your appliance and take a picture and provide a description of what you find in the corner. I'm betting on fabricator/installer error, not manufacturer defect. What supports the top please?

Abby:

You've been ripped off. All my repairs are customer satisfaction guaranteed and I always collect. That's not Silestone's fault.