Curious why you want porcelain? I was drooling over a piece of Neolith Calcutta Gold polished this week until a sales lady said one hit with a cast iron pan and its over with that and does not repair well :(

One hit with a cast iron pan on just about any surface and you'll have a ruined countertop. I was under the impression that Neolith holds up better than most other surfaces. I would research and not believe some saleslady.

The problem with the stuff is it takes someone well trained in how to fabricate it.

AvatarWalt has a gorgeous kitchen with Neolith. You should reach out to him/her to ask how it's held up. S/he's had it a while now. Search GW for the kitchen. It's awesome!

I'm putting in Neolith as our kitchen counters next week and did quite a bit of research on porcelain counters. AvatarWalt has a very helpful thread here about Neolith, and here's another thread. Like AvatarWalt suggests, I'd avoid the polished finish, which can scratch as it apparently has glass as a top layer. I'd go with the satin or silk finish -- we chose the satin finish. It is harder and more costly to fabricate than quartz and you need a fabricator that has experienced with this material, but from talking with people who have it installed and have lived with it for several years it is as durable if not more so than quartz if used with care.

Cp I agree a cast iron pan might damage most surfaces I think her point to me was this is more delicate than others. I shared with her that I currently have porcelain tile floors so I know the durability but I also know the damage (fortunately when I have a chip or crack I have an extra stack of tiles).

I should have pointed out this sales lady is the wife of the owner who is a third generation master craftsman in all stone. Their fabrication is unmatched as they are trained at Breton and use Brenton's 5 Axis Combicut. They do work for high end designers as well as residential and commercial. They guarantee all their work for life. The day I visited their shop I was blown away by their experience and expertise they are very well known in the community. I trust their experience in fabrication :)

pipdog that's a great thread! Omg I love that Neolith calcutta! It is so gorgeous in person. I kept picking up the large sample in the showroom and carrying it around :) I'm going back and talking to them about the product itself.

Mawizz, I actually liked it better than the real marble slabs we saw at the stone yard. My installer went through the Neolith training and is one of few in my area that installs it, and he told me that he's installing it more and more these days, and that people who have installed it are happy with it. They are fabricating our slabs now so I should be able to share installed photos within the next few weeks.

Glad you guys chimed in about the Neolith. I loved it when I saw it this week. And those pics of Walt's kitchen are gorgeous and Sherri's bathroom too. Makes me still want it! I literally just got the last appointment with the owner and his wife for today! Told them I want to get schooled on the product and fabrication. Yay! Hoping it's what I want to hear and a possible option. I need to decide soon! I have almost committed to Zodiaq's London Sky Quartz getting prices date of delivery etc. looks like a wait for it and that's fine but if Neolith is a good product I still want it in my radar. Hoping to bring home some samples to drool over for the holiday weekend :) I'll post pic if I do.

Sorry onlybaba not trying to hijack your thread :/ I don't know anything about Kedra.

pipdog I'm excited for you. I hear you it looks awesome. I did see a gorgeous Calcutta gold marble reserved for another couple's island but the Calcutta gold Neolith that was nearby was a great contender. I can't wait to see your pics!

@Pipdog: how is the Neolith holding up for you? Pls post some pics if possible. Due to a family emergency situation my plans took a back seat and so I'm starting all over again, any tips, ideas, feedback is greatly appreciated.

@MaWizz: I want porcelain countertops because I heard it's one of the hardest materials after a diamond and very durable. What did you finally decide to go with?

If anyone has Kedra kedraunalterable.com or Stonepeak plane countertops please let me know how they are holding up.

Thanks in advance for all your help

Pip dog, those look stunning.

Cp I agree a cast iron pan might damage most surfaces I think her point to me was this is more delicate than others.

I realize that was her point but that's a fallacy.

I shared with her that I currently have porcelain tile floors so I know the durability but I also know the damage (fortunately when I have a chip or crack I have an extra stack of tiles).

These are stronger than what you put on your floors.

Pipdog, thank you very much for sharing the pics, looks beautiful!! If you don't mind could you pls share the cost or a ball park of what the kitchen is costing you. Thanks a lot

Onlybaba yes I did carry out my appointment to see and discuss the Neolith. I came in a day after the Neolith rep was there...lucky me! They said the rep did a demonstration on the silk finish Neolith Calacutta sample I had taken home and returned (I took pics of samples while at home below). The demo was taking a screw driver and smashing it over and over on the surface of the Neolith and it didn't leave a mark! I was impressed and asked if they sold a lot of it? They said they literally just got the Neolith display 2 weeks prior to me coming in! I did not know that.

Cp I did ask the owners wife again about the frying pan thing and she laughed and said after seeing the demo she feels differently and not to let the beauty skew one of its durability.

I still absolutely love it, but am leaning against it for a couple of reasons. First I was going to do a small island and thought the pattern did not fit the scale of the island size. Then I changed to a larger island but then thought the use of it on the island and around the perimeter was overkill as I need about 85 sq ft. Also, decided I would rather keep with the same material for whole kitchen as I'm not big on mixing too many different materials and liked the idea of less waste using one material too. The other reason was the quote I received for the Neolith vs DuPont Zodiaq London Sky was almost double. :o yikes! and again for the amount of square footage needed...ah no!

I'm not ruling it out the Neolith for use in our master bath and half bath. But for now I'm really leaning towards Quartz Masters Organic White. It's a quieter, softer look and resembles more of a Carrara marble as opposed to a Calacutta. Hope this helps! :)

Here are some pics below:

(side shot so you can see the finish)

Neolith calacutta silk (top)

Neolith calacutta polished (middle)

Quartz Masters Organic White (bottom)

I would describe the silk finish look like honed, the polished look like high gloss, and the Quartz look between the two actually it looks like when I get hairspray on my porcelain guest bath counter.

Keep us posted if you get any more info and what you decide.

pipdog gorgeous! and my comment about scale of pattern to size of island stands true as I see how well it works and looks on your big island...awesome choice! And beautiful view btw!

onlybaba:

Making sintered tops takes millions of dollars in investment. I'd be willing to bet that Kedra and Stonespeak are brands manufactured in Dekton/Neolith factories. I'd build a brand before I'd build a plant.

"One hit with a cast iron pan on just about any surface and you'll have a ruined countertop."

Sorry, but good 'ole 50-year-old solid surface will take a cast iron hit and repair inconspicuously, something the new fashionable kids just can't do.

Plenty of online videos on "Neolith testing".

Their claim to fame is impact resistance and durability.

Yes, until you impact their unprofileable sharp edges with blunt force.

Joe i have a cracked porcelain tile in a fairly inconspicuous place does the tile need to be taken out and replaced with a new one or can it be repaired like you repair countertops? The crack was here when we moved in but I've never wanted to mess with it. I do have extra tiles but it seems like there would be an easier way?

MaWizz:

It depends. If the crack is a hairline it won't take any adhesive or nail polish. If it's too big, it won't look good if repaired. If you get a crack that's just right, I've had success with a Picabello kit. Other than that, it's a tear-out.

My husband and I just went to the Fiandre showroom in LA. called Eurowest Decorative Surfaces. The most amazing exttensive selection of porcelain we have seen anywhere.

A very knowledgeable young woman named Jeannette Chacon talked with us at length. The sheer number of options for all areas of a home or business was astounding to us both.

We are building another house and I wanted to investigate porcelain as an option for several areas in our new home. I was amazed to find that they had gorgeous slabs in a 5' by 10' size . This will make many of the areas in our new home seamless such as our center island in our kitchen.

I would recommend this showroom to anyone looking at materials for their personal or business use. A huge showstopper collection!

Has anyone come across issues with the undercount sink? I’ve been told it’s not recommended with the porcelain due to the thickness 6mm. Was glue used instead or special screws? Help. We love the porcelain but having a hard time with finding knowledgeable fabricators in our area. (Portland, OR)