Howdy Janine!

I'm about to cut a few slabs at the end of the month I can probably follow up with you and give you more feedback.


In regards to the fabrication of porcelain it is relatively new so not any fabricator can tackle this task so talk to your general contractor first before making any decision. If you are in the Florida market sapien stone can be purchased at United Materials Inc.

But from what I've seen the porcelain will be more durable than the quartz

Coastal Marble And Granite - Any updates on your experience with this product?

I see you built up the edges - we are debating if this is necessary - hard to tell in pics, did you use the Sapienstone for backsplash as well? thanks for any feedback

We had the edges mitered, which was necessary. The countertops sit on a bed of plywood. The edges are about 1 3/4"

Thanks Rachele - after much research, I am seeing that the built up edge is necessary as Sapienstone is 12mm and too thin to use as is for countertop... so i either have to find the $$$$ or find a lower priced option! Your kitchen looks lovely - enjoy it!

Hi Rachele- how have your counters worked so far?

Hi Rachele! I see it’s been a few years since you put your sapienstone tops in....I was just curious how they’ve held up for you!? If you’d reccommend?

Yes, we've had them in for about two years. In that time -- and a lot of cooking and parties -- we've had one small chip in the island countertop. We were really upset when we discovered it -- my husband and I can't figure out how it happened. And we fear there will be others in the future. But other than that we're very happy. The countertops clean up really well. We've had some stains from red wine bottles and things like that but we've been able to clean them up easily with Soft Scrub with Bleach. When you compare porcelain to other substances and weigh all the pros and cons I'd probably still recommend it. My friend with expensive marble countertops now rues the day she made that decision. We have not had problems with water stains, which someone in another post complained about.

Bummer on the chip! Have you gotten an estimate for repair? They sure are beautiful though-

We installed Sapienstone in our kitchen and bathroom. Love them in both applications.

I am also thinking about getting this product. It looks great. Would love to know if it’s a product where you can buff or at least smooth out nicks like that. I have a client who put limestone in her kitchen. Looks great but lots of little nicks. She did say though that they can be polished some.

If you want the ability to smooth out nicks, you'd better get Corian. Unlike other porcelains, at least the color and veining go all the way through Sapienstone, making inconspicuous repairs more likely. I doubt you're going to scratch this stuff.

I have had Sapien Stone in my Kitchen for 2 years. It looks amazing but I'm beginning to regret it. It chips very easily and when it does, it is very noticeable. Also, the color seems to be wearing off of the edges! There are pros and cons to every counter top material, but if you really cook, and use your kitchen, and chip the edge every time you bump the edge with a glass or a pot, well...it's stressful and maybe Sapien stone isn't for you. I researched the heck out of it when I was planning my kitchen and there weren't any reviews- I guess it was still relatively new. The fabricator I used was recommended & "trained" by Sapien Stone, but they had to come back 4 times and replace one of the slabs. Even at that, it still wasn't perfect. It is very difficult to work with. I have a Wolf drop in flush cook top. The fabricator had such a difficult time getting the right fit/cut for the cooktop. It needed to be tight, but not too tight. Apparently cooktops expand slightly when they heat up, Now I have little chips in all four corners of the counter top where the cooktop meets the counter top. I'm sure no one notice this but me, but this is a new kitchen that I planned every detail, and it bugs me. Bottom line, Sapien Stone is one giant piece of porcelain tile. It is thin, and must be built up to look like a counter- it is not a thick material like stone, so you have built up edges and corners. Like tile, more susceptible to chips than stone. But easier to clean. I don't have any scratches or stains. But, at this point, having had both granite, marble and Sapien Stone in the past, I wish I had gone with granite. For me, granite has held up the best.

Adding photos of my Sapien Stone counter top & back splash:

Robin: What's holding up your island cantilever besides the posts please?

@Robin Bravante what size is your island. i was told today mine was too big and the porcelain we chose would not work. that you can not seam together this material or book end it?? yours looks big, just wondering

Suzanne:

You're getting bad information. Porcelain manufacturers make adhesive and seam placement recommendations onpage 52.

@ Joe, Sorry for the delayed reply. The island cantilevers 17”. The contractor did use support arms spaced & then used a “finish piece” on the under side. This also completed the build up since the slab material is so thin. Here is a picture of the underside finished.

@Suzanne Kieran My island is 120” long, x 55 3/4” wide. It is one slab. I didn’t want a seam, but also didn’t need a bigger island. My kitchen is 29’ x 15’

We have sapienstone since july 2019.  It looks great but it's not all its hyped to be.  Its marketed as scratch free but it scratches easily with porcelain dishware.  We have tiny scratches all over our island.  They arent super noticeable, look like then razor blade scratches.  The chips are the worst.  Not cheap to be repaired (you need to keep the pieces that chip off which

Sapienstone is beautiful and I love that is is heat resistant. But it isnt as 100% scratch, chip proof as advertised.   Seams are not bad, you need someone who can fill the seam well.  After a while ours started to disintegrate and dirt collects in the tiny seam.  It is easy to clean but we cant pet wine sit otherwise it does stain.

I am planning to go with a porcelain kitchen countertop. Can someone please suggest which one is better, Sapien Stone or Laminam?

We fabricate most brands of Sintered Stone and Porcelain. We are just getting started with Sapien Stone but Laminam has been a regular in our shop. We find that there are small differences between brands that the fabricator will discover but shouldn't make a big deal to the end user. I do recommend to our porcelain customers that if your doing a kitchen stay with a satin finish. The polished finishes can scratch especially if you have cast iron cookware. We are getting better at chip repair but it is a challenge. There are people learning how to repair porcelain as a restoration service. Its relatively new to the states and the servicing of these products are catching up. It has to, porcelain is being done worldwide and is here to stay.

What are major differences when choosing Laminam vs SapienStone?

Installed outdoors and love the counters. Urban Argento natural. Install was pricey.