Slabs should be chosen tagged and you take photos to make sure the ones you chose are the ones you get

Yes, it’s normal to have the small whiter particulate visible. That is what gives the illusion of crystalline depth in those patterns when mixed with the different shades of gray and white. It’s expression varies from slab to slab, just like the veining, and is not a defect. Non printed man made patterned products are not predictable in the patterning that results from the different cake batters being folded together on the table.

It looks like a defect to me. Check other slabs to see if this is indeed part of the pattern and if not contact Cambria.

There are defects and then there are defects. But defects in something like marble should be a natural part of the material, not man-made, and approved by the buyer before purchase and installation. And the approval process should be the responsibility of the seller and the installer because they're the ones who will be sued in Small Claims Court if it's not what was ordered.

judranda - the product is not marble.

I have a different color Cambria and it has those marks. They look like bubbles to me and I like them.

If you only looked at a sample then you did not see the variety of imaging expected with this product. Did you sign any paperwork with the fabricator as I would think there would be a disclaimer. Do you still have the sample you approved to compare to the final outcome? A little premature for people to say ‘sue this fabricator if they don’t fix it’ when not all of the information is given.

I have to believe you saw a small 2 x2 sample and did not see the larger slabs nor did you google larger images of what you’d be getting otherwise you’d clearly see these spots as Sophie’s images clearly show. Seems like you lucked out and got what you ordered. If seams are clean and not too noticeable then you really lucked out. Enjoy your new countertops!

judrand05

"There are defects and then there are defects. But defects in something like marble should be a natural part of the material, not man-made, and approved by the buyer before purchase and installation."

If you are not going to read, then stop posting. You are not making any sense here as NO one is discussing marble.

Thanks all.

I want to say that Im aware that there is a drip pattern on the Ella, and I appreciate the photos Sophie. But to me, your pictures and mine are extremely different in pattern.

Yes, there are drips. I see them, and like the samples. Cambrias pictures and sample are an attractive product. But mine looks like they took that, and sprayed a hose on it. No pattern. Looks like a very bad knock-off to me, or something went wrong

Im in touch with Cambria. Will update, if anyone is interested

Just out of curiosity, since I am not an eStone gal. Who was responsible for telling the OP he was supposed to verify the actual slabs he was getting? I would have thought an engineered product would have been uniform. Do you check slabs of Corian?

Hi Adam

I agree with you, it looks like maybe something has gone wrong. Sophie shows samples with spots (Ella is a beautiful choice, BTW) but you DO seem to have way more spots. Frankly, this would bother me.

I hope you can get it figured out. Keep us updated, I’d be interested.

Rita, I don't know that there is anyone "responsible" for that. Personally I would hope that every fabricator would advise/require their clients to approve slabs. When I was shopping for quartz, most shops I visited actually had a sign about how slabs can vary from samples and that customers are encouraged to view them prior to fabrication. For some patterns they actually required slab approval. So no, every slab of a pattern is not always uniform and even can vary from the samples. Chances are that your chosen quartz will look exactly as you expected, but there is absolutely a chance that it won't, as evidenced by this thread. So always view the slab. Always.

OP, please let us know the outcome. I do think your spots are on the "heavy" side, so I would be interested to see Cambria's response.

A picture 4” away is quite different than one at standing back at standard 36” from the surface.

We almost chose Ella for our countertops and the large slab I saw definitely had white spots. I thought they looked good on the slab I saw.

thinkdesignlive

"A little premature for people to say ‘sue this fabricator if they don’t fix it’ when not all of the information is given."

Actually, only ONE commenter mentioned "suing", but given the other statements they made, I think you can discount the comment.:-)

Thanks, Chess.

Here are how my spits look if it helps

It appears this is your master bath. If you are truly miserable, call the fabricator. It's too bad you didn't go look at the slabs before they were cut and edge polished. I don't see the "disaster". If this surface came from the earth, you'd probably be fine with it. But it doesn't come from the earth, and the "cake batter" analogy in production is accurate.

So.............. call........do the polite battle with them and see if you can get them replaced. But honestly? I bet the bath looks just fine.

Always , always, always go look at your slabs of ANY material. Even an E stone ordered in for you. Refusal takes place at the stone shop. Not after cut and polish.

My Ella has the same spots. So it must be made like that.

I love my Ella and the pattern does include white spots

I thought I would mention here that in the Toronto area, Cambria does not allow people to go and pick their slabs. I had Carrick and Swanbridge installed in my kitchen last summer, and I was told there was no way I could go and pick my slabs, though I could go to the Cambria Showroom in Toronto to see full slabs. I am not sure if this is true for other locations.

Daniela, in the US, (at least where I am) we don't pick/buy slabs from Cambria. We buy from a fabricator that does the deal with the slab yard that carries your quartz brand. (If you go to the slab yards, you can sometimes see a quartz slab in the pattern you are interested in. but more often than not, they have to order it). After the slab is delivered to the fabricator shop, THAT is the time that the you would "approve" the slab. OR, the fabricator may tell you when the slabs are in at the yard, and you can go see them there. Most of the fabricator shops here require that you approve slabs before they use them ( unless it is a very very consistent pattern).

In my area, and I thought in the rest of North America as well, there are Cambria subcontractors that do the site measuring but all fabrication is done IN-HOUSE by Cambria at their fabrication facilities. My customer's can go to Indianapolis to see examples of full slabs, but I don't believe they can actually pick out their slabs. Cambria is very automated in their fabrication...I've been to the Minneapolis facility and I saw a huge warehouse with stacks of material 20ft tall! There were no humans in that process. A huge machine picks up a slab to take to the fabrication line. I can't imagine they could store slabs for people and have this automated system work.

I checked my Ella sample, it has white spots. I think your countertops look very nice.

My sample has white spots, too.

The Kitchen Place

Fabrication, in my neck of the woods, is definitely not done by Cambria. It is done by a fabricator, at the fabricator's own facility. Cambria certifies fabricators and those are the ones that are authorized to sell Cambria. "Slabs" , at least what we are buying from the fabricator, and what the slab yards stock, are definitely not "20ft tall". Maybe the Cambria factory creates one that size initially, but that is definitely NOT what is purchased and sent to the slab yards. I've seen many slabs of Cambria quartz. The jumbo-sized slabs are 65" x 132". Hardly "20ft". Anyone can find this information on the Cambria website. Are you really a Kitchen Designer??

Chess, it could the that TKP meant the stacks were 20' tall, not the slabs.

The Kitchen Place: That Cambria has a fabrication facility doesn't mean that all Cambria is cut, fabbed and installed by Cambria's fabricators. In my experience in NC, fabrication is done by independent businesses and all of the fabricators I've worked in the past 20-odd years will and even encourage a customer to view the slab. There are few things more avoidable that turn out badly than not viewing the slab and then being surprised at the final product.

I used to have fabricators that would make a customer sign off that he/she had not viewed a slab of a natural material but would take responsibility if he/she didn't like it. For granite and marble, they don't do that anymore. None of the ones I work with will start fabrication on a natural product without a viewing. If a customer is picking a dramatic man-made quartz, they strongly encourage viewing.

Of course, even when you do view, sometimes things can be missed. See [marble with unfortunate image.[(https://www.houzz.com/discussions/marble-with-unfortunate-image-dsvw-vd~5277129)

Ella is a beautiful choice and the flecks are there intentionally to create depth, there is no flaw.

Suggesting that anyone should be taken to small claims court is terrible advise. If you are not happy with a product or a service, you should ask for options, including viewing other slabs to see the 'spots'.

Cambria requires that a certified fabricator/ installer pick up all of their products; no homeowner or contractor may pick it up. Period. Customers are encouraged to view, select and place holds on slabs, but they can't take them.

Chess, Like Carolina said, I meant that the stacks of slabs were 20 ft tall, not that the slabs themselves were that large. Apologies if my grammar was confusing. Yes, I am a kitchen designer. I have been for over 35 years and I've been on Gardenweb kitchen forum since the early to mid 1990s. No need to be snarky. ;-)

Wasn’t trying to be snarky. I was simply surprised at your comments.

On several Silestone samples I have it says in the back in prominent type that slab approval is required. That means to me that there are significant differences from slab to slab. I would think more so in the hand done marble looks.

I am a fabricator. I ALWAYS recommend a customer view and select the specific slabs for their job. If a particular supplier won't allow it I'd pick another. A long time ago I realized one persons beauty mark is another persons wart. Additionally, Cambria can have "resin pools" which are areas of the slab where incomplete mixing of the "batter" resulted in an area that is devoid of color or inclusions. It looks like of a gob of mucus in your countertop. Those areas are not considered defects by Cambria but to me are hideous. I once had a Cambria customer that didn't want to pay for his job because in one area there was a cluster of the larger inclusions. Your tops will last a lifetime; it's worth the time to inspect the slabs.

what was the outcome of this considering Ella for our kitchen. thanks!

The white spots are inherent in Ella's patterning. I also buy direct from Cambrias facility in Mn. There is no going to look at your slabs ahead of time.

What was the outcome of this? I’m about to buy Ella, but if those white spots are normal I want to find something else!

Shelley Bell

It has been stated over and over - yes the white spots are part of the pattern.

For those that have Ella do you love them? Debating on them but is the grey veining really dark? In some photos it looks lighter but in others black.

It looks the way the samples look. Go online and order a decent sample, or get to a quartz store, with the large samples. It looks like it looks. ALWAYS. And EVERYWHERE

About to pull trigger on Ella. But a bit concerned about the "marks" that others have pointed out. Also it hurts to think that this was $75/sqft just three years ago. And now in my area it is going for $130-150/sqft!!!!!!

I’m buying it as well. I’m a little worried about the marks too. I don’t like that Cambria now has a line being sold in Home Depot. It make it seem less upscale. I’m not sure why Ella is so much more than many of the other styles/lines.

"I’m not sure why Ella is so much more than many of the other styles/lines."

It's the fashion business, nothing more, nothing less. Just like shoes or dresses.

This does not look normal to me. I have quartz and mine doesn’t look like that. If it’s Cambria they should replace. They are about the best that’s out there

Hi all - this was posted in March, 2018.

" Cambria now has a line being sold in Home Depot. It make it seem less upscale. "

Retail is a business. If Cambria wants to make more money, why not go into a Home Depot or Lowes - the 2 biggest home improvement retailers in the country

It is still a quality product...

I've heard HD has a limited selection. I am not happy about it but hopefully it will help increase awareness of Cambria and people will come see me as a second quote option.

We don't really worry about it - most folks know that the big box isn't so reliable for install so that will always work in your favor

So true Debbi. A box of screws off the shelf, they can handle. But they certainly aren't well known for good project management and installs. With countertop replacements, there's more to the story...people forget about removal of old tops. Who hauls it away? What if you have an old tile backsplash. Who will remove that and patch the walls if needed? Plumbing rehook? Who will do a new tile backsplash. Unless a homeowner is very handy, a box store install can be very frustrating with installations/Proj.management.

I had Cambria Ella installed in the guest bath and in our master. Both look totally different. Guest bath is beautiful. Master looks more gray and has spots. We’re not happy with it but I dont think the company will do anything about it.

I just picked up an Ella sample. It definitely has white spots and so does the large countertop in the fabricator’s showroom. It’s intentional.