This is the thing about sintered tops. Unlike Corian, the chips are difficult to repair inconspicuously. A good tech with some methacrylate and tints could repair those. You'll always see them, but the home inspector for the people that buy your house some day may miss them.

Thanks Joseph. It's not so much the repairs that bother me. We repaired one already. I'm concerned that these chips are going to happen all the time now because the product is defective, but manufacturer not standing by it's product. One chip just happens. Two chips on a month makes me think my kitchen will be littered with chips by end of the year.

If your sintered is through-body, not a printed top only, you could have the edges reprofiled to be more round which would substantially reduce chipping.

But what if I can't do that. Mine is a printed top only. Am I doomed to lots of chipping for lifetime of product? And you're saying it's not a defective product per se, just how this product performs?

Hard to say if that if is how this type of product performs when you will have a wide range of quality between different brands. I would expect a well known US/European made brand to perform better than a cheaper Chinese made brand. What did you install?

I was told it's made in Italy. I believe the brand is Magnifica purchased from Bedrosians Tile & Stone. Lots of claims made about how it is stronger and more durable than quartz, marble, granite, etc.

"And you're saying it's not a defective product per se, just how this product performs?"

Yes.

You could have picked Glacier White Corian which has a 50-year track record of superior performance, good looks, sanitation, and inconspicuous repairability. You didn't.

It does not seem like the counters are as tough as granite. I've hit my granite numerous times and was sure there would be a chip but it did nothing. The edges of my counters are a bit more eased then what you have. I wonder if that is part of the problem. I am not real familiar with porcelain counters but I would not be happy with chips within that short time frame. I expect chips but 2 big chips within a month? I had granite counters for 14+ years in my previous house and never had large chips like that. There may have been some small chips but nothing noticeable. I doubt the product is defective. I think that is just how the product is. They can make all the claims they want. Doesn't necessarily make them true. I see why you are nervous about what these counters will look like after a few years. If the chips bother you that much then have them repaired. If not leave them be.

What material did you use? What brand?

Camila:

Brand is irrelevant; it's all the same stuff.

Let me guess. You've got your heart set on sintered, this has dampened your enthusiasm, and you're hoping you can blame this on a brand you didn't pick. Not happening.

This keeps happening to my countertops as well! I have porcelanosa and it seems to be happening on the edges. See my most recent chip but this has happened 4 times already in the past year! Did you ever figure out anything else on this? Seems like it really isn't as durable as they say.

It's the nature of the beast. Just got a call to repair this stuff.

Same thing happened to us with magnifica porcelain from bedrosians, my husband put down a pyrex dish and this chip occurred. we have only had these countertops for about 3 months. feeling super defeated and like we made the wrong product decision

Very upsetting

A good tech with methelmethacrylate and tints could make that somewhat inconspicuous. You'll always see it, but your dinner guests probably won't.

I would just make an observation. When I show porcelain tile samples in my showroom, or at a client's home for final selection, the smallest most gentle bump (especially on the edge) of one tile to another can create a chip. Even if the porcelain slab is supposedly "stronger" than a typical porcelain tile and "somewhat" more resistant to chipping (so says a manufacturer), they are not going to accept responsibility unless there's a dramatically obvious defect. So for me (my business is 43 years old), I think a porcelain slab countertop is a chip waiting to happen.

That's porcelain,

Hi! you said you already repaired one. how was it repaired? Can you share a photo? I just dit this 20 minutes ago at yhe miteted edge kn my island and its a deep one. Polished version too. hoing to try to get repaird but it would be helpful to know what has worked for others.

Add me to the list of people who have a dink. My countertop is only a year old and I’ve got a dink from a wine bottle. I was surprised that it happened. Can someone supply with a good person to repair in the San Jose area?

Yes, please help us all with what they did to repair yours or if you did DIY (and maybe post a photo of the results)! I struggled with the onset of the heat wave down here in Austin a few weeks ago and it wore me out after hauling in several boxes of Costco goods from the car. I got clumsy with a glass water pitcher and have an awful chip similar to the photo Abbey Agresti posted and mine is NOT colorbody - just glazed. So irriated that they did not last more than a few months without damage after all that money and the hype about the durability.

@Joseph Corlett, LLC you've shared Roberto Colonetti's guide for proper fabrication. You also say all sintered material performs like this - it is its nature. I'm not sure whether to read that as this product is prone to cracking/chipping no matter what, or that with proper fabrication and installation, this product will perform great. Can you please help clarify?

When you have a sintered top with color that does not go all the way through, you have to have a sharp mitered edge. That sharp mitered edge is prone to chipping. It's the nature of the beast; nothing you can do about it.

If the color goes all the way through, the edge could possibly be reprofiled to eliminate the chip or could have had a more rounded edge fabricated initially which is less likely to chip.

Thanks @Joseph Corlett, LLC! Based on Abbey's and OP's pictures, they both look somewhat like rounded edges. Wouldn't have expected chipping quite like that.

I am a fabricator. A competent fabricator advises the customer on the differing mechanical properties of the materials under consideration. Additionally, the fabricator should advise the customer on how the material properties influence the edge profile options. Unfortunately many fab shops, and in my experience particularly the larger ones, don't spend the time with the customer to review these details and others like it. The people selling countertops in the big box stores are the least likely to do a good job on the details as they simply lack the knowledge to do so.

We had the same thing, day one of use. Do NOT get porcelain countertops! For me, I wonder if there’s a substance like a sealer that would make the edges more resilient?

As an Interior Designer, I was intrigued and impressed with the Porcelain Countertop offerings. My local fabricator was sure they were great and strong. I decided it use it on my own island. I am so disappointed with the performance of this product. My husband is not a gentleman, he has managed to chip the countertops 4 times. I will never recommend this product to a client.

" I wonder if there’s a substance like a sealer that would make the edges more resilient?"

There is not. Sintered tops won't take a sealer. Your only recourse to lower the risk of chipping is your edge profile selection.

I realize this post is from 2 years ago. How has your porcelain countertops held up? i went to Bedrosian and was also interested in the Magnifica line but hesistant after this thread. Did you have more chips or find a way to fix and resolve the chips?

Chipping is the Achilles heal of porcelain. That and sloppy fabrication. I won’t let my clients get it.

Dorthinator:

No one has found a way to fix and resolve the chips very inconspicuously. Your only chance is through-body sintered with a more rounded edged profile.

Thank you Joseph! I‘ll be looking into this and speaking with my fabricator.

Thank you Joseph! I will be looking into this and speaking to my fabricator.

Anymore updates here? Any recommendations on alternatives in quartz?

Hi, has anyone have experience with a round or beveled porcelain edge? does that reduce chipping?

I LOVE the overall countertop but like you all have serious chipping. thx

The more rounded the edge, the lower the chance of chipping, but you're going to have to get a through-body sintered to round the edge.

I always recommend for clients not to use porcelain as countertop. Stick to vertical surface applications if you are looking at porcelain but that's about it. Too fragile.. and same goes for Dekton products, not a good one for countertops chip wise either.

I’ve posted on other threads here - we have dekston with very slightly rounded edge (not mitered) and zero complaints after 8 years.paint on my cabs is chipped as we are pretty hard on kitchen. we’ve certainly banged cast iron, pots, and ceramic into the dekton many times no chipping. i would do it again for sure, but only with pattern you can do this with (ours is an older plain/speckled pattern).

Mine is doing the same and we havent even had ours in 6 months!!!! I am sick to my stomach!

Everyone who is experiencing chipping, what brand of porcelain did you do? Or is it a problem with all brands?

Nature of the beast in general with all porcelain from what i have heard.

marynelly1:

The brand doesn't matter. Like engineered stone, it's all the same stuff. Your only chance to lower the risk of chipping is to pick a sintered top that has the color/particulate/movement throughout the body of the slab. Now you've eliminated the need to miter the edge with the ensuing sharp profile that's prone to chipping. Pick a more rounded edge profile please and lower your risk.

We have 3 chips already in 6 months in our bedrosians magnifica. such a bummer and we are not rough on these counters. spent a small fortune.

Sadly, less than 1 year I put a pyrex on the counter and big crack! We have been so careful and still happened. Ours is Pietra grey Bedrosian. Very sad and disappointed. Thinking we will end up replacing with natural stone. So SAD!