Kitchen counter mitered edge with marble

last year

Hi! We're installing new kitchen countertops. We are using a 2cm thick calacatta marble, and we've been talking to our GC/fabricator about options for edge profile and build up. We want to have a mitered edge (rather than laminated) and build up the edge to a total of 3cm. We think the mitered edge looks much better both to hide the seam and match the veins and because we don’t want to build up by very much. Our GC/fabricator is telling us this isn’t possible for 2 reasons:

He recommends not mitering this marble because it isn’t cutting clean when they tried it with a small piece. He tells us it comes out jagged and then it would need to be cleaned up to get it straight, so actually having the veins match over the mitered edge is going to be very hard/impossible.
He says the the build up needs to be at least double the thickness of the 2cm slab (so it would need to be at least 4cm) because he’s saying they would create a miter at the bottom as well and then have a piece of marble return from there.

It seems like what we are trying to do should be straightforward, but maybe we’re missing something. Any insight would be super helpful and appreciated!

I’ve also drawn some rough diagrams of how they are saying they need to create the mitered edge (labeled “GC/Fabricator”) as well as one of how I thought it would work (labeled “My version”).

Thanks!

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Comments (12)

PRO
Joseph Corlett, LLC
last year
I'd speak to another fabricator. I've been in the countertop business for 40 years and have never seen it done the way he's proposing.
HU-481875297
Original Author
last year
Thanks for the quick response and guidance, @Joseph Corlett, LLC! I'm curious if the first concern about not being able to miter the marble at all sounds reasonable? It's a pretty nice marble, so we were surprised to hear that he doesn't recommend mitering at all and were wondering if that might have more to do with either equipment, experience, etc.
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PRO
JAN MOYER
last year
Find a new fabrIcator or find a 3 cm slab

Yours hasn't tools /blades required for a meticulous finish

Hence his lousy result on "small pieces."

https://www.stoneworld.com/articles/88607-fabricators-discuss-the-popularity-of-mitering-and-different-techniques-that-are-used
chispa
last year
last modified: last year
Remodeled a whole house in CA and worked with several fabricators and 2 cm slabs. The counter edges were done like "your version".

Lots of examples online ...
PRO
Patricia Colwell Consulting
last year
IMO you need a fabricator who knows to work with marble not quartz. But really I think a 3 CM slab would just be abetter choice if that is all you want in the thickness .I am confused as the GC/ fabricator which is he? The one chispa shows in not exactly what you are planning but really just get a 3cm slab
chispa
last year
Patricia, in some areas of the country it isn't as simple as "just get a 3cm slab. When I slab shopped for natural stone in the Los Angeles area for the kitchen, I don't even remember seeing any or being offered any 3 cm slabs, and I looked at a lot of slab yards. Even all the quartz slabs were 2 cm when I used that for bathrooms.

When I slab shopped in FL, I think everything being sold was 3 cm.

I believe it is due to having to ship heavier material all the way across the country, so the 2 cm slabs are easier and cheaper to transport.
PRO
Minardi
last year
last modified: last year
2 cm is mitered to 4 cm, not 3 cm. That gives the the full 36" kitchen counter height on 34.5" cabinets.
PRO
JAN MOYER
last year
last modified: last year
False........? Commonly well done to 3cm

https://www.stoneworld.com/articles/88607-fabricators-discuss-the-popularity-of-mitering-and-different-techniques-that-are-used
PRO
CAGE Design Build
last year
Yes, find another fabricator with experience with marble.
PRO
Mark Bischak, Architect
last year
I like the "My Version" better.
PRO
Joseph Corlett, LLC
last year
last modified: last year
When you miter, you've got a seam that's facing your eye as you look down. When you stack, there is no seam on top and no subsequent repaired chips. The material flows seamlessly for at least 2cm.

Take a look at your layout. Can you even get back far enough to see the seam in a stacked edge? If not, I'd take the stacked 4cm. It looks fine and much less risk and expense.
just_janni
last year
Agree (as usual) with Joseph - stack it anc be done with it. Unless this specific calacutta is so veiny that it will jump out at you at that angle - but otherwise - the little visual disruption is preferable over the inherent fragility and too often bad outcome with mitering.