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The quality difference

1.

The difference in quality that exists between the 2CM (3/4") and 3CM (1 1/4') stone slabs.

Often  Arizonian customers ask me what the difference in thickness and quality is, and what type they should choose.

And as a picture speaks a thousand words, every step of the fabrication process with all the pros and cons are presented here.

This is a kitchen made of 2CM (3/4") that will be laminated and prepared for our client.

2.

In this picture there is a front view of the flipped countertop underneath and the lamination on top that was cut from the same side, to have the movements from the top continued on lamination.

In Arizona, typically 2 cm thickness slabs have a doubled edge called laminated edge.

Please consider this is not the finished profiled edging, lamination is created with the sole purpose to double the edge thickness from 2cm to 4cm (¾” to 1 ½”). This picture was taken before the two parts were grinded and glued together. 

3.

Here is one of the kitchen tops that has an interior corner and stone has been flipped upside down to allow for lamination to be applied.

Notice the laminated part in the right side is broken (softer granite tends to break during cutting or gluing process), the inside corner does not allow for full lamination on both sides of the countertop and filler lamination had to be cut from a different part of the slab.

Another thing to remember: it's not always possible to fill the rest of the lamination that has appropriate color.

Note: Every side that has a laminated edge is half an inch bigger to allow it to be double-cut the second time for the final measurements of the particular countertop.

4.

After lamination was glued using epoxy, the countertop was cut for the second and final time. The upper stone is the final countertop front view while underneath the rest that was left over after the cutting of the edge.

Notice the piece that I am holding in my hand has the movements perfectly seamed together, while the top, movements are no longer flowing from the top to lamination.

This is because, between the first and second countertop cuts, there is a 1-inch difference in the movements that you see in the picture of the slab. 

5.

These two pictures display the difference in thickness after the lamination part has been applied.

In the first picture, we have 1 3/8th inch, while in the second we have 1 3/4 inch thickness. These two tops are set up on the left and the right of the stove.

This is an issue that, depending on the material, cannot be avoided. These situations are most common in the 2 CM slabs.

6.

Finally, this picture shows the difference in the seam line of where the sink cut-out will be.

Irregular movements and patterns in materials make it harder or impossible for the fabricator to create a perfectly matched color seam.

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