[animes2k]

Does anyone have pics of a seam on their engineered quartz countertop? We've been told that they may need to put a seam in the island countertop due to its size and relatively small stairwell, but I REALLY don't want that large slab to have a seam...

[Mariposita]

I hope you get an answer. We're getting Silestone and because of the angled cabinet I will have a seam...hoping they don't make it look too obvious.

[GardenOfDarwin]

I think there's a big white slab of Zodiac on a rather large island at IKEA/Woodbridge, in an Abstrakt Red kitchen display. I've never noticed a seam, but then I may have been a bit too distracted by the lovely red cabinets. Is Woodbridge too far or PITA to travel for you?

Susan

[animes2k]

yeah Woodbridge is a bit of a hike. I think maybe I'll stop by my countertop guys (Cabinet Discounters in Gaithersburg) to see if they have examples in the showroom.

Thanks.

[Lee Martin]

There are many factors that will determine whether you will have a seam at all. If the fabrication is as we get from our fabricator, and the install is of equal quality, the seam should be non-existant, and quite difficult to capture in a picture. Your installer should not only level, but also insure your tops are perfectly flat, such as we do. If your installer is not doing these things, they are not doing their jobs correctly. Most installers do not, in fact do these things, as I check on my competition regularily.
I wish you good luck with your project.

[Blkymom]

Re: Ceaserstone/Zodiaq seam pics? 

This is a shot of the seam on our cambria quartz. The installer made the company order the "glue" in a very specific color, they just wanted him to use what they had in stock, he refused 'cause it would have been a lighter color and it would have showed. I am happy with the seam, you really can't see it unless you are really close to the counter and then again everyone else tells me its just because I know its there.

[Nocturnal Quilter]

It is not uncommon for seams to be part of the design of natural and manufactured c-tops. Check out your local Lowes or Home Depot- surely they will have some example on the showroom floor in the Kitchen & Bath department.
Ideally, the seam should run parallel to any natural light source (window) and not against it. If that is not possible then the seam ought to be in the most inconspicuous place possible.
The industry standard is roughly 1/16" for the seam. "Non-existent" is the goal but not very practical. There are no gaurantees that a seam won't be visible- only minimized.
I always advised my clients to get used to the idea of a seam as soon as possible. I would rather my clients be pleasantly suprised that they could barely see it than to have them complain about seeing it when they weren't expecting it. Once the c-top is in place it is nearly impossible to reset it without destroying the c-top &/or the cabs in the process.
If a seam is absolutely out of the question then I would steer my clients toward solid surface like Corian.
Often I would hear clients tell me that their friend had granite put in and either there were no seams or they were "invisble". Each job is unique. Like yours with the narrow stairwell, each job has special attributes that will impact the finished product.

Best of luck!!