Hi I just thought I would leave a comment about the visibility of joins in reconstituted stone such as Caesarstone tops on islands longer than 3 metres. From a patern point of view; by selecting a style that has a fine grain certainly helps with reducing the visibility of a join. As for the join itself, the technology and tooling used to make such joints has come a long way in the last 10 years; therefore if you use a Kitchen Manufacturer who uses up-to-date stone fabrication methods, then such joins can be next to near invisible. Below is a kitchen we made with an Island that is over 4.3 metres long and has a join through the centre; where the join actually has to be pointed out to be seen. We have seen Kitchen Manufactures use the two height method but you really don't have to do this to achieve a long island. If you would like a long island, then you should not be put off by having to have a join; careful selection of your material, manufacturer and planning can achieve great results. Hope this helps anyone reading this article and the comments above.

Ok, so we don't need engineered stone in our kitchen, as we have it there already, but we just had more of the same stone installed in our new powder room & ensuite to match the kitchen's earthy colour scheme. We do, however, need to choose a natural granite for our alfresco kitchen as engineered stones are not covered by manufactures' warranty in our situation. So, I stick with engineered and natural stones for the long term bench top of choice.

Jodes, the reason why all of the good kitchens on Pinterest look like they have been photoshopped is because they have. Some of the larger manufacturers (such as Ceaserstone) have a great sample chip service where you can order samples for free to be posted to you. Your perception of your white benchtop will be influenced by the other colours in your kitchen such as the splashback and cabinetwork, as well as the lighting, so making your final decsions at home is always the best. If you are looking for whiteness don't consider a natural stone for your kitchen as these marbles are softer and more porous than the reconstituted stones. You get a more durable surface that is easier to live with a white reconstituted stone. Never base your selection on a photo or an internet image as they are indicitive, and these images lie! Finally when ordering a reconstituted benchtop there is a fair bit of back and forth for the stonemason. A good stonemason will visit to get an template for your kitchen benchtop, then return to his workshop, then cut the stone to match the template, then revisit to install. If you are in a regional area it is worthwhile finding out what brands your local guy will work with. There is no point is making a selection from a brand if the nearest stonemason who will work with that brand is 500kms away! Best of luck, Dr Retro of Dr Retro House Calls

Hi, I'm far from the expert on this one. When I did a search for UV resistant woods/laminates up came ads for UV resistant sealer. So I looked into it and didn't find a decisive one product for the job. Olympic Maximum Exterior has a four year wear life. If you can deal with a darker than preferred stain on the first go, I'd go the real timber route; go heavy on the sealer& dark stain.. thats noticeable to fade. .. see how it wears in three years /50-75% of suggested time. Then you can sand and stain to preference; retouch as needed.