NSI Recognizes 50 Years of Stone Craftsmanship
Steve Christensen, CACP of Kepco, honored for 50 years of being a stone craftsman.
Christensen received the award during a ceremony presented by NSI during The International Surface Event in Las Vegas, NV, at the end of January 2026.
The largest tile and stone show in North America with nine miles of the latest trends and exhibitors from over 40 countries.
Join Eric Tryon for “Analyzing Shop Performance,” a session focused on evaluating key metrics to enhance efficiency and productivity in your stone fabrication shop. Learn techniques for identifying strengths and weaknesses, leveraging data-driven insights, and implementing actionable strategies to optimize operations.
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Beyond Color and Cost: Evolving Expectations for Quartz Specification
As countertop islands have grown in size, understanding span limits and support requirements has become increasingly important.
Specifying quartz used to be relatively straightforward. Confirm the color, select the edge details, coordinate with the fabricator and stay within budget. Quartz performance was assumed, compliance was uncomplicated and material composition was seldom scrutinized.
Today, specifying quartz is a different experience. With project owners focusing more on sustainability and contractors addressing increasingly demanding applications, specifiers are tasked with providing the technical acumen and documentation that supports material choices and informs broader project objectives. For everyone, this means understanding the fundamentals of quartz as a design material within the broader context of modern construction goals and expectations.
When selecting quartz today, project owners and contractors are concerned with several material characteristics that reach far beyond color. As quartz has been applied across larger surface areas and longer spans, its thickness, required support and pattern matching implications have become more critical considerations.
Engineered quartz slabs are typically produced in nominal thicknesses of 2 cm (approximately ¾ inch) and 3 cm (approximately 1 ¼ inch), with each thickness suited to different installation conditions. Thinner 2 cm material is often specified for vertical applications such as backsplashes, wall cladding and shower surrounds where structural loads are minimal. It may also be used for countertops when installed over a full substrate, such as plywood, that distributes loads evenly across the cabinet structure. Thicker 3 cm slabs are commonly preferred for countertops, islands and other horizontal surfaces because they provide greater rigidity and impact resistance without requiring a full substrate. In addition, 3 cm material allows designers to achieve a thicker visual edge profile without the need for lamination in many installations.
As countertop islands have grown in size, understanding span limits and support requirements has become increasingly important. Despite their high flexural strength, quartz slabs still require adequate support when extending beyond cabinet structures. Most manufacturers recommend that unsupported overhangs of 3 cm quartz be limited to approximately 10 to 12 inches without additional bracing, while larger overhangs typically require structural reinforcement such as brackets, corbels or concealed steel supports. For 2 cm material, support requirements are more restrictive and typically involve a continuous substrate and additional reinforcement for extended spans. Exact span allowances vary by manufacturer, edge profile and installation configuration, so fabrication guidelines and engineering recommendations should always be verified during specification and detailing.
In addition to structural considerations, pattern alignment has become a prominent design concern as quartz products increasingly feature large-scale veining and stone-inspired patterns. Unlike many natural stones, quartz slabs are manufactured in controlled patterns that may repeat from slab to slab. When projects involve waterfall edges, bookmatched panels or large islands fabricated from multiple pieces, careful planning is required to maintain visual continuity. Fabricators typically review slab layouts with designers or project teams prior to cutting to ensure that veining direction, seam placement and edge transitions align with design intent. Early coordination during specification and fabrication can help avoid visible pattern disruptions and ensure the finished installation reflects the intended aesthetic.
For specifiers, thickness selection, span support requirements and pattern alignment must be considered early in the design and specification process to ensure that quartz installations meet both structural performance expectations and the intended visual outcome.