Essentials White Vena Ceramic Tile

Material

Ceramic

Color family

White

Primary Color(s)

White-Cool

PEI RATING

3

Style

Marble

Tile Type

Glazed

Shade Variations

V2

Environmental

Greenguard Gold, USGBC/LEED

Product type

Tiles

1–5, higher is better. Independent material ratings, not a manufacturer claim.

Care routine

• Degrease tile behind the range — Weekly · Cooking aerosolizes grease that condenses on the backsplash and slowly polymerizes into a yellow varnish. Once a week, wash the splash zone with warm water and dish soap or a diluted degreaser, then rinse. On glazed ceramic and porcelain tile a stronger alkaline degreaser is fine; on natural-stone tile stick to pH-neutral cleaner. · Avoid: Letting grease build for months — aged grease film needs harsh chemistry or scraping that grout does not appreciate · If you skip it: medium — polymerized grease stains grout lines more or less permanently and dulls the tile face
• Grout cleaning — Monthly · Scrub grout lines with a paste of baking soda and hydrogen peroxide plus a drop of dish soap, using a soft brush; rinse well. That combination lifts grease and brightens without eating the grout. Work top to bottom and re-rinse so residue does not streak the tile. · Avoid: Vinegar and other acids (dissolve cement grout over time, especially unsealed), straight bleach on colored grout (blotches the pigment), metal brushes · If you skip it: low-medium — dingy grout is cosmetic at first, but acid-cleaned grout genuinely erodes and crumbles
• Re-caulk the counter-to-backsplash joint — Yearly · The joint where the backsplash meets the countertop is a movement joint — it must be flexible caulk, not grout. Inspect it yearly: if the bead is cracked, shrunken, or peeling, cut it out and re-run kitchen-and-bath silicone or siliconized acrylic. Same for the joint around a window sill over the sink. · Avoid: Grouting a movement joint (it will crack again), caulking over the old failed bead · If you skip it: high — an open joint lets dishwater run into the wall and behind base cabinets: swollen toe-kicks, mold, and drywall repairs cost far more than a $10 tube of caulk
• Seal cement-based grout — Yearly · Cement grout is porous and drinks grease, coffee, and wine. Apply a penetrating grout sealer to clean, dry grout lines; wipe sealer off the tile faces before it hazes. Frequency honestly varies with exposure: cooking-splash zones behind a range benefit from annual sealing, while a rarely-splashed backsplash wall can go many years. Test by flicking water at the grout — if it beads, you are still protected. Epoxy grout never needs sealing. · Avoid: Sealing dirty grout (locks stains in), topical membrane-forming sealers in cooking zones (they peel) · If you skip it: medium-high — permanently stained grout lines are the top reason backsplashes get regrouted or replaced early

Regional benchmarks for the Chicago market — not an Ace quote. Your number depends on square footage, edge, cutouts and tear-out.

Sources: Fixr, 2025; HomeGuide; BobVila.com, 2023; Inch Calculator, 2023

Mohs hardness

A 1-10 mineral hardness scale used to compare countertop scratch resistance. Marble sits around 3-4 (scratches easily), granite 6-7, quartz and quartzite about 7, porcelain 7-8. A steel knife blade is roughly 5.5 — materials above that resist kitchen-knife scratches.

Apron-front sink

Also called a farmhouse sink: a deep bowl whose front face is exposed, replacing a strip of the cabinet front. Requires a modified, reinforced sink base - fireclay and cast iron versions commonly weigh 100-200 lb - and a countertop cut that wraps three sides of the bowl instead of a simple oval.

Arris

The sharp line where two surfaces of a countertop meet, such as the top and the edge face. Easing the arris means softening that line slightly so it resists chipping and feels smooth.

Dolomitic marble

A calcium-magnesium stone frequently sold as "soft quartzite" or under names like "super white." It looks like quartzite but etches and scratches like marble. Verify any quartzite purchase with a lemon-juice test on a sample: true quartzite will not etch.

Edge grain

Butcher-block construction where boards are glued with their long edges up, showing parallel strips of grain. More stable and affordable than end grain (the checkerboard of growth rings used on chopping blocks) and the standard construction for wood countertops.

Edge profile

The shape a fabricator grinds and polishes into the exposed front edge of a countertop - from a plain eased square to decorative curves like ogee. It affects style, chip resistance, cleaning effort, and price.

Engineered quartz

A factory-made slab of roughly 90% ground natural quartz mineral bound with ~10% polymer resin and pigments. Non-porous and never needs sealing, but the resin limits heat and UV tolerance. Sold under brands like Cambria, Silestone, Caesarstone, and LG Viatera.

Etching

A dull, slightly rough mark left when acid (lemon, vinegar, wine, some cleaners) chemically dissolves the polished surface of a calcium-based stone like marble. Etching is not a stain: sealer cannot prevent it, and removing it requires re-polishing the stone.

Laminated edge

An edge thickened by gluing a second strip of matching stone flat beneath the front edge, doubling the apparent slab thickness; the glue line remains visible on the edge face.

Mitered edge

An edge built from two stone pieces each cut at 45 degrees and epoxied so the seam hides at the corner, making thin stone read as a much thicker slab.

Ogee

An S-shaped decorative edge profile: a concave sweep on top flowing into a convex curve below. A classic choice for traditional and formal kitchens.

Sink gauge

The thickness of the steel in a stainless sink; lower numbers mean thicker metal. 16 gauge is about 0.063 in (1.59 mm) and resists dents and noise best; 18 gauge is about 0.047 in (1.2 mm) and is the value standard for residential bowls. Thinner than 18 gauge, flex and drumming become noticeable.

Sink reveal

The amount of sink rim left visible at an undermount cutout. A positive reveal leaves a sliver of rim showing (forgiving to fabricate, the common default); a zero or flush reveal aligns counter and bowl edges exactly (precision work that costs more); a negative reveal overhangs the bowl (sleek, but the thin lip can chip and the hidden rim traps grime). The reveal is set permanently when the countertop is cut.

Sintered stone

A slab made by compacting mineral powders and clays under extreme pressure and heat ("sintering") until the particles fuse — no resin binder. Heat-proof, UV-stable, and non-porous; Dekton and Neolith are the best-known brands. Often grouped with porcelain slab countertops.

Stone sealer

A penetrating liquid applied to porous natural stone (granite, quartzite, marble) and concrete that slows liquid absorption so spills can be wiped before they stain. Wears off with use — most stones need resealing every 6-24 months. A quick test: if water stops beading and starts darkening the stone, it is time.

Waterfall edge

A countertop treatment where the surface turns 90 degrees and continues down the side of an island or cabinet run to the floor, usually with mitered, book-matched corners.