Illegitimi non carborundum (don't let the bastrds grind you down). avisk8, I'll tell you what I do to store useful website information. It is sort of like a twist on the "Favorites" concept. Instead of using the "my favorites" feature on the computer (which will end up a mess when it gets loaded) I keep all my web sites and web pages (like this thread, it is a web page) in a Microsoft Wordpad file located in a folder. To start the process I opened a Wordpad file as if I was going to create a typewritten document (well, actually....that's what it is). Then when I'm reading or viewing something on a website or webpage that I want to come back to later I "save it" by doing the following steps. Place your cursor inside the web address (URL) space at the top on the screen. Right click mouse and choose Copy from the flyout menu (or Ctrl+C for key stroke folks). Next, open your WordPad file where you keep your DIY URLs and find a blank space on the page. Right click mouse and choose Paste from the flyout menu (or Ctrl+V for key folks). the URL you copied will be pasted on the page. Add a name or description for the URL so you know what its content is. Keep the URL separated from any other words or characters on the page by using blank spaces. If any words or characters adjoin the pasted URL it becomes invalid and will not work. To utilize the URL simply place you cursor on the desired URL and left click one time. A dialogue box will appear asking if you want to open this link. Click Yes and you will be redirected to the URL webpage. Now I will post 3 "screen shots" to illustrate what I see on my screen when I do all this (using Windows 7). If you are using Windows XP or Vista you might have to manually "copy and paste" the saved URL into the address bar of your browser (but that's just a couple extra clicks so no big deal). My apologies in advance to more nerdy computer folks if I sound a bit outdated or anything but this system does work well for me even if I did grope around in the dark until I found it. Image # 1 shows how to highlight and Copy the webpage URL. This post was edited by mownie on Sun, Jan 6, 13 at 10:52

@ Live wire oak. Just a few points. As far as viewing templates at fabrication time, I wasn't even aware that such a service was offered as standard practice - it was certainly never offered to us, or we most certainly would have taken the opportunity to participate as we were nervous about getting a close color match. We have since had two people come round to take a look, and each one has said the same thing, that the mismatched section looks like it comes from another slab that only approximates the rest of the counter in color. It has more of a reddish base to it, while the remainder of the counter-top is more creamy. Secondly, the gap is an issue because the counter overhang is not covered by the back-splash, a point we clearly made to the measurer - the back-splash is going to be in line with the edge of the end wall cabinet and the matching end base cabinet below. Thus the protruding section of the counter top isn't in play - to take that into account would leave the back-splash protruding past the wall cabinet by nearly two inches, leaving an illogical and untidy section jutting out past the cabinets. The guy who did the measuring gave us his assurance that the template would take the issue into account. I have since been told by another fabricator that a common practice with uneven walls such as ours is to notch the drywall on the 'bumps' in order to seat the granite firmly against the rest of the wall. That's actually what I expected them to do in order to fulfill my request for the end piece to sit flush against the wall. I'm also intrigued about your point regarding the back-splash in so far as how one would approach shaping a tile cut to approximate the rounded edge of a counter top? Also, I'm a bit confused about your point for the oven cabinet to be 'skinned' - it must be American woodworking terminolgy that I'm unfamiliar with - I'm an expat Aussie. I installed the cabinets myself and know that the oven cabinet is perfectly in square with the base next to it, because I made sure it was with a view to the granite installation - I even indicated as such to the measurer by placing a builders right angle on the base cabinet butting up against the wall oven unit. Unfortunately there's a slight hollow in the wall directly behind the cabinets - I had to shim them about 3/8" away to compensate - and showed the measurer where the issues were in order to ensure that he didn't throw his measurements off by taking readings off the walls - or of the installers sliding the granite in hard against them later (which they did, accounting for the inclined gap). Had the granite been lined up on the front edge of the cabinets (with the overhang taken into account of course) and trimmed at back then the slab would have lined up near perfect with the wall oven cabinet. As for the sink, we bought the unit from the same guy, so you'd think he'd have a pretty decent idea of the cut out required, particularly as he's carried it for at least the year or since we first started browsing in his store. I could have mentioned all this earlier, but it would have made a long post even longer. Regarding the irregularities in thickness, I have been told that it is quite common for slabs to have variances because of the way they are cut, ground, and polished. But I was also told that a good installer takes this into account. What I didn't picture - I didn't want to bombard everyone with a multitude of photographs - is that the sink looks very odd because of the irregularity. They were able to grind away the difference on the front, but as for the sink you can clearly tell the difference. On one side the granite sits nice and tight near the stainless steel of the sink. On the other side of the join there is a distinct separation all round the visible section of the edge. They had to put a big gob of silicone in to fill up the gap.

Totally agree with nearly everything here - I was going to list some of your best points, but they are most of them! Some comments / questions, though: 7: Doors should relate to the ground; windows should relate to the sky. I'm with Mrs Pete asking for further clarification. I figure doors are best at preferred access and egress points, but I can see in a passive solar way, taking this into account for window sizes and placements. 11. Design circulation through rooms, rather than halls, where possible. Of course, you don't want to circulate through bedrooms to other bedrooms, so sometimes a hall is essential. Also, not a fan of Jack and Jill bathrooms, or closets that lead elsewhere. 19. Pocket doors are either loved or hated.. I worried about high humidity issues, and so did not use these. I don't hate them, however - but I do remember someone temporarily getting stuck in his pocket door entry office in a climate-controlled building. But I see their functionality in the appropriate space. As a corollary, I'd note: If you have the right sort of house there is nothing wrong with appropriate barn doors. Preferably for a closet, say. (I have a log home. They would have worked here, but I have neither barn nor pocket doors after all.) 35. Maximize daylight. Well, maybe not on the west side... 58. Outdoor spaces which are "left over" will rarely be used. Well, not until I put in the chicken coops, the raised veggie beds, or the maple syrup taps... Plus, I like the vista. 81. Bring the indoors out and the outdoors in. Well, maybe not the mud on the boots or the chicken feathers... Or, worse yet, the ticks. 83. If there is one design principle you should cherish, it’s hierarchy.. I would like to see a further explanation of hierarchy in this context?

Please accept my apologies because I am sure I am still totally confused! 🤪 Let me know if I am understanding correctly. The plan is to: NOT center the sink in the sink cabinet, just move it over slightly. (That would be a big fat no for me) DW is now able to be centered in the opening. Re-support the countertop properly (where the sink cabinet was cut, rails, etc…) I thought maybe you were saying that his plan for centering the sink in the sink cabinet was to… Attach a small extension piece of quartzite with epoxy to the left countertop that was cut too short. That extension will then be expoxied to the two ”rail” pieces in front of the sink and in back of the sink. Those 4 small seams will look the same which is what you originally agreed to. The countertop on right side of the sink now needs to be cut shorter, since the sink moved to center, so the same thing happens. He would then expoxy the rails back to the right side. But he may need to cut new rail pieces that will fit the adjusted span of the sink cutout. Here is where I really got confused. I thought his plan was to have the small width of the sink’s lip overlap the epoxied seam so it won’t be seen. The short counter still needed a little bit more length for the seam to hide under the lip, so he would bump out the countertop from the wall about 3/4” on the entire cooktop side. The slab backsplash’s thickness would cover the gap. Now, I couldn’t really picture that all working out, but IF it could and look pretty close to perfect, I MIGHT be okay with it. I would have to see it though once it was all done. I wasn’t sure about the different overhangs side to side and the different corners. I wondered if that would look weird. Thanks for explaining about that. It doesn’t sound as bad as I was imagining. However at this point, knowing he won’t center the sink, I would put my foot down. I would never be ok with not centering the sink. I would expect a huge discount for that huge compromise. And why would I do that? Just to be nice to him and save him money? Think about that for a second. Even if he did everything perfect with the sink and counters, I would still want some compensation for the damage to my cabinet, for the damage to my sink, for the extra expence for the plumber, and whatever else you can think of. I would ask for everything to be in put down in writing. All details written out. I would make sure that it says that after it is all finished, you still reserve the right to have the final decision whether it is an acceptable outcome. For example, if the backsplash doesn’t quite cover the gap like he says, so they try to fill it up with a bunch of caulking. Or maybe they break the sink ”rails” trying to support under them. They try and to pull a fast one on you and replace it with a new piece that doesn’t match or line up with the sides. If anything looks bad and there is no way to fix it, it should be an automatic redo. A redo means he will have to buy a new slab that is equal to or better then what he damaged. It must be just as stunningly beautiful as what you had and equal or more in price. It must match well with the second slab that is for your backsplash. If it does not, that means the backsplash slab must get returned and 2 new slabs chosen that come from the same lot so they will all match. I am sorry for the rant in my last post. I am hopeing it will work because that is one of the prettiest quartzites I have seen!