Speaking as someone who received two cracked sinks, I would be extremely thorough...use a flashlight and feel everywhere for any hairline cracks. My understanding is that many of these places actually receive the sinks on huge pallets with no boxes or padding and it is up to the individual distributor to pack for shipping. Both our sinks came in a Blanco box with styrofoam at the edges all around, but they said you can't imagine how they are manhandled during shipping...many times thrown from high docks and such. I have talked to a couple places that have added an additional layer of protection by adding a spray foam inside the sink. The bottom of our 1st sink had a crack that did look like a manufacturing issue...we sent pictures and we actually sent it back directly to Blanco at their request.

Here are two pics of two areas I am stressed about.

For the first photo, the line is horizontal on the screen It is in the middle of the pure black part. It's pretty faint.

For the second photo, the question is the line right around the sink mark stamped in. It feels more like the other marks and back of the sink though, as if it were part of the manufacturing. Still I am trying to question everything.

{{!gwi}}

Thanks for your thoughts!

I am surprised at the packaging. We bought our Silgranit sink from homeandstone, and it came packed in huge layers of sytrofoam, plus a stiff thick box within a box, and the sink was completely inert. It looked like it could withstand all the rigors of shipping by the most uncaring shippers (ours came UPS though, and they're pretty good).

Have you run your finger across the line you are concerned with? How does it feel, i.e. is the line purely cosmetic, or do you feel a crack?

The one line feels more cosmetic to me, like it's more a scratch. That's my husband's feeling too. But after everything I've read here, I'm worried I'm misreading it.

The other one, that you can see better in the picture around the watermark, feels like it's part of the sink from the manufacturer. As you must know, the back of these sinks are a rougher surface on their underside.

I did try to buy this sink at Homeandstone first and they were out of stock and on a backorder situation. Faucetdepot was also recommended several times by others here, so I'm not sure if I just got unlucky or what happened.

I think your best bet, i.e. better safe than sorry, is to call Blanco customer service, and see what they have to say about it. Perhaps someone in their technical service area could look at your pics. Or maybe they'll say that the marks are normal.

It is tricky to see...I actually sent the pictures to the place I bought it (Qualitybath - which is a sister company to Home and Stone) They had located it from somewhere in Florida since they did not have it in New Jersey where I think they are located. They usually do some additional packaging, but this place did not. I am trying to attach the picture of our cracked one that looked like it happened during manufacturing.

The latest for those of you helping me out with this dilemma:

I sent multiple additional pix I took to both Faucet Depot manager and to my granite fab (who has installed a lot of these). Both think it looks clean of cracking. The fab added the caveat, need to doublecheck it in person. Faucet Depot has already authorized the return should I change my mind before install.

My granite guy is willing to check it when he templates in person. If it doesn't pass muster, I would then need to get a second sink before he comes back to install the granite and the same style/size. I am such a newbie at this stuff... I didn't realize how bumpy and all the seams on the underside of these sinks!

Thanks everyone for your advice, photo, support. Crossing my fingers we are good to go....

I'm not going to be of much help here, my sink was triple packed without issues. But it sounds like your fab and granite guys will advise you here. My wish for you is good luck that there are no cracks.

Thanks celtin....so you had the styrofoam molds, the box and then a 2nd box with packing? Wow.

Getting ready to purchase ouR blanco silgranite sink. What other places other than homeandstone & faucetdepot do GWers recommend?

I would love to hear the outcome of this problem. Was there really a crack. I want one of these sinks, but I am nervous about buying one.

I will know on Thursday and will report back.

C Flaherty, just so you know, Faucet Depot was also recommended to me here. Maybe it was bad luck, however the manager did mention that some warehouses ship better than others. You wonder, are they all going to the same secondary warehouses to fill their orders?

Be aware there are a lot of shortages and backorders in certain colors and sizes.

EMH107--If you are nervous about buying a Silgranit Sink online, the easy thing to do is to buy yours in your bricks-and-mortar plumbing fixture store. You may pay $100-$200 more, and you may not be able to get every style. But they most likely will guarantee it's got no cracks and can get it to your house or in your vehicle. Had they carried the one I wanted, I would have bought mine locally. They had another model for about $60 more, and I've wished I had not been so picky. Still, I have nothing to complain about in comparison to the folks on "I think I am going to have a nervous breakdown" strand.

Hi, everyone still following this thread,

The granite fabricator was here measuring and was very happy with the sink....so I am golden and we are moving forward! Huge sigh of relief because the equal bowl Blanco anthracite is in short supply.

The fabricator made these comments in general regarding inspecting the composite granite sinks: Usually, a hairline crack can be seen or felt on the front side of the sink; it will have worked its way through. Most often, he will find cracks at the top corners of the sink, but it can happen in the bottom corners as well. The bottom corner of my sink had these knarly seams but he said they were typical of the factory seams.

Many congrats! Big relief.

I just ordered my metallic gray super single today so I'll remember your experience when I inspect the thing to death upon arrival.

BTW, got your email. I couln't email back with your address hidden (no biggie) but wanted to say thanks for sending it.

Oh, you are getting the metallic gray? I did get to see that one too. It didn't do as much for my granite, but it was a really pretty sink. Hopefully yours has another layer or two of packing!

Yep, metallic gray. It goes well with my Carrara. I didn't order my prep sink for the island because I'm not completely certain on counter material there. I've been ordering all my plumbing fixtures for the whole house reno from a plumbing showroom as I'm getting plumbers pricing there due to my former GC's plumber's uncooperativeness with the saleswoman there. She wanted to get back at him so offered me his pricing. If there's something wrong with my sink, I know just where to go!

Good luck with the remainder of your project. You're getting close to the end!

Hello,
As a representative from BLANCO, I would like to add some information as to the quality and production of our BLANCO SILGRANIT kitchen sinks that may help ease your mind.
BLANCO is THE world leader in composite kitchen sink development in ALL areas of technical advancements, patent development, quality control, portfolio size, color offering, and true global production. Our products carry a lifetime warranty and are produced in BLANCO�s own factories located in Germany and Canada. Our sinks go through extensive quality control checks throughout each stage in production.
Specifically, I want you to know that each and every SILGRANIT sink�s underside does have some roughness and texture which may be interpreted as cracks. This is a natural part of our patented formulation and production process. The texture you are seeing on the backside is a result of the curing process of the material after casting. It does not in any way deter from the strength of the product but rather allows for the perfect combination of interior surface hardness and overall strength by ensuring that the maximum amount of granite is at the useable surface. It is this process that makes our sinks the MOST durable and the MOST hygienic surface available on the market today.
We pride ourselves on being a family company that focuses on quality, innovation, and customer service. We stand behind our products everyday with passion and pride to ensure you have a wonderful experience every time you use them. Please contact our customer care department at 800-451-5782 should you have any questions or concerns.

Here is a link that might be useful: Silgranit II