I am not sure it will be all that bad as your tile will make up the gap where it is .25" and they will only need to build out .25" where there is more gap.
I can't say about the structure/dent question at the front.
I do think that since it has not been 3 business days, you should have the right to discuss this again. You needed time to think and digest the issue and you have now decided that $100 does not make things right in and of itself. I would ask them to cover any extra labor you have to pay as well. The $100 is for the stress/pain/suffering, but it may not cover your tile person's extra fees.
It can't hurt to ask at minimum.

Thank you Dianalo! Good point about the 3 days...hadn't thought of that. Much appreciated...

Just thought of one more thing - one more possible issue:

The dishwasher itself has a barrier above it which I think is supposed to help protect the wood above it from steam/moisture. But since the wrap-around edge isn't wrapping around the substrate edge (due to the substrate edge sitting back further, because of their miscalculation), is the exposed substrate - near the edge there - at risk of being damaged by hot steam from the dishwasher there?

Thanks again.

Is the SS skin attached/glued to the substrate or free floating? I'd think that if it was still free floating, the front edge gap could be filled with substrate material, then glued to the existing substrate. If the SS is already glued, I doubt you could remove it without damaging the SS. Might be able to fill the with a stiff epoxy if that was the case, if the gap is big enough (try to insert some waxed plastic between the substrate in the cabinet to protect the cabinet.)

For the gap in the back, an additional layer of wallboard will fill the gap, be flat, and can be shimmed so it's uniform throughout the length of the counter. Hardiebacker might be stiff enough to do the same. Question is: do you have enough room behind the faucet to add another half inch? The electrical boxes might need to be moved closer to the front, too.

I also believe that the $100 offered won't cover the cost of correcting the SS fabricator's mistake.

I think if it were me, I'd have it re-done. Just too many "what ifs" to let it go in my opinion. :(

The issue of the front possibly getting dented alone, would be enough to send it back. Its really beautiful tho!!

If they brought it forward a half inch does this mean that now you have a wider positive reveal on the two sides of the sink than you have on the back? Are you OK with this? I think I agree with mountaineergirl -- this is the time to speak up and get it corrected. Courage!!!!

Chalk this one up to experience. Since you're only asking, getting a handle on this, figuring out the angles, and not blubbering whining selfvictimizing and so on, I'll say these were all good questions to ask, but no you cannot get the steel guys to do anything more for you now. Later we can talk about how communication can be structured so that every order leads to "what actually gets done is what you thought you agreed on / understood was agreed on" and not any other result. Today, I can only suggest getting a bigger discount.

The finger gap under the front edge can be filled with cement. CBU board cut into strips, and thinset. This is far more solid than any plywood. It's also far more guaranteed to give mechanical support to every molecule of the steel surface, whereas a cut wood edge will waver back and forth sometimes supporting the steel, sometimes only approaching the steel but not physically touching it (and so not giving it mechanical support).

Near the DW steam vent, the plywood exposed underneath can be painted with a few coats.Plywood doesn't get affected by steam very much in any case.

The small bit of counter sticking out on the RHS can be hidden by adding a minor thickness of plaster compound on top of the current surface.

Getting a flat wall behind the counter edge cove is a tile laying job in any case. You can be involved in making this happen correctly.

theresse, I'm so sorry to hear about the problem with your beautiful new countertop! I love the style of your kitchen, especially the vintage cabinets, so I've been checking in on your progress.

I have an idea: What if you slide the countertop back the 1/2" to eliminate the front gap (assuming you can still slide it), then have the backerboard installed to meet the lip on the back edge, not overlap it. Fill the small gap at the bottom with caulk to the correct depth. It looks as if the lip is only about 1/2" high and will be covered by 3/8"(?) of the tile, while most of the tile will make contact with the backerboard. Then caulk the bottom as per usual.

My hubby usually shoots down my crazy ideas, so I won't be offended if you or someone else here does the same. :P

I'm still looking forward to your final reveal--hang in there :)

Does anyone have a stainless steel kitchen work table? I do, but it is at home and I'm not. The tops are typically 16-ga stainless steel. The center of the surface is usually stiffened with a couple of steel channels on the underside, but I believe the edges are not usually reinforced or supported by any substrate - this is where I wish I could check mine, that's from memory. Anyway, those steel edges are plenty stout. You could dent them with a hard hammer blow, or by dropping a big Le Creuset pot 3 feet right on a corner, but a plywood substrate wouldn't stop that (and a similar blow would shatter tile, crack granite, etc).

If you press down on the edge of your countertop, or hop up and sit on it, does it flex? If not or only just barely, then I would not be concerned. I would still round over any sharp edges with a file if you can get it in there, with sandpaper if not. If it does flex, or if you are still concerned, then filling the gap as davidro suggests makes sense. And if you were planning to clamp something to the counter edge, like a old hand-cranked meat grinder, then you'd want the edge filled rather than hollow.

As for the wall, old walls are uneven, so the surface would have to be made straight and even anyway. The wall apparently varies by at least 1/4'' already, since the gap to your counter cove (which is presumably straight) varies by that much. Just make sure your contractor and his tile guy know that you want this done right, and about your custom-cut tiles and the unforgiving 1/16'' gap.

Maybe show them the yard-long steel straightedge that you plan to check their work with. Put on your sternest schoolmarm face and mention ''paddling'' once or twice. No, that might give them the wrong idea.

I am sorry to say that the time for negotiating was before you wrote them the check for the balance. As it is now, they have NO incentive to make it right. If it were me, I'd make them re-do the whole thing. You probably paid a lot for it and should not have to compromise because their template guy forgot to allow for an overhang. It really is beautiful though.

The small bit of counter sticking out on the RHS is the strong clue telling me the OP didn't think about the overhang beforehand.

When one agrees to a certain size, without measuring and doublechecking all by oneself (all by one's lonesome self, or while the contractor views this action), then one has placed an order for the verbal or written amount without knowing precisely what it will look like later. Later, small surprises show up.

The small bit of counter sticking out on the RHS tells me that planning for a larger overhang will entail decisions about a curve or round or bump out at that corner. This thought process seems to have eluded the OP prior to the order, and also everyone who posted above to say "go for it; stick to your guns." The only way to get a larger overhang is to plan for this corner, so explicitly that it becomes nauseatingly finegrained detail. Also, one must specify how the farther-overhanging counter is to meet the apron front sink. Another strong clue, which tell me ... (as above, repeat).

It's OK to say now, "Oh, golly, is this right? I want an overhang bigger than that." If one wants to REshape the front at those three corners I mentioned above, one can do so. It's a new order.

HTH

I don't think the corner overhang is any big deal. Nothing in life goes 100% perfect, especially in an old house with small spaces. The overhang is tiny, and no-one but you (theresse) will even notice it. I think it looks fine, anyway. It is not going to snag clothing or interfere with the door. If the choices were (1) having this tiny corner overhang, or (2) giving up the counter edge-over-cabinet-face overhang, I'd certainly choose (1).

Thank you so much Riverspots, Mountaineergirl, Sayde, Daviddro, Mama Goose, John and Ccoombs!

Ok here's what I did:

I sent my sales guy an email last night, stating what went wrong and my concerns, and asking if he can think of a solution and help make this right. As of 20 minutes ago I hadn't heard back from him so I called, and the receptionist said he has mono. So then I thought of putting a stop in my check since it hasn't been deposited yet, and writing or calling to explain that I'm only temporarily stopping it until I speak to someone about the problem (that my intention wasn't to not pay them!). I've chatted w/ the receptionist before who's nice and after discussing it with her and asking should i speak with someone else there (?) she put me through to the owner. I explained what was going on and told him that I'm willing to find a solution that makes everyone feel okay - and that while redoing it would be a fresh start, I'd also be willing to have one of their guys come out and put something under the hollow edge to fill that in, at least.

He told me he's going to see that one or the other happens, and that he'll rip up my check until it's completed. :-)

The only thing I feel bad about now - besides that this whole kitchen business is going to be delayed EVEN FURTHER - is that I'd forgotten that I wasn't really supposed to make it known that the measurer was also the one who installed it; the company doesn't provide residential installers because of liability. Without remembering this, I told the owner that this guy who works for him had installed it. I truly feel bad about that - although I think (hope) he'll be okay. I told the owner how much I thought it was just a fluke because he seems really knowledgable and I told him he was great. He agreed and said he hired him when the guy was only something like 17 (he's now in his 40's). So clearly he cares about him and hopefully I didn't get him in trouble.

Anyway, I feel sad and let down and kind of embarrassed (like the neurotic house wife they all dread, even though I know I have the right to ask for them to fix it)...and I feel like I went above my salesman's head but he's sick so what else could I do? I also feel sort of vulnerable and stupid for not putting a stop to this before it got glued down. It's just disappointing - like this hell is never going to end. At this point something has gone wrong so often and with every single element of this relatively small kitchen project...that I'm 99% sure something will go wrong with the marble subway tile installation, next. Why wouldn't it? And that means a lot to me - that they get that right. But clearly, karma has it out for me!

Thanks for reading and for allowing me to whine and rant and feel sorry for myself!

Davidro1 - I only now read what you wrote just above. What does OP mean? For some reason I had a hard time understanding what you were saying! When you wrote "when one agrees to a certain size..." does that "one" mean the home-owner/me? All I know is that I made it very, very clear I needed no less than 1/2", both times that he came out to measure. But I may be misunderstanding you. ? Thanks!

Telling him he needed to give you at least a 1/2" overhang, before he measured, means you have stronger grounds to ask for some redress. (Stronger than I thought previously before you wrote about having told the measurer to plan for a 1/2" overhang.) This is still definitely a negotiating process, in my mind. If they say tomorrow that your RHS corner won't look good if the counter comes any further out, you can answer that this is a finishing detail that is your responsibility and in any case, if this objection is so true and strong, the measuring guy could have brought it up long long ago. After all, a 20 year veteran will know how to measure and to spot corners that won't look good, and must talk about these details in order to deliver something that makes the customer feel satisfied.

If you do get the counter brought farther out, you have to specify how to finish that corner. Ideas can be kicked back and forth, but it is up to you to order something to be done.

The word "one" means anyone. Also, it can mean you in this case specifically.
OP is original post, or the person who originated the first post. That is you theresse.

hth

To Davidro1:

Thanks. Yes I was clear about the 1/2" and in fact drove that point home on a few occasions. As for the corner, that's less of a big deal to me cause it only sticks out by approximately 1/8 of an inch. Still slightly annoying. Remember, when they put the new countertop in place, shoving it all the way in to the wall at first, there was NO overhang as there should have been (the 1/2" overhang I'd made so clear I needed beforehand). When they pulled the countertop back toward themselves (forward) to regain that half-inch and leaving a gap in the back, the bumped-out portions of the countertop (the areas I'll be working on the most) now had the proper 1/2" overhang but consequently (for a reason that eludes me) the non-bumped-out portions of the countertop became 3/4" (which is how now that little corner was sticking out a bit past the door trim). So there was inconsistency there for whatever reason.

So to reiterate, I DON'T want it to come out any further and never did. Your above post suggests I wanted it to come out even further and hadn't thought things through. No, I only wanted it pulled out to the agreed-upon location which is not past the door trim (nor past the sink, which would look awkward, if all else was the same). He and I discussed all of this in great detail during measuring (and yes I was able to see w/ measuring tape that it would all work out if done right), which is part of where the disappointment comes from.

As for the OP thing, I know what OP means in the context of a forum but because I hadn't asked for anything that would have resulted in the "small bit of counter sticking out on the RHS," I wondered if OP meant something else! In other words I'm wondering how what I wrote indicates a "strong clue that I hadn't thought about the overhang" (trying to understand the logic) - but I digress - it's no big deal at this point, other than a slight jab to the ego! ;) Oh and the other ego jab: I also know the various meanings of the word "one" (sheesh!) but just didn't understand who the heck you were referring to in this scenario!

As for not measuring myself, I thought I'd like to but then I thought I might screw it up or complicate things. Since he told me before coming out the first time that he'd probably come back and do a template a second time if things weren't really easy, I didn't think I had anything to worry about. Leave it to the professionals, right? I'd learned to micro-manage up to that point (learned the hard way) and for once thought I could finally relax and let it go. So funny. That said, I really think it was a fluke. The guy seems pretty experienced, and it's an old, not perfectly even space. The reality is that it could happen to anyone, and that we all have our miscalculations/bad days.

OK.

quote
".... When they pulled the countertop back toward themselves (forward) to regain that half-inch and leaving a gap in the back, the bumped-out portions of the countertop (the areas I'll be working on the most) now had the proper 1/2" overhang but consequently (for a reason that eludes me) the non-bumped-out portions of the countertop became 3/4" (which is how now that little corner was sticking out a bit past the door trim). So there was inconsistency there for whatever reason.

So to reiterate, I DON'T want it to come out any further ...."

--

Sounds like it is in the right position, in front.

Sounds like the lip at the back is not close enough to the wall. The tile guy can make the tiled backsplash come flush to this lip (cove) and you will then have it almost exactly as you wanted it. I too have no idea how a 3/4" can come when they move the thing only 1/2", except that this may be where the wall is not straight. The tile you chose has a thickness and installing it makes it thicker, so there is next to no lost or wasted space in that 1/2" to 3/4" gap.

I may not have caught everything: it looks like a solid one piece backsplash, but I read about bumped-out portions and non-bumped-out portions.

hth

Re. the quote, I was saying that I didn't want it to come out further than that which was discussed prior to installation (no more, or less, than 1/2"). It can't be in the right position in the front, if only the bumped-out portion is at 1/2". The recessed portion is at 2/3" (and is also in the front) and therefor the over hang is more than I wanted, for the limited space I have. So it's not in the right position in the front or the back...do you see what I mean?

Yes, the lip is not close enough to the wall (because I asked them to pull the whole countertop forward in order to give me the 1/2" overhang they'd agreed to). To the left of the sink, the lip has about a 1/2" of space behind it. To the right of the sink, the lip has about 1/4" of space behind it. In theory, backerboard should/would take care of that issue. The faucet would need to be adjusted and brought forward too. Not sure how it would affect the look of the window sill (sill would appear shallower) and not sure how they'd get the back to become all even with each other.

I don't want the cove to be seen - but hidden behind the tile as a way to prevent water damage. So there would be wasted space if not filled in with backerboard of course. If you're referring to the discrepency between the 1/2" and the 2/3" in the front, this isn't because of a wall that's not straight. Something about the way it was measured resulted in the bump-out portion on both sides of the sink being the same as each other and the recessed areas - on opposite ends of the room from each other - being the same as each other. It was just a simple mistake, it seems.

The backsplash is a solid piece, but the space created in front of it due to the counter not reaching back far enough, is of different depths at different locations running along the wall. Does that make sense?

I know we're just beating a dead horse as the disgusting expression goes but I'm okay with it if you're okay with it - haha.

I would if you still put a stop on the check. I was burned once by someone who said they tore up a check, wound up depositing the old one andvthe new one and I wound up bouncing a bunch of checks. good luck to you.

The cove being seen is better than having it be hidden behind wall tile for several reasons. Hygiene, cleaning, straight edge, perception space expanding, etc.

To be perfectionist (or to think like an insurance person), fill the finger space under the front edge with material that is naturally incompressible (strips of CBU + tile scraps + thinset concrete). As far as making the filler into an insurance policy, this will work out better than if you had wood there. It may (or maybe not!) make a difference to the ability of the steel to remain un-dinged when it gets whacked one day. To finish off the finishing underneath, you could paint or latex caulk that cementitious filler, so that fingers have something smooth to feel when in contact with the underside.

Cpartist - yikes. I really hope that doesn't happen. Thank you for the word of caution!

Thanks David. Hmmm...well people w/ more period kitchens tile behind countertops all the time without having a cove, don't they? I know coves make more sense for the reasons you listed but I'm making the choice based on aesthetics. I don't like the look of a cove in an older home - or my older home anyway. Especially with stainless. If being logical were my goal, I wouldn't have faces with inset shaker doors (take up too much space and harder to clean), I would have used an integrated stainless sink (if that's the term) and I definitely wouldn't have done a wall-mounted faucet, nor marble for backsplash (something more durable), etc. etc. Trying to go for a look. But I thought having the cove on the back side was better than not at all...I thought that since calk can only work so well, it would keep water from getting underneath/behind. Maybe I'd be better off without a cove altogether though. Since they're making a new countertop, I can consider not having one. I'll inquire about it on the main forum and see what kind of feedback I get - maybe tile will be too hard to put on in that location (?).

Thanks for the filler suggestions. Those all make sense. As far as I know, they're replacing the countertop.