Let me ask the obvious question here - have you paid them yet? Having asked that then you can move forward. You have a bargaining chip, so to speak, if you've not paid.

So was the granite not sealed? I might be wrong but I thought most granites, and certainly those with veining, were sealed. Since you saw the installers fill holes - I'd assume they saw something also. Can you post a pix?

Take a breath here and hopefully someone will have some idea's. I don't know about them taking the granite out? I'd assume it can be done - but I'd bet the installers won't want to do that. Maybe it should be sealed now? That I don't know. When you do talk with them see what they have to say and stay quiet - I've found with things haven't gone as I expected and people call me back if I remain quiet and calm the outcome is always acceptable to all. Let us know what they say in the morning, and try to post a pix.

eaglemom

I have not paid the balance, it is 1/2 paid. But, I really do not like the way it looks. They did put a sealer on it. They told me to do that every 6 months. Tonight, I just put a little night light on,(my under cabinet lights are not installed yet, and to me it looks worst with the little light. You see all kinds of marks. I am not happy with it. Also, DH found a little nick near the top of the sink. I don't think I want it, even if I only paid half, but I am concerned they might ruin my cabinets when they take it out. I am so upset and confused. They are a reputable fabricator (in fact, my newphew had his done and it is beautiful) The whole color changed my kitchen and I am so disappointed.

Pits and fissures are a part of the nature of natural stone tops. That is NOT a defect. This should have been explained to you from the beginning. If you wanted perfectly smooth tops, then a man made stone would have been a better choice for you. I would expect a granite fabrication company to epoxy fill a small amount (not the whole top) of pits and fissures at a customer's request, but it is unreasonable to expect them to replace a non defective product unless you agree to pay for the additonal stone needed to do this.

Did you see your templates laid out on the slabs or can you do that if/when they replace them?

live wire oak
I realize there are pits and fissures, as they are all over the stone, but these couple of areas are much worse. Also, looking at the stone under a little night light shows a lousey looking seam.

mary-elizabeth, No I did not see the templates laid out, which was a terrible mistake. Believe me, I am really concerned about if they will replace it. I am afraid they will cause other damage. I keep looking at the counter and trying to figure out how to hide some things, but I should be excited and happy to show it off. I thought this was going to be the topping of the cake, but believe me it is making me upset.

You must have liked the stone enough to purchase it, so perhaps you could consider filling the fissures and having it polished on-site.

There are folk who specialise in that, and if you like a fairly pristine surface, it is something you will probably have to do every couple of years anyway.

Perhaps you could ask your fabricator to arrange for this ?

I have really liked the slabs of New Venetian Gold that I have seen. Could you post a picture, nrayray? I think it would help us.

nray,

pictures would help, I am not sure if you have a minor issue or a major one.

Sailormann, that is quite a bit of bad information you have provided. If this is a restoration issue, and it might be, then once should be enough to fix it.

If the slabs are as bad as they seem, then the correct course is to replace them. If they damage your cabinets, thats what they have insurance for. Do not let them off the hook until you are satisfied.

Blessings

I am so sorry you aren't happy with your granite. But.....I sort of have to stand on the side of the fabricators. Did you select the slabs yourself? If so, I think you need to just learn to love it. they can't be responsible for the color looking darker in your house than you expected. Many granite slabs have lots of fill in them. That's just the nature of granite! It would have been good if you had been given the opportunity to see the templating though, and if a seam is bad they should fix it. But I honestly don't think that they should be responsible for replacing the slab. Sorry.

Picture would help: don't pay the balance yet.
1. New Venetian Gold (several crystals)
2. Light granite with garnets (round dots of red/purple)you: large really dark cluster with lots of little spots (could be mica: will be more ruff feeling to the touch and less polished)
3. tearing out granite 'could' effect any other granite touching and/or splash touching
4. Seal~Seal~Seal with a VOC compliant granite sealer: not water based: clean granite with only true granite approved cleaners & polishers: usually commercial brands works very best.
5. I guess you were unaware that you are allowed to see slab before being cut with templates layed out on the slab at cutting time to approve placement.

Facts: A characteristic referred to as "pitting" is normally due to the fact that granite is a natural product that has a crystalline structure, sometimes resulting in small spaces between the varying mineral crystals. In some cases, certain tiny crystals may also be removed during the polishing process, causing the pits to become more visible. Various steps are taken during the finishing process to reduce the visibility of these pits, but they cannot be totally avoided in all granite types. Pitting will not become worse with regular use or with the passage of time. Many types of granite have small "fissures" or hairline cracks on the surface of the slab, usually more visible in the larger quartz crystals. These surface fissures should not be confused with structural cracks that permeate the entire slab. Fissures are a natural result of the heating and cooling of the stone during its formation millions of years ago. Fissures will not grow or expand over time.
I hope this helps. Posting picture might help.

If the seam is unacceptable: that is another issue: should be level and not be able to notice it too much.
Change the lights in the kitchen: maybe. If they "made" the scratches with their razor blade that is another issue: not natural. Lighting in the kitchen with soft lights could change the color. Color turns into issues: granite looks different in the sunlight vs. warehouse vs. rainy day vs. cloudy day! wet granite will be even more dark! If they soaked the granite with alot of water during cutting & fabricating the granite, then the granite will be darker until it dries out.
That is why granite should be sealed 24 hours after install to make sure granite is completely dry before sealing. You do not want to seal moisture into your granite because of the petroleum in sealers. Better to use petroleum VOC compliant sealers; in my opinion.

Best wishes:

Thank You

ccoombs: I did not actually pick the slab. They just received a new shipment and they were all together. In front, was a smaller piece (maybe an older one) and I thought to myself, They will use a new and larger slab for all my pieces. (I really think they used that smaller piece for my main piece because to me it looks a little bit different and less smooth than the other two pieces.Looks like a little more pits and fissures.

Petra granite: Thank you for the informations. I had someone from the fabricators come out today, he said that is the way the natural stone is. I told him I made a big mistake not being there when they made the decision to template. I also told him I think they are two different slabe and he said they are not. (Who do I believe) Someone is coming out tomorrow to fix the seam and darken the color a little. I asked if they could refinish it again on site and he said they do not do that except where it is cut out, like the sink area, and edge. etc.

I really like the two smaller pieces, they seem so much smoother and lighter. The larger piece to me is darker and has more fissures and pits. I just pray that when my tile blacksplash is put in it will all look beautiful.

Petra Granite

Where do I get the VOC complaint sealers?

I don't know anything about granite, as I went with Caesarstone. But my counters were installed on Tuesday, and the fabricator did a horrible job with my counters. I've been getting them out here every day to fix the problems. My husband, although patient, is tired with the process. So is my GC. But I don't care. I'm getting them out here every day until I'm happy even if it means getting new slabs installed. We only get this one chance to get it right. We shouldn't have to settle for less. So take heart. I feel your pain.

You will be amazed how much nicer it will look once you get your BS up. Lighten up your whole kitchen by choosing a nice light tile for the BS. I know how disapointed you must be though. Hopefully they will get that seam fixed nicely for you. If you REALLY think the colors are different, stick to your guns. Insist the manager comes and looks at it. The pits are natural to the stone, but non-matching slabs is not acceptable.