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Can my quartz countertop be fixed?

10 years ago

Hello!
We had a quartz countertop installed. To our horror, we discovered that the contractor accidently damaged it and tried to repair it without telling us. There was a small chip (3/8 of an inch) that was glued back into place. We can see where the chip was repaired and we can feel it when we run our finger over the area. Furthermore, the original luster is gone on an area about 5" by 20" as if they tried to sand the countertop to remove the excess glue. We are furious because the contractor tried to hide this from us! We are dealing with 2 companies: the kitchen and bathroom cabinet manufacurer (who also sells us the countertops) and the contractor (who was recommended by the cabinet manufacturer).

Now my question: The cabinet maker tells us that he will have a professional come to our house and repair the countertop. He says that if we are not happy with the result, he will replace the countertop with a new one. Can such a repair be done so that nothing will be noticeable? Should I just say "No way! We want a new countertop!" Even if they do a decent repair, how can I be sure that it will last? How can I be sure that the finish will be as permanent as the part of the countertop that was not dammaged?

We are working with a highly reputable cabinet maker and we are paying big bucks.

Thanks for your thoughts on this matter.

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Comments (5)

PRO
Granite City Services
10 years ago
I am a fabricator.

Chips do occur and fabricators do repair them. Your description sounds like a botched repair job.

If the chip is repaired to your satisfaction there is no reason to believe the repair will fail.

However, quartz countertops (from any of the OEM's) are notoriously hard to polish out if the top is damaged. The problem is that is takes considerable heat to achieve the final polish and usually the resin starts to melt before an adequate polish is achieved.

Its not impossible and some fabricators are certain they can top polish quartz and achieve acceptable results. In my experience any repair like that will be conspicious if viewed from the proper angle.

It might be an indication of a lack of adequate technique that we cannot top polish quartz but it might also indicate we're too fussy. In any event if we damage the top of a quartz piece in my shop we make a new one even if it requires buying additional material.
User
10 years ago
It can't be polished back to its original sheen. They damaged ours with Barkeeper's Friend and came back and spent 2 1/2 hours polishing it per Caesarstone's training. It only spread the dull area out further. It was particularly noticeable where light reflected on the countertop. They replaced the countertop.
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Joe I'm sure you're correct about the difficulty in matching white in this segment of the industry. So the acceptable industry standard match may include this. . . . . . . . If I were doing the matching I would not accept this. Even if it may be a 'factory' match. It does appear to be a match for the grey. Maybe they forgot to bring the white factory match. There probably are two for this product . . . . . I would want to provide the customer with an actual white match. From the repairs I've seen you post I think your match would not be as noticeable. The 'factory color for a car has a single code. But when you go to match it the auto paint suppliers to body shops have variances, sometimes 6 or so. Darker than prime, dirtier than prime, and others with a sample card for each to put against the car and make it possible to get the formula right for a very close match.
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PRO
Joseph Corlett, LLC
10 years ago
Claude-007:

As usual, oldryder is right.

Two hours ago I was in the grocery store when I got a call from a guy whose wife had scorched their Zodiaq (quartz) top. I told him the only way I'm coming out is if he and his wife agree in writing the top is ruined and that anything that I can do is just bonus. If I fix it I get paid; if I don't I don't. This is much more art than science.

I've found that there is a direct positive correlation between who screwed up and the percentage of repair approval. When the customer screws it up, my repairs look fantastic. When the fabricator does, not so much.
Claude-007
Original Author
10 years ago
Thanks for the replies.
Today we met with the contractor, the designer and the manager in charge of our project at the company we are dealing with. I told them I had done some research and I had come to the conclusion that a quartz counter-top which has been sanded over an area about 5" by 20" can't be restored to perfect condition. The manager insists that the granite & quartz specialist get a chance to repair the counter-top. The manager also says that if, after the repair, we are not happy and we ask that the counter-top be replaced by a new one, he will replace it without asking any question. The repair man is coming a week from today. I am not happy with this. Even if the repair guy does a great job, how do I know that it will last? I think that the manager is hoping that I will soften up and in a week, when I see the "almost perfect but not quite perfect" repaired counter-top, I will be fed-up with the whole thing and I will say "Fine".
kksmama
10 years ago
Lol, Trebuchet.
Claude-007, promise yourself that you won't accept something that will bother you in the future; don't trade long term satisfaction for short term convenience. This has already been inconvenient. Carefully document what has happened and been said/done/agreed so far, getting manager's signature or confirmatory email if possible.

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