I'd totally forgotten that the edges were laminated till now :o I just looked...does 3cm granite HAVE to have laminated edges? I can't see or feel it if it does. I have a dark granite with half bullnose and a lighter granite with an ogee edge. I don't think they have a laminated edge.
Monica

You don't need to laminate the edges of your granite. Most people don't laminate the 3 cm stones, and there's really no need to laminate the 2cm stone either, though it's often done.

That said, a really good fabricator can make edges where the lamination seam is barely visible.

Also, some edges don't show a less-than-perfect seam as much as others. An edge treatment where the seam hits on an angle change won't show the seam as much as say, a bullnose might. There's a kind of ogee where the top slab has one curve and the bottom slab has a different curve, and they are stacked offset -- so no seam to show. Or a deep bevel, where the top slab is wedge shaped, and the lower piece is a plain vertical - again, those seams are very hard to see.

But if it were me, I'd conclude from poor seams in the showroom samples that your fabricator isn't that skilled.

Mine are full bullnose and at first glance they are not visible at all. If you get down and look very close you can make out where the seam is. The granite is not cream bordeaux so it is not overly dark but is does have a great deal of movement.

Was talking to DH about this and (DUH!) we don't have laminated edges. Ours is 3cm, not 2. No wonder I couldn't see or feel them :o

From what I can tell, most of the slab yards in the Los Angeles area have 2cm granite. The 3cm is not that easy to find around here. So typically the edges are laminated. I have a light granite on my island and I can only see the seam if I look really really closely. On the perimeter I went with a darker stone. To hide the seam I used a mitered edge. Can't even tell it has been laminated. If you like a simple, clean look you could try a mitered edge.
My fabricator also said seams were more visible on darker stones. So perhaps there is something to that . . .

California Dreamer - do you have a picture of your mitered edge?

I had planned on an ogee and a 1/4 radius edge. Now I'm baffled. I would love to change to a 3 cm, but my contractors have already subtopped and everything. Plus, I am using a ton of granite (3 slabs), and goodness knows what a change like that would cost me! You can find 3 cm here in San Diego, but it's not used alot.

In concept I don't mind using a 2 cm with laminate edge, as that is what I've always had. I DO mind if it's not done well. And that is what is making me nervous.

This is the fabricator my KD/Kitchen installer uses, and I did check up on them to make sure they are well thought of (they are, and they are fine with the BBB).

I'm just truly hoping that the samples that were in the "showroom" (hard to really call it a showroom) were old technology or something (it was late on a Saturday and the A team was definitely NOT on - the lady there, however, said something about having newer machines than the one used to cut most of the displays). UGH. I hate having all of tomorrow to dwell on this.

Lamination seam (if done correctly) will show up less on dark granite, or other dark counter top material like quartz, than on light material.

Teedup - that's what I would think. I also thought that something like Verde Butterfly would be a pretty easy stone to seam since it doesn't have huge amounts of movement. My kitchen company has never had a problem with this fabricator, so I am really, really hoping I am worrying for nothing. Needless to say, I'll be schlepping out to the granite yard to see if there are any good 3 cm slabs there and trying to find out what other good fabricators there are around here. I wonder what the wait time would be if I switched fabricators...my GC would not be pleased!!!

Since I'm in a wheelchair, the edge would be more at my eye level. I would definetely see the seam and it would bother me.

I wanted and have chosen a slab with alot of movement and I know the seam would be visible no matter how well it would be done. So, I've chosen 3 cm thickness where no laminate edging would be needed. I didn't realized after it was installed that the 3 cm thickness looked nicer at the undermounted sinks too (kitchen & bar).

Here's a few photos of my 3 cm Tobacco Wave with a full bullnose edging. Hope these will give you some idea.

At kitchen sink...

{{!gwi}}

At corner cabinet...

{{!gwi}}

At the bar sink and bar counter (above the sink area)...

{{!gwi}}

I have 2 cm granite with a laminated edge and you can't see it unless you are down there really looking for it - and even then it's hard to find.

I do think the granite you have can affect the visibility of the seam as well.

See for yourself:

You have to go looking for the seams along my ogee edges (on a white Carrara, so not a dark stone), and they're super-thin and barely discernable.

I have verde butterfly counters and am in So Cal, too. The seam is somewhat visible -- on some portions more than others. Although I don't know for sure, I think VB is one of the harder granites to make a laminate seam invisible b/c of the many white particles intermixed with the dark. So, I don't think it's a problem with your fabricator -- I think it's just the nature of VB. If it helps, I really don't notice the seam anymore -- and I love my VB.

I have mostly all mitred edges, except for the curve on my island which is a standard lam job. The seam on the mitred edges is invisible for all intents and purposes. On the laminated edge, I can see the seam, but only because the pattern doesn't match perfectly in some places.

Here's a close-up of the curve of my island that has the standard laminated edge. As you can see, the change in pattern is the biggest tip off of where the seam is:

And here's a close-up of my mitred edge. The seam runs along the top edge, but you can't see it at all unless you look very close (like closer than 6") in person. It runs right along the top corner. (Ignore the bad seam between slabs; that's been fixed):

Thank you everyone! Maybe I am just being hypersensitive. UGH. I switched from Giallo Ornamental because I was worried about seaming (on top of the counters - there was some beautiful movement in them) and I thought VB would be better because it is less discernable in the movement. Now I wish I'd gone with the Nero Azul, but my KD talked me out of it (really, what does she know?). I would consider doing an offset laminate edge (you know, almost like a double ogee) but (a) I don't want it to get too busy, and (b) I don't even know if this particular fabricator does such edge details. It wasn't one of the choices they informed me of. I'm thinking I will stop by the granite place today and just see what my choices are if I decide to switch (AGAIN!) to a different stone. I am certifiable.

:)

We have 3cm Verde Peacock and put a 2" mitered edge on the island. You need to get really, really close to see the seams. The fabricator was fantastic. We love the beefy, clean look.

Update: well, the fabricator picked up the slabs from the granite yard on 11/29, so at the moment there is nothing I can do. I need to talk to my GC on Monday and get his advice. Honestly, this is ridiculous.

If freaking California would switch to 3 cm stones as the standard then I wouldn't even be worrying about this. I suppose I should have thought of this several months ago, but it really never occurred to me that this would be a problem with this stone. When contemplating seams I never focused on the lam edge, just the seams on the countertop. My old lam edge in the kitchen and the ones in our bathrooms are so amazing that it didn't occur to me that there was anything other than a fabulous lam edge. My mistake.

Socalstreem, if you didn't approved the slabs and the fab picked them up, you can still put a stop to it if they haven't cut the slabs yet.

I'm in Houston and although, 2 cm granite dominates this area, I can still find 3 cm here and there. If you insist on having 3 cm to your GC, I'm pretty sure, he/she can direct you where to look for or to order.

Don't finalize anything until you're quite happy with your selection.

Please keep on keeping us updated... thanks.

I talked to my GC today (he chastized me for not calling him on Saturday, as he did not want me freaked out all weekend long - how sweet!) and he tried to reassure me. He said these guys are great and that he has never had a problem with quality of their work. The only thing that has happened is that once they called the morning of install to say, "Oops, we dropped and broke the slab while loading it onto the truck," and they worked double time to get another one fabricated so as not to delay the job too much. He said he was going to be in the area where the fabricator's "showroom" is located and that he was going to stop by and check things out, but that they are in the process of renovating the space (thank goodness, because it was a wreck!). He said they have state of the art equipment and at times average about 60 kitchens a week. This is no small, fly-by-night fabricator. I'm still worried that I won't be happy, but now at least he knows that I am concerned. Noone can claim I wasn't upfront about my issues.

As for the slabs, I did approve them, but they have not been cut (just picked up). I'm not sure what can be done at this point, but I am hoping to figure it out BEFORE they take a saw to the granite! :)

I hope this makes sense. I have a cold and even though I reread it, I feel that cotton-headed feeling you get and I find myself rereading 3 times and am still not sure my sentences are complete! Anyway, I'll keep you posted.