This does not look right. They need to fix it. You will get water behind those gaps into your cabinets, etc. No good. Cracks and chips are also not acceptable. Do not pay them another penny till they make it right. Ours was properly installed but we did notice a hairline crack coming from the edge of our penninsula about two months after install. Even then, after being fully paid,our fabricator came out, buffed it out, and sealed it. That is an example of how good service should work. I'm sorry you're dealing with this. The granite is beautiful. I hope they make it right for you.

in my eyes, and i am no where near an expert, just a homeowner with experience., that is why they come to your house to template the tops....that is what ensures that u have no gaps., at least its suppose to.

as far as cracks and chips, that another story....
im assuming they were careless and/or they were there to begin with and maybe the slabs should not have been sold.??

when they cut the hole for our cooktop, they had a shop vac on while the cut was being made and sucked the dust up. yes there was some dust, but it was minimal...

i hope the experts will chime in with their opinions....

Good luck going forward and i'm sorry this has happened to you, its so stressful. i hope they make good on their mistakes.

Kaboehm, nice pics!!!!

Wow, beautiful granite and it looks like your kitchen is going to be lovely!

I can't believe that mess they left either, especially on your new cabinets. I know they can't get all the dust but they should at the very least make some attempt to clean up - lazy! I would be upset.

The chip and cracks ---- oh man, I'd be freaking out. I could live with the gap against the wall but not chips, especially if they are filled and look poorly.

Did you hire a reputable company? Not that it gaurantees anything... I hired the cheapest guy from CL (got 8 bids) and his install came out fine. I did notice one tiny hole/crack in my sink area and I freaked but a couple years later its still there and looks the same as day one. My granite is pretty busy so I don't even know if I could spot filled chips/cracks... Never the less I would be concerned just as you are. I wouldn't pay them anymore. You need to speak with the owner.

When my granite was installed the sink was already cut out, they only drilled the sink holes at install. My guy used cardboard to make the template, so nothing fancy lol....

Post some more pics. I want to see the chips and cracks.

I have quartz, not granite. My kitchen was spotless after it was installed - the guys took all the drawers out, and covered the glides, to make sure no dust got in them.

Here is the edge next to the fridge wall:
{{gwi:2144350}}

I don't need pictures to tell you that 1/4" gaps at walls are unacceptable, especially when you weren't getting any type of splash.

If I had repaired chips in your tops, you wouldn't be able to find them after installation. Yellowing sounds like polyester, not epoxy, and it's much less resistant to UV rays and water. The top cracked at the sink can be repaired inconspicuously; no polyester.

I got a written complaint about leaving a mess in a customer's cabinet once. Their plumber, who was in the cabinet as I was leaving, agreed to clean up his mess and mine. He didn't. That will be the last time I lend my reputation to a sub I didn't hire. Your mess looks like typical plop-N-run installation. These guys have three more jobs to install, they've got no time for clean-up. Very unprofessional and a big hint as to how the rest of the job may be done.

Asking the granite guys to handle the clean-up? Just please beware you're rolling the dice if you call them back to clean (but, yes, call them back), as they could end up damaging your cabinets. If they didn't think to cover the cabinets and drawer glides the first time through, this could be a tough road to go down without eyes wide open. You'd think some things can/should go without saying, but it's not the case. State the obvious: when they clean your cabinets, tell them to make sure the cabinets are not damaged in the process. And take lots and lots of closeup pictures. They may come in very handy later to counter the inevitable "they were damaged before we started" excuse.

My granite guys didn't mention they'd be doing any sawing or grinding inside my house, so nothing was covered. Even with one guy standing nearby with a shop vac, there was a huge cloud of dust everywhere. I ended up with a layer of granite dust all over my entire downstairs (~1,300 sq ft). They didn't even think to put up plastic to seal off the kitchen, even though I'd mentioned this as a huge concern during templating. Not to mention, I spent hours that night taking out each drawer and individually cleaning out granite chunks/dust out of the bottoms and all the drawer glide hardware (4x each drawer, using toothbrush an small paintbrush...you get the picture). I made sure I pre-covered the drawer glides and all cabinets myself before their second visit.

They also left black epoxy splotches and smudge marks all over the cabinets. The contractor sent his paint/touch-up guy to clean up whatever mess the granite crew made (to include touching up the poly surface on my hardwood cabinets), but he ended up somehow mixing flecks of the epoxy in his urethane and/or brush. I now have flecks of black epoxy embedded into the surface of my cabinet doors. I'm getting off this ride.

Annkh - It's apparent you were definitely in capable hands! Beautiful job.

Any cutting on my granite was done outdoors. There was no dust at all during the install. I did cover up my cabinet fronts with cardboard before they arrived just as a precaution because I didn't want any dings or dents to deal with later. Gaps at the wall are similar to annkh's ... tiny and perfectly straight. There were some gaps on the somewhat wavy back wall which were caulked and then easily covered by the backsplash. I did not expect the areas that were to be covered to be scribed perfectly to the wall, but with the exposed ends, I did expect them to be pretty close to perfect.

Whenever I have workers in my home, I just assume that they will not have the same perfectionist tendencies that I have, and I try to prepare for the worst. If there are floors that can be damaged, I put down ramboard to protect them. Possible cabinet damage? I cover the cabinets. Possible dust? I have the plastic in place before they get there. I know I shouldn't have to do these things and the people doing the work should be taking care of it, but I've seen too many cases where they don't, or they do a half-arsed job of it.

jellytoast - Agree with you completely about making any assumptions. After previous subs came through and caused damage here and there, for the granite install I made sure to bring up all the issues I was concerned about and was constantly told it would be taken care of (cabinets covered to protect from damage and excess dust, new tile floor and grout covered, etc.). Before the second trip back, I took it upon myself to cover everything. Like you, I did feel like I shouldn't have had to, but I wanted to protect my cabinets. Who knew the touch-up guy would subsequently do more/different damage? I just did not see that coming, thinking I'd covered all bases. See my pic below: even after I'd gone around and put up the plastic over my cabinets, they tore it all up during the installation and didn't even attempt to re-cover everything. And this, when they were still a couple of hours from being done.

I cut concrete and stone in million-dollar oceanfront properties all the time without complaint. You've got to have guys that have invested in the right tools equipped with dust extraction and ZipWall if required.

I hope you all realize I was trying to teach the original poster how to post multiple pics in a post (not hijack the thread), but I didn't have any kitchen photos to post as examples! My pathetic galley kitchen may show up on this forum someday!!

Thank you so much for the info! I told the company I would be installing backsplash tile- not the large granite pieces. I chose this company that was 3 hours away because I live in Montana (very limited options) and they were the only company I found who could get me a slab large enough for my island w/o a seam...a seam would look horrible with the large designs in my slabs. I absolutely love the actual granite, but you are correct...the huge gaps against the walls are not acceptable. Is there a way to salvage the granite? I'm not sure I will find slab as pretty as these that are 125" long. I only have one seam in my kitchen on a corner, which is great. I wasn't able to get photos today but will try to make it out tomorrow. It is a new build, which is maybe why they didn't care about making a huge mess? I will be very upset if my drawers don't open smoothly on my custom cabinets...I didn't even think about the dust in my glides!!! I don't have photo bucket...is it ok to post multiple photos in multiple comments? I am new here but read many of the posts for ideas...I love this forum!!!

annkh- Your wall seam looks amazing!!!

gdc123- they did template, but obviously not well. Most of my walls are square but I have one that is not and it has a huge gap...close to 1/2" towards the back. My husband is the GM on the job and I was in charge of granite. I have never had granite installed before so am clueless as to what I should expect from the installers...needless to say I am concerned and hope my job is not industry standard especially when paying over 10K for countertops!

Trebruchet- I asked the installer about the large yellow spot and he said it was epoxy and mentioned he could add dye, but thought it looked less noticeable than adding dye...I think solid black would have been better than bright yellow since the counters do not have any yellow.

MrsShayne- I thought this was a reputable company. They have a storefront downtown in a nice community with many million dollar homes. They specialize in kitchens and baths, but I did not get any personal reviews prior to hiring them.

morning shorthoneys, trade standard means they do it right. no exceptions.

trebruchet is right, If you fix a crack or chip you are not suppose to see or find it. it should blend in.

if they have a store front and established in the area odd they do there installs so unprofessionally.

they need to make it right ! ! !

hi just reread one of your first posts. is that a crack at the bar sink or a seam. if a seam fine but a crack. you need the option of repair or replace. which means it wasn't properly supported upon transport or install.

Thanks so much for the input!!!!
gdc123 it is an actual crack where they cut the sink in place...I will try to photograph today. It isn't very noticeable unless looking across the counter. They make zero attempt to fill or smooth it out.

There are some "granites" (stones commercially called granite but not granite to a geologist) that are prone to chipping during fabrication. The slab my son and DIL used for their island was one of those. They were told that by the fabricator when they chose it. There were some chips at the edge, but they were filled so well that it is difficult to see them even when they are pointed out. Chips are normal for some difficult stones but they should be properly filled.

There shouldn't be a crack.

Our fabricator's crew drilled the holes for faucets and air switches on site. One guy drilled and another guy held a vacuum hose next to the drill bit to suck up most of the dust. They didn't leave any mess for us to clean up.

"Trebruchet- I asked the installer about the large yellow spot and he said it was epoxy and mentioned he could add dye, but thought it looked less noticeable than adding dye...I think solid black would have been better than bright yellow since the counters do not have any yellow."

Sure, he can dye it. After he grinds it out and fills it in again.

large chip not filled well- it is very unlevel and not smooth
{{gwi:2144351}}

unfilled chip
http://s296.photobucket.com/user/shorthoneys/media/02-08-15%2048_zpsktaezhnv.jpg.html?filters[user]=142536931&filters[recent]=1&sort=1&o=1

{{gwi:2144352}}

{{gwi:2144353}}

{{gwi:2144354}}

{{gwi:2144355}}

I think the seams look good
{{gwi:2144356}}

{{gwi:2144357}}

bad epoxy fill- very rough
{{gwi:2144358}}

unfilled chip
{{gwi:2144359}}

{{gwi:2144360}}

The wall is not level here- the granite hits the wall on the front but has a huge gap in the back...is this our fault?
{{gwi:2144361}}

I'm not sure why there is blue between the sink and granite?
{{gwi:2144362}}

This filled chip is about 2' long near the sink...should I be concerned, it was filled well and isn't very noticeable
{{gwi:2144363}}

This filled spot stands out like a sore thumb...it is bright yellow and I'm not sure if the pictures convey
{{gwi:2144364}}

more gaps
{{gwi:2144365}}

Yellow spot again

I do love these slabs...the prettiest I've ever seen

You have beautiful granite! We also chose BA. We also had wall gaps. They were caulked and painted the same color as the wall. Some here might find it unacceptable but on the list of things to fuss about I put it pretty low. But I will add, the employee who managed the countertop install is no longer working for our builder.

Next post is on chips.

{{gwi:2144348}}

Oh my, I don't know what I'd do if I were you. My first thought would be to tell them to remove the granite and get our money back but then I'd be afraid they may harm the cabinets during the removal.

I wouldn't pay them anymore money. If your ok paying half (or whatever you paid thus far) and living with what you got then so be it. I would want the granite removed and reinstalled by a different company. You can find those slabs again.

If they filled the spots/chips better then it wouldn't be so bad, especially if you do a backsplash and hide the gaps... Most people won't notice the messed up areas but they shouldn't be there to begin with...

Geeze what a nightmare ... Hope everything works out. Your kitchen is gorgeous!

Okay on to chips. Chips happen. Especially if you have metal swivel chairs and 5 kids. The chairs made friends with a couple metal bolts such that they no longer swivel. My husband and I made peace with the chips and realize that kind of thing comes with a house that's lived in and contains natural materials. There are three chips in our kitchen that took three full slabs (two island, three perimeter pieces). This one is about 20x worse than the other two. I used the clothespin to show level and the chair because it's the guilty party.

{{gwi:2144349}}

Just want to give a hug to you, Shorthoneys. Ugh. I had a couple goofballs install our counter top and it had to be redone. Luckily it worked out well after all was said and done. Fingers crossed that yours will work out fine as well.

I'd be really unhappy with that MESS, too.

Deedles - just curious: when you say redone, did you have the same guys come back and redo until they got it right? Or did you withhold payment, have the original guys remove, and you paid another company?

ellenandco oh wow, your sides don't look so bad with caulking and paint. I do have metal swivel chairs...uh oh!!! Thanks for the warning I think I maybe using zip ties so they can't swivel since my boys love to slam them into my counters in my current house. I could probably live with the flaws in my granite, but not definitely for full price. Now I am going to have to do backsplash plus side splashes which will increase my finishing costs quite a bit.

This entire process has been a nightmare. I purchased granite almost 4 months ago from a local company who would not get me slabs w/o seams in my island. I finally cancelled the order and moved to this company. No companies here carry their own slabs, so I was at least able to pick out slabs via photo from CA on a website that would be long enough. I can't imagine starting over and trying to find a new company with a 125" slab I like. I guess I hope they will give me a huge discount, clean up their mess, fix the additional chips and crack and possibly give me backsplash granite for my laundry and butler's pantry, which I absolutely do not want to add a tile backsplash to. Is it reasonable to ask for this? I think I still owe them around 6K.
Here is a photo of another unfilled chip...it didn't photograph well but is about 1/2" long. {{gwi:2144929}}

Jellytoast- thank you, you are correct. I should not have to accept this shoddy work. The owner of the company called me this morning and said he would work to resolve the issues. I will be sending him these photos. He said they have never done a job w/o granite backsplash before...it sounds like an excuse to m e since I purposely told them I did not want granite backsplash and they didn't provide it. Needless to say I will be holding my remaining payment of around 6K until the job is completed correctly.

I would love another opinion, I thought this seem looked fine, but one side is more beige than the other...is this considered a good seam?

<a href="http://s296.photobucket.com/user/shorthoneys/media/02-08-15%2013_zpspsl2iz8e.jpg.html"; target="_blank"><img src="http://i296.photobucket.com/albums/mm165/shorthoneys/02-08-15%2013_zpspsl2iz8e.jpg"; border="0" alt=" photo 02-08-15 13_zpspsl2iz8e.jpg"/></a>

"He said they have never done a job w/o granite backsplash before...it sounds like an excuse to m e since I purposely told them I did not want granite backsplash and they didn't provide it."

If he's never done a job without a granite backsplash, then I would question the number of jobs he's done, especially considering the quality issues with your project. When it "sounds like he's making excuses" then call him out on it! Ask him, "Then where is the granite backsplash for THIS job since you've never done a job without one".

Some will say that unmatched seams are to be expected with granite, but IMO, a good fabricator makes every effort to create seams that are less noticeable and aesthetically pleasing. Your fabricator has put very little thought or care into your project. Stand firm with him. He needs to know that you can't be pushed around and that you expect things to be done correctly. At this point, I question his ability to provide a quality result.

I would wait a bit for other opinions because recent changes to the forum will likely make for longer wait times while people deal with their frustrations in learning to navigate the new site.

I agree with what jellytoast is saying - anyone can argue stone, especially granite varies so you just never know with the seams, but like Jelly said - a good fabricator would make cuts that help ensure a good looking flow/seam... Going by what I've seen so far - this granite job was poorly done so I'm not surprised by your most recent picture. Some people tell the fabricator where they want the cuts so they know exactly what pieces go to each place. When I got my granite, I didn't mark out what I wanted but I did tell the guy I wanted this dark vein to be shown in the largest bar area - I ended up with the vein area of the granite by the sink. No biggie but I can see why people layout their own slabs, especially slabs with lots of movement. I don't know how many slabs you got or how much was left over but keep in mind most people pay for the entire slab even if they don't use it all. This is where remnants come in and fabricators make more money... So maybe the guy made cuts that helped keep extra granite left over so he could sell it again.

I'm very surprised your fabricator has never done a job without a backsplash - that's almost scary because the backsplashes aren't so popular anymore. Plus, without the BS precision cuts are needed.

I am a fabricator. You fabricator has done a poor job. "Never did a job without splash" is ridiculous... plus on a stone like yours the right way to cut it is with the splash cut from the slab adjacent to the edge that will go against the wall so the grain on the splash will match the grain on the stone. At this point thats impossible so your splash will be deficient at best.

Your stone is a "chippy" one that usually has a lot of repairs done in the fab shop. Some of yours look well done, others not so much.

The grain transition in the corner is awful ... but might have been the best available option without buying another slab. We have our customers review grain matching before cutting so at least they're not unpleasantly surprised.

The crack in the sink rail could be repaired by a skilled fabricator - if and only if the rail was rodded. If not any repair is very likely to open up over time. (rodding performs the same function as rebar in concrete; keeps the pieces together if a crack develops.)

I am sure why there is blue between the sink and granite. Some sinks like yours come with blue protective plastic. It is supposed to be removed BEFORE the sink is undermounted. If yours was not, there is no good silicone seal between the bottom of the stone and the top of the sink. This is a do-over.

hi shorthoneys, I don't know what im allowed to say here on this new fangled web site but. here goes. if you had one issue I would say sure suck it up deal with it ( not really ) but you get my drift. but more then 2...3....4.....5 come on. I saw the picture of the inside of that cabinet. omg. and near the sink that's a full fledged crack. one seam looked pretty good. inside corner miter looked ok but could have been matched better and sometimes you cant. you can only work with what mother nature made. and you pointed out a chip or what looked like an over cut. if you have a final payment to give him. imo screw humble im thinking he needs to fix some of those issues. replace or repair, again that should be your call. and yes I do this every day. and please im not doing this to get you riled up. but I know people who are crazy good at what they do and this gets me a little upset thanks

"My problem with asking for a discount for substandard work is that shows you are willing to accept substandard work." -- jellytoast

This was exactly the lightbulb moment I had this morning. I've been trying to be reasonable and optimistic for so long with my granite job, and yesterday felt the need to cut ties and get on with life. I started the silly calculations: they did a bad job on the bullnose edges, so I won't pay them for that extra, but the countertop surfaces look pretty good...except for the three 1/4-1/2" chips they said they'd try to grind down, but I'd likely end up with a depression where they grinded -- so maybe I pay them 80% for the counters. Backsplash was poorly done twice, so maybe I'll cover the cost of the granite. OK, so big deal...I got some $ shaved off the cost, but at the end of the day, it wasn't going to be about the money: I'd be stuck with a granite counter and BS that would bug me for the rest of my years.

mrsshayne - I was very specific about where I wanted certain colors/designs of the granite slabs- I didn't get to see them in person, but wanted the largest areas of movement in the prominent places in my kitchen...they did a great job of highlighting the large patterned areas I wanted in the kitchen. They ordered 3 slabs of BA for me and gave me a partial slab of Venetian gold for one of my laundry rooms- I asked for movement in the VG and they did find a piece with some movement. Unfortunately my perfect granite is now ruined. I'm so disappointed!

Joseph Corlett, LLC- My sink did not come with protective plastic, so I still have no clue what the blue line is---it looks like some type of clear caulk. Could the caulk have reacted with my copper sink?

oldryder They did not use any rods on the granite but it is backed with mesh. Thanks for the input about the slab separating over time if it doesn't have rods. This makes me want to push for complete replacement of that slab...is that the right choice?

Thanks all for your input, it is very informative and I appreciate your time and concern for my project :) I will hopefully hear back from the owner of the company tomorrow after he received my long list with photos of my concerns regarding the install.

It's good the owner is getting involved. I still don't know how the gaps on the walls will be fixed but hopefully they can make it right. The best thing is just to be honest and show him the pictures and areas of concern and express how disappointed you are. I'm not saying to be rude just express that your beautiful kitchen was coming along great and all the countertop issues are a major blow/set back. If he can't make it right then the countertops needs to be removed and you need new ones. And I would mention this during the conversation so he understands the extent of your concern, which is totally valid.

Unrodded cracks at sink rails are much easier to repair because you can get adhesive into the crack much more easily. A properly repaired crack that is supported properly and not under stress is unlikely to fail.

"A properly repaired crack that is supported properly and not under stress is unlikely to fail." true; ... but all you need is the stress from someone leaning on the rail or kneeling on the rail to change the light bulb over the sink and you have a crack again. The cabinet structure under the rail is rarely robust enough to prevent deflection of the stone if it is subject to any load.

your kitchen is beautiful! make them fix the mistakes, it does not look like you are doing a "budget" kitchen.....I am sure you expected better!

We just did our granite last week, and avoided a few meltdowns because I happened to be home and make them fix it. After your post I checked my granite for gaps....I have about a 1/4 gap between the fridge panel and the granite. But I am so over this reno.... The kurig is there and covers it! ....

The blue around your beautiful copper sink would drive me nuts!

Good luck and let us know how it goes.

Well I sent the photos to the company yesterday with my concerns and nothing today.

I was in the kitchen remodeling business for about 20 years. What I am seeing is flatly unacceptable. Long counters going up against a wall without a back splash is extremely difficult to accomplish. Most companies will not do that for you. The company you are using should have warned you about the fact that the top may have gaps. There are hardly any walls that are perfectly straight. Scribing granite to an uneven wall is very time consuming and expensive to accomplish. That is why back splashes are generally used. That all being said, nothing that you have shown on your photos is acceptable. The mess left behind is totally unavoidable. They should have used two shop vacs. One at the top at the cutting area and one below. We were able to cut out sinks in a home with very little dust. We always removed drawers and covered the tracks to insure no damage. I am sorry to hear of your issues. I hope all turns out well.

Maybe 20 years ago scribing granite to an uneven wall was time consuming. These days with lasers or photo telemetry for templating and CNC machines for cutting, the most crooked wall can be scribed to within 1/16" easily and quickly.

Supposedly on Monday the company is coming out to fix the problems. However they only plan to replace my laundry rooms slab- the VG. How can they fix the gaps without replacing the granite?

Shorthoneys: They can sacrifice your overhang. If they started at 1 1/2" and went to 1 1/4" or even 1", I'd probably take it.

IMO, when a fabricator screws up an install, he has to do whatever it takes to correct his mistakes and make the job look and function the way it is supposed to. If he cuts the granite too small leaving large gaps where there shouldn't be any, he needs to correct that. He can't just squirt caulk in the gaps and call it a day. Tre's solution above would work for the overhangs, but what about the ends of the countertop where it meets the wall or is adjacent to a cabinet? How do they intend to fix the gaps there? How do they propose to fix the yellow filled areas? The crack at the sink? The blue showing between the countertop and the sink? I would want them to be very clear in explaining how they intend to address each and every issue before proceeding.

I'm a little unclear on this ... did they consider your job completed when they left last week?

jellytoast

Yes they considered my job complete/acceptable! The owner told my husband they did use two shop vacs, which is not true, as I went to the install twice and did not see a single shop vac. I can write in the dust on my walls! I will be calling the owner today to be clear how they plan to address each issue, as you are correct- filling 1/2" gaps with caulk is not an acceptable solution.

Thanks for the input!

I am appalled that they considered your job completed. The owner of that company should be ashamed of himself.

A question for the pros ... why would they need to cut out the sink hole in the customer's home? The hole for my sink was done at the fabricators shop. Any other minor cutting that needed to be done was done outside in my driveway. When my installers left, there was no dust anywhere.

I am a fabricator. The sink hole typically is not cut out on site because it's polished. However, cooktop cutouts and large drop in sink cutouts sometimes have to be cut after the stone is set in place because the thin rails left after doing the cutout would not survive handling. Regardless; cutting on site can be done with a tolerable amount of dust if the combination of a good shop vac and some water is used to capture the dust right at the saw blade. The cabinet under the saw cut gets full of dust and has to be cleaned and any drawer slides in the cabinets should be taped off. With this procedure the actual dust introduced into the room is negligible.

hi shorthoneys, one solution for the back could be and I say could be spackle (joint compound) floated from gap to bottom of cabinet and not touching the cabinet . problem is this method does take some skill.

I cut dry on site quite a bit with few customer dust objections. There are vacuum attachments that work well, but they aren't cheap.

This is an old post, but wondering how everything turned out for you.