"They are the company that sold this sink and they DO NOT provide any replacement cost included in the warranty. This is something that consumers should be aware of."

That's pretty standard practice, and pretty common knowledge. I'm sorry you weren't aware of that, but I think that Blanco has gone above and beyond what they needed to by sending you a new one, considering that we don't even know at this point if it was a manufacturer's defect or an installation error.

Regardless, labor to replace the sink shouldn't be too bad. :)

Pogomom-

Send Blanco the bill for the sink replacement along with your pictures. Make sure your plumber writes "defective sink" on the bill. I've been reimbursed labor costs for reinstalling a number of defective products, you just have to ask.

"They are the company that sold this sink and they DO NOT provide any replacement cost included in the warranty. This is something that consumers should be aware of."

And normally written in the warranty as well.....................

The take-away from this isn't that a certain type of sink can fail... the take-away is that you need a plan for dealing with warranty work when you hire a contractor. Included in those details should be who will be responsible for defective materials and the labor to replace them.

pogomom:

We still haven't heard about where your contractor is on all of this. Did you review your contract? What is there about warranty repairs?

pogomom, that's a bummer. I don't think that you are overreacting. No doubt there are plenty of satisfied Silgranit users, but here is an old thread that spans 2009 to 2018 with several other folks reporting the same. Just do a search and you will find others. We only know about the few unhappy people on here who have complained that it happened to them, but what about folks that aren't on these forums or those that chose not to go public? During my research I found that Silgranit and fireclay had similar potential issues so they were scratched off my sink list. After reading suggestions to test a Silgranit sink with baby powder to locate hairline cracks before installation, or running cold water while you are dumping hot water, or trying to hit the drain with hot pasta water - all seemed so ridiculous to me. Even if I were absolutely in love with silgranit, the potential risks outweigh the benefits. If I were you, I would take the 'free' sink, sell it, and try to find another type of sink that will fit your cutout. Why risk it again? I hope that Joe's friends can help you out.

[beware-of-blanco-silgranit-sinks-and-other-hindsights[(https://www.houzz.com/discussions/beware-of-blanco-silgranit-sinks-and-other-hindsights-dsvw-vd~2486218)

Why should a contractor be responsible for providing free labor to replace a defective product?

Around here, if the contractor provided the materials, they will usually also eat the labor cost of repairs -- at least within the first year or so. It's just their cost of doing business and it's factored into the cost of the project.

If it has been more than a year, or if the home-owner provided the materials, then it depends a lot on how much the contractor values the relationship with the home owner. They might do the work for free, because they want to do the home owner a favor. But more often than not, it would be on the homeowner to pay in this situation.

ksc36: Your information is not accurate or helpful.

The manufacturer's warranty is not meaningless and consumer protection laws and implied warranties are not applicable.

There is no implied warranty for installation labor.

"Why should a contractor be responsible for providing free labor for a defective product?"

So let's back up a bit...

To begin with we don't know that the product was defective. We know that it was cracked/broken - that's all we know. We don't know if it was defective; We don't know if it was damaged in shipping (hairline crack); if it was damaged in installation; or if it was damaged post-installation. That the manufacturer would replace it without any argument actually speaks well of the manufacturer.

So here's the issue from any manufacturer's viewpoint: They should not be liable for a cost beyond what was paid to them. So, for example, in the case of a sink - they were not paid to install the sink. They didn't make any revenue off of the installation of the sink. The limit of their liability is for the sink itself. They are not going to accept the potentially unlimited liability for the labor of replacing a sink because that is so disproportional to the revenue from the item that was sold.

In your example of the automobile alternator - they did manufacture/assemble the entire automobile.

There is nothing "Free" about any warranty. Warranty replacement/repair costs are built into every product and service. Like insurance, warranties spread the cost of defects across many customers. A contractor and his customer knows that there is the possibility of callbacks / warranty work / defective product. They want to avoid finger-pointing and litigating who is responsible. Therefore a smart consumer and contractor will determine up-front how this is going to be handled. A contractor will mark-up everything on the job, in part to cover this type of warranty.

More to the point: When the customer purchases a product or service, they agree to the warranty terms as well - which are put in writing to avoid any assumptions.

Sometimes manufacturers will go beyond what is required of them in the interest of building customer loyalty -- but that's not a given. Trashing a manufacturer online is not a good plan to inspire them to go beyond a written warranty.

The OP's contractor is in a good position to advocate on behalf of the customer. The customer may purchase 1 or 2 of these items in a lifetime... a contractor will be in the position to recommend or steer a client away from a product many times over. The contractor may be able to work out some partial credit for the labor.

Again - the lesson here is not that a sink - or any other product -- can have a problem. The lesson is that you need a plan, up front, on how to deal with it.

You might want to tell all those manufacturers that settled for millions of dollars in class action suits that they weren't liable.

Not to belabor but I would be hard pressed to think of any warranty that does more than agrees to repair or replace the defective product. As others have posted, the manufacturer has agreed to replace the sink without giving you any hassle regarding whether it was actually a manufacturing defect so the manufacturer is essentially guaranteeing the sink absolutely without regard for causation for the period of the warranty.

Absent unusual circumstances - i.e. a manufacturers' defect that causes bodily harm - e.g. the infamous Pinto gas tank - a manufacturer could not possibly agree to cover costs of repair and replacement of everything - i.e. consequential damages because it would be impossible to factor in the cost of such replacement since the sink costs (I think) at most $500 and the profit on the sink would be considerably less considering that there would be a markup by the distributor from wholesale price. The cost of a new counter (potentially) plus installation would far exceed the cost of the sink. Even the most expensive sinks (i.e. Rachielle) which are guaranteed for life don't cover anything but the actual replacement cost of the sink although I think Rachielle will cover the shipping costs.

It's unfortunate but it appears that a very experienced sink/counter person (Joe) has advised there is a relatively inexpensive fix and has even provided you with his recommended sources to do the repairs.

Some one asked for more info. I purchased both my blanco Silgranite sinks from Pacific Sales along with a beautiful Blanco Culino faucet and Blanco drains and drain covers. I did extensive research and read so much here and elsewhere about the pros and cons of the different sink materials. I almost went with the Kohler cast iron apron, but i wanted my two sinks to match and the silgranit price and reputation were very good. I was not aware that cracking of Silgranit material was a possibility. I had heard that fireclay was prone to cracking and I eliminated it for that reason. I provided the silgranit sinks to my contractor and it was installed by the quartzite fabricator and the plumber hooked up the faucets and drains and garbage disposals. My contractor did not provide any warranty on my sink, nor did i think that he had responsibility. I strongly feel that the consumer should have the right to know of the risk and incidence of failure of this particular sink material prior to purchase and that it should be public information. I know this has happened to others, and it is not a rare occurrence. There must be statistics on how often the silgranit material cracks. In my case it was 50%, one of my two sinks cracked in the first 6 months. I could only guess about how often it happens to others, probably somewhere between 2% and 20%. It sure would be nice to know.

pogomom:

I understand what you are saying and why you are angry.

The internet does give us a heads-up on some of these issues before we buy. Sometimes though we don't know what to even search for. Contractors who are familiar with a product can be a good source also.

Remember though that what we see online are the folks who had unusually good or bad experiences. You often don't hear of the "yes, everything went as planned"... because those people are not motivated to post.

Since you purchased the sinks, you are correct, your contractor is mostly off the hook.

Do take Joe's advice. I think that in your anger you may be overestimating the cost of fixing the issue. I don't want to minimize someone else's pain, but if you are out $500-1000, that sucks... but it's a small fraction of the cost of your kitchen project. You have a beautiful kitchen.

We bought a house with a Price Pfister faucet that the PO had put in. Several years later, it cracked, and P-P sent me a new one free. It really is a lifetime warranty. But no, it didn't cover the labor. (I learned several years ago that I think it is entirely worthwhile to hire a plumber to put in a kitchen faucet. I can do it successfully, but I'd much rather let someone else do it.)

I don't imagine there is any product on earth that is manufactured that does not occasionally have a manufacturing flaw. Some are finicky and may be hard to install and are thus prone to installation problems. If one is looking for 100% track record, one would live in the middle of their lot with nothing between them and the elements!

I think if this were a major problem for this company, we all would know about it. It happens. And they did what was right. Get over it.

It's easy to be smug and to say 'get over it' when it hasn't happened to you. And by the way, we all know about it now.

pogomom:

Here's how you fix this:

After disconnecting the drain, beat that sink to death with a hammer; you won't harm the stone. Clean all that white silicone from the edge and stone bottom. Screw a Sink Strap (Regent Stone Products) to the cabinet walls, one behind and one in front of the drain. Dunk the new sink through the cutout. If it won't go, take it through the doors. If you have a divider, unscrew it or tap the cabinet front off.

Run a bar clamp through a 2x4 that spans the deck and through the sink drain hole. Bring the sink up to about an inch from the top bottom. Clean the sink flange and stone bottom with acetone. Reinstall the cabinet front if it was removed. Pump clear silicone onto the sink flange, raise the sink, snug the clamp and check your reveals. Snug the Sink Straps, you should have lots of nice silicone squeeze-out, pull the bar clamp, Windex the squeeze-out, spit on your finger, and wipe it away.

Hook up the drain. You're done.

Thanks for the detailed instructions. The Regent Sink Straps look good. I also found "cinclips" on amazon and we will have both on hand as well as a clutch-style bar clamp and 2x4 for the swap. It sounds like removing the old sink may be the most difficult part. I will update and post pics after we get it installed. But first i need to host a large wedding rehearsal dinner party for for our son and hope no-one tries to use my broken sink. I still stand by my original opinion, I would NEVER recommend the Silgranit sink material due to the failure of this material in my home.

The sink possibly cracked because of the use of the garbage disposal that may or may not have been installed properly. But that's ok. Keep blaming the sink company who fully complied with the warranty if it makes you feel better. NEVER NEVER NEVER. Just copying your post.

Using your logic I will never buy Michelin tires because I once got a flat and will defend to the death my plans to convince one and all to avoid Michelin tires.

Apply a nice blob of silicone over the crack on the outside of the sink. It will be ugly, but waterproof for your party.

Just bought my first Blanco sink. The supply company charged me $100 for their freight from the East Coast to the West Coast to their warehouse where I picked it up. Only checked for color by peeking into the box. Drove it 140 miles one way to my job site for the contractor to install when my slabs came today. When they took it out of the box, it had two -- not one but two large cracks in it. Not off to a good start.

I've probably installed a hundred Elkay Quartz Luxe sinks. The first one cracked from shipping appeared a few weeks ago. Rare.

Joseph Corlett, since you have installed both Elkay and Blanco sinks, which one would you recommend that I purchase? I need to buy a new sink for replacing our old acrylic sink and laminate countertops; new countertop will be quartz. I love the look of cast iron and fire clay, but I am worried about staining and crazing. I am researching quartz sinks as an alternative.

I haven't installed enough Blancos to have an opinion, however, their stainless steel sinks are exceptional. The composite for the Elkay Quartz Luxe seems particularly dense and slick to me. I've installed a hundred or so with not a complaint yet.

Thank you for your feedback!

What is your opinion on fire clay sinks, Joseph Corlett?

I have an undermount Blanco Silgranit II for my island sink. The first one arrived cracked in the box. Its replacement, however, arrived fine and I have had no problems with it at all. I also have as my main sink an undermount cast iron sink (Kohler Riverby). It came with a grate and stains and scratches haven’t been an issue.

There are apparently superior materials to fireclay. It's unrepairable and it breaks.

My granite countertop was being nstalled and this new Blanco Silgranit sink cracked during installation! A large 9 inch crack! The entire countertop installation had to be stopped and delayed until a different sink was arrived.

Mom

I hope you see this question and can answer it for me. I am re-doing a kitchen where there is only one sink. Having both silgranite and a cast iron sink at the same time, which material do you prefer and why? I am struggling with what material sink to use.

Thanks so much.

I know you didn’t ask me, but I prefer my fireclay to my silgranite. I do like that I was able to match my counter prep sink to my charcoal quartz, though.

Julieste,

If I only had one sink I would have the enameled cast iron. I haven’t had any problems with the Silgranit, but the cast iron is a little easier to clean. (It does have a rack which probably helps.)

Thanks so much. Two of you now just said that the silgranite comes in #2 for you.

I have a Blanco double kitchen sink that I just noticed a hairline crack in it. No idea how long it has gone unnoticed. It does seep water. The sink was installed in our new home less than eight years ago. Removing it will take some cabinet work. Also, I notice Blanco wants a receipt of purchase before replacement; I no longer have that. Looks like a temporary epoxy repair may be the best solution..?

Keith:

Depending on the size of the cabinet and the size of the sink, you may have to tap your cabinet front off to replace the sink. Don't even think of pulling the top please.

My Blanco Precis sink cracked after 6 months. I would never buy another one either. I have to try to deal with getting it fixed now and am not looking forward to it.

Cracked, faded, and leaking Blanco out.

Beautiful stainless steel Blanco in.

The reveals are off a tad. Big deal.

Two hours, but I fixed the front rail seam, tightened the soap dispenser, and unsuccessfully played with my vacuum pods for a bit.

@Joseph Corlett Wondering how old that faded sink you replaced is? We have a Blanco Silgranit sink that is the same dark grey as the one in your photo and after 3 years it is still exactly like new. Zero maintenance, look fantastic. (Also much quieter and easier to keep clean than stainless steel). It's one of our favourite upgrades in the kitchen. We want it to last forever!

I don't know how old the sink was. I'm fairly sure the top is Cambria Bellingham so if we knew how long that's been around that may be a clue.

The first comment on Houzz for Cambria Bellingham that I could find was 2008, but comments started picking up steam in 2011. Blanco Silgranit comments on Houzz also began in 2008 so I guess it depends on if the person was an "early adopter" or not. The early Silgranit comments were about how to remove white hard water stains, and it turns out the trick is Barkeeper's Friend and mineral oil. Luckily I don't have hard water so I haven't faced the issue but maybe that's the issue with that person's sink... I hope so!

I am just picking countertops and a supplier mentioned that they will not be responsible at all for cracked and/or broken composite sinks. He said they are so hard that they are brittle and crack right out of the box. I really wanted a sink with color, but yet another headache I do not need.

I've replaced cracked stainless steel sinks. Rare, but it happens. Get what you want please. Changing an undermount sink is a two-hour job.

Ms. Mastromatto, You could buy your sink from Wayfair. That is what we did because they are awesome for customer service. Our sink was perfect so no issue there and our installer had no issue either. Before that we ordered pendant lights from Wayfair and while I was putting in the first bulb, I dropped the frosted glass plate that hides the bulb and broke it. I wrote to them to see if I could get a new glass plate. They misunderstood what I broke and sent me a whole new pendant light free! Another time I ordered a pair of chairs from them. The left arm of one of the chairs was cracked when I opened the box. I wrote them and they sent me a whole new *pair* of chairs. Then a month later they sent me a replacement arm. So now I have four chairs for the price of two!

I have a silgranit sink from blanco which is 4 months old and just cracked as well. It cracked in a place (back side 3 inches up from bottom, horizontal crack 5 inches long) which was unlikely to be caused by anything other than a defective product. I am frankly barfing at the people on this forum who are saying the manufacturer is doing all they can/should do by providing a replacement sink. Nobody would want a replacement sink where they already have a poor quality controlled sink from a company, now knowing that they are not the only one. The company should offer a refund and labor install for the replacement. Not saying that they will do that without a fight but that is what they should do. I dont really want to hear from people who think a manufacturer should not do that because no warranty covers that. If a manufacturer is reputable, and not simply trying to cover itself, it will evaluate cases for good will and preservation of its brand name and act accordingly. I have not yet submitted my case either to the store where i bought it or blanco so i dont know if they will react with good will. Also, the idea that a garbage disposal could cause this is ludicrous. This is advertized as strong, and impervious to everyday wear. the store said that the sink was basically indestructible. I have a 400.00 insinkerator disposal which is barely audible and super low vibrations. If a sink cant stand up to that (or any other name brand disposal) then it should not be sold.

Update: I am already hearing from the distributor (not the seller - the seller immediately passed the buck to the distributor who i have no agreement with) that Blanco doesnt cover labor, nor will they swap out for a stainless sink (even a Blanco brand). The way i hear this is Blanco has every right to sell you a defective sink for a custom installation and yet have no responsibility for the damage it causes except to ship you another defective sink. This is what i expected. They know that most people wont want to play hardball for what might be under 1k worth of damages. We shall see.

James:

The good news is that your undermount sink can be changed in several hours, plumbing included, without pulling the tops.

Just curious, are you saying this is true for all undermount sinks? Why would other sinks be more difficult. Isn't a top mount even easier?

Or are you saying that this particular undermount sink is easy to change out, and others aren't?

Just a little confused by how to read your statement. But of course glad to hear that this is a relatively tractable job.

"Just curious, are you saying this is true for all undermount sinks?"

Almost all. Some can be a more difficult than others, but they'll all come out the front without removing the top.

"Why would other sinks be more difficult. Isn't a top mount even easier?"

Some sinks are heavier and secured with blocking that can be more difficult to remove. Composite sinks can often be beaten to death, making removal easiest of all. Just make sure they didn't epoxy it in place first. Top mounts are easiest.

I am replying to a very old thread- Just noticed a crack in my 8 yr old Blanco Silgranit sink. Wondering how to tell ahead of time whether it was expoxied in? I saw mention of a repair kit on another site, but only see counter repair kits. Wondering if that would be a viable fix, even if temporary, since the crack isn't leaking all the way through (yet). thanks! I have been very happy with these sinks- just put one in a vacation home too.

HU:

See if you can tap a stiff scraper between the sink flange and the bottom of the stone please. Start at either side of the sink where the stone is widest. An epoxied sink will be very resistant and will have to be cut out with a multi-tool.

Look and feel under the sink at the flange for squeeze-out. Silicone will remain somewhat soft; epoxy will be hard as stone.

Replace your sink please. Even a repaired crack is unsanitary.