Just wanted to say your kitchen and counters look gorgeous. Not sure on the gap but I am curious to see how he thinks he is going to hide this.

You could use molding & caulk

What did he say when you told him there's no backsplash? I'm pretty low-key, but that 1/2" gap wouldn't fly for me. At all.

Not wonderful, but, given the complex configuration of the countertops, I can see how it happened, particularly if it wasn't clear that there would be no backsplash. Your countertops are gorgeous, and I hope you aren't considering telling the installer you want a do-over, but you could ask for an adjustment in price because of your unhappiness with this one problem.

Also, I don't particularly think having a counter just butt up to sheetrock looks good anyway, and since you don't want a backsplash, I suggest you install a simple piece of painted wood trim. This would solve the appearance issue, and look better, in my opinion.

That area needs a side splash anyway. It's naked without it.

He leveled the counter, meaning it had to be lifted in some places and most likely it couldn't be pushed back far enough, not to mention you trying to level it with the tiled back-splash in place. If the back-splash was removed prior the sheetrock could be cut back and the counter could be pushed another 1/2" or so.

You can hide the gap with back-splash, composite white shoe molding or cap like someone suggested or run a think strip of matching back-splash tile with a narrow cap (that would probably be the best way to hide it if you don't want the back-splash on that wall)

Good luck

Did anyone tell them that there wouldn’t be a backsplash? I know that when the fabricators were measuring, my contractor told them that the fit would have to be tight because we were doing back painted glass and it wasn’t very think.

Off the topic...

The person who makes the template and the fabricator who cuts the stone play a crucial role in how the stone will fit.

I noticed in the granite industry that if the installer is the same person who makes the template, the template will be made more accurate, and they will account for everything that needs to be accounted for and transfer that information to the template. In the shop after the stone is cut, installers will usually follow up and use the same template to make sure everything confirming to the template layout...It is easier to grind the stone and polish it in the shop than onsite. Last thing they want is run around with a 500 LB slab making adjustments onsite.

Fabricator who cut the stone to template, if there is a slight bow on the wall, they will cut it straight figuring minor adjustments be made in the field or the back splash will cover and 95% of the time it will if the gap within a reason.

In some rare cases you have the installer cursing in the field because template was off or something wasn't cut right, now they put the stone in, they have to take it back out, take it outside and make the adjustments outside and fit the stone again, etc.

Back on topic,

In this case, I don't think they guys had to many options with existing slab, because you cannot take this slab out and with the tile being there, makes it much more difficult and probably they had to move the stone back to clear the stone in order to raise the slab so it can be leveled and that where the 1/2" gap came from... It's not easy to work with that slab size and at the same time trying not to cause some sort of damage to the cabinets, so all you can do is try to reach in places where lifting or shimming is needed to level it.

I'm sure if they did everything possible to get everything as tight as they could without taking a chance and breaking that stone or damaging the cabinets, and they did a good job leveling, and the gap is the only concern... That gap is not a big deal, it can be easily covered and it will look real good, nobody will ever know that the molding or whatever you use, it was done to cover the gap.

Good luck... you have a beautiful kitchen!

You would need another seam there at the wall, to the right of the sink, in order to get a tighter fit. Complex shapes with out of square everything and out of level cabinets will have some gapping. It is inevitable. Especially with a retrofit.

I think that putting in a splash there out of the same material would work well. It’s what we try to do with sidewalls, especially in older homes.

Here is a low profile drip edge molding, I would use that if you want something small and you can 90 degree down to close the front edge gap and you can use a return at the other corner. Will give you a nice and a clean finish.

Backer rod, paintable caulk, and touch up paint can easily handle the corner.

Don't really care for the idea of painted trim. My vote would be to install backsplash if possible.

IMO having a counter installed with a backsplash in place was the first mistake. I see a pice of what I assume is the new backsplash how is that going to work. This is an issue that strated wrong from the get go did you actually think installing new back splash over the old was going to be agood idea. IMO put backsplash there and live and learn about how work should be done.

A complex shape as yours has it's challenges fitting around out-of-square walls. Was your top templated electronically or with a full-size mock up? Not a bad thing though. Either one should have produced a tighter fitting top than 1/4"-1/2" gap. If it were simply measured and not templated, I could see this result happening.

If I were the designer who sold this top, I would not be happy with my fabricators' fitting at that wall. I would expect it to fit tighter than the 1/2" gap.

I'm guessing here, but does the countertop fit under your back splash at the range wall or is it pushed up against it? I'm thinking that since it was installed tighter before, & they had to come back to refit for out of level, once it was re-positioned, they had trouble fitting it under the far wall back splash. Here's the problem, if your cabinetry is not plumb & level, fitting it properly will be difficult as the countertop can't flex into position. They'll have to shim it off cabinetry to do so.

I would expect at least that the 1/4" gap could be tightened up so you don't have a gap at the front edge. You'll still have roughly a 1/4" at the corner of the wall due to an out of square wall. At least that would be more acceptable & easier to caulk or cover with a side splash.

So, take a look how the countertop fits at the tile on the range wall. If it does not fit under it, that's probably where the discrepancy is coming from.

BTW...regardless of the fitting issue, it looks great!

I don't understand why the backsplash wasn't removed before the counters went in if you are planning a new backsplash.

What I would do is get some sort of liner tile for the bottom of the backsplash and run it all the way around the backsplash area.

The backsplash does go in after the countertop. But the old one is removed before.

Now you get to demo tile and hope you don’t damage the new countertops... sounds fun. :)

I agree, you can put a moulding there, but, a moulding isnt going to hide the gap from the side. I wouldnt accept that at all.

What about an inside corner profile of Schluter track in a colour (brushed SS) that matches your pulls? Put that on to cover the gap. You can get end caps for it too that might finish of the end of it.

Ask them exactly how they're going to protect your counters, cooktop, range hood, and under cabinet lights when they remove and replace the backsplash. Are they (or you) going to remove the potfiller during demo and tiling? (Cover and protect the pipe for it so it doesn't get full of dust.) Consider doing your own additional prep and protection beyond what they do. For example, an extra layer of some protective surface over everything, and even though it's not near the backsplash wall you should cover your sink to protect it from dust. Cover the cooktop really well, ditto the fans for the hood. Cover the appliances so they don't get dings in the doors.

I think it would look better with the tile going around the corner, it will look finished. If a sink wasn’t there, my opinion would be different, but the sink, justifies the tile. But..they sure will have fudge that setting mud..not great..

I'd do a sidesplash like Cook's Kitchen shows, but only an inch or so high. See if they'd be willing to do that. There must be a scrap of material left over.

I think Grover's mockup shows that you are correct to not want the tile to go there!

They did tell you right. Backsplash goes on after countertops. However, old backsplash should have already been removed before countertops.

Much better!

Looks so much better. Enjoy your new kitchen.

Much better!!

And please ignore this:

"That area needs a side splash anyway. It's naked without it."

A partial splash there would look silly in my opinion.

Lovely.

After seeing the later picks that it is a replacement top, yes get them back to push it tight. Yes, you need to specify that no splash will be there before hand, but they already had it tight. The tile shouldn't interfere because it didn't before.

Sue, that looks GORGEOUS!! I love it!! Great choices!

Looks fabulous!

It all looks very nice. Congratulations on things finally going right, and your kitchen is done. Bet you are very happy. Love the countertops and backsplash. Now it is time to add a bit of your personality in that kitchen. I would love to see some brighter accent pieces in there.

I like red with gray. But yellow works too!

Oh LOL - I had missed that! :-)

Beautiful!!!