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cherylbirth

I'm so frustrated! Quartz counter-top installation problems again

cherylbirth
4 years ago

We had our counters replaced two weeks ago because the installer used to slabs from different lots and they didn't match. The fabricators reinstalled and did a good job on the seams, but I just noticed that on the inside of our peninsula, the overhang is only 1 1/4 inches instead of 1 and 3/4 like it should be and on the opposite side of the peninsula the overhang is 12 and 1/2 instead of 12 inches. Everywhere else is fine. Any suggestions as to what to do at this point? We have already been set back for over a month because of the first replacement.

Comments (51)

  • vinmarks
    4 years ago

    Let it go. It’s not a big deal. Put the tape measure away and enjoy your kitchen.

    cherylbirth thanked vinmarks
  • lucky998877
    4 years ago

    I have some of that too, nothing looks wrong unless I put a tape measure to it....it took me years to even notice it.

    cherylbirth thanked lucky998877
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  • T B
    4 years ago

    Sounds like an error in your favor, if it's giving you more overhang on the seating side and wasn't noticeable on the working side. ;)

    cherylbirth thanked T B
  • shead
    4 years ago

    Is it bothersome for any other reason than because you know it’s incorrect?

    Would anyone else other than you ever know it’s wrong?

    If the answer to both of those is “No,” then go drink a glass of wine and let it go. It’s not worth fretting over and losing your “new kitchen joy.”

    cherylbirth thanked shead
  • cherylbirth
    Original Author
    4 years ago

    Thanks everyone. I was totally prepared to live with it, but then I realized that the whole thing is off, which means the sink isn't centered in the cabinet.


  • cherylbirth
    Original Author
    4 years ago

    photos

  • shead
    4 years ago

    How much is it off?

  • cherylbirth
    Original Author
    4 years ago

    About an inch.

  • cpartist
    4 years ago

    Guess what? No one will notice the sink is slightly off. My bathroom sinks don’t line up with my under cabinet doors and not one person has noticed

    cherylbirth thanked cpartist
  • lucky998877
    4 years ago

    Are you getting a paneled dw? You see it now because your dw space is empty. All I notice is that your faucet lines up nicely with your cabinet pulls below :)

    cherylbirth thanked lucky998877
  • shead
    4 years ago

    Hmm, it doesn't look noticeable to me in the pics you posted except for the marks you made with the tape. Is it noticeable in person or was it something you went looking for once you realized the other overhang was off?


    I'd be tempted to "let it go" but only after a phone call to the fabricator and a $$$ credit. Hopefully they'd oblige to that to avoid the negative online reviews ;)

    cherylbirth thanked shead
  • cherylbirth
    Original Author
    4 years ago

    luckyblueeye, we are just getting a regular dishwasher, so no panels. We have had so many setbacks I am seriously tempted to live with it, but only if I get a substantial discount.

  • chicagoans
    4 years ago

    Like luckyblueeye, my eye was drawn to the nice centering from the cabinet hardware to the faucet to the center of the window. It looks nice! I like your choices.

    cherylbirth thanked chicagoans
  • cherylbirth
    Original Author
    4 years ago

    Thank you, chicagoans. :)


  • Trish Walter
    4 years ago

    that's the good and bad of this forum. We know the 'ideal' but then, real world happens.

    Can't wait to see the finished kitchen as a whole. It's going to be fabulous. You've done a great job managing it.


    cherylbirth thanked Trish Walter
  • cat_ky
    4 years ago

    Looks only like 1/4 inch difference when measuring from tape edge to corner. You wouldnt notice if you hadnt measured. Since the faucet is centered perfectly with the hardware on the doors, just remove the tape and put it in the trash, and put your measuring tape back in the drawer. It looks great. Changing it even a bit would be much more noticable, because if the sink is even moved a tiny amount, it will no longer be centered with the cabinet hardware. I remember the first install, and it definitely was not done right. Quite honestly, this look very nice.

  • Sammy
    4 years ago

    The sink is noticeably not centered on the window. If the countertop was installed correctly, would everything line up? There’s really no excuse for things to be off kilter. And the suggestion by some (I’ve seen it on other discussions, too) to “Have a glass of wine” when these situations arise is, quite frankly, dismissive and condescending.

    cherylbirth thanked Sammy
  • cherylbirth
    Original Author
    4 years ago
    last modified: 4 years ago

    Thank you, Trish. cat_ky, it's not a huge difference but it's frustrating that there's been another screw-up after the first one. Sammy, thank you! The sink is supposed to be centered under the window, and if the counters were done right the sink would be centered to the window better, but the windows might also be slightly off. I really wanted everything to be as perfect as possible, but after two years without a kitchen, I'm also ready for it to be done. The fabricator is supposed to call me in the morning and we'll see what can be done, if anything.

  • shead
    4 years ago

    I disagree that those comments are dismissive and condescending. They are based in the reality that NOTHING is ever going to 100% correct in any home project. Nothing. Many of us have BTDT too many times to count over the years and have gotten our "feathers in a ruffle" over things that end up not being such big deals in the long run and certainly weren't worth the emotional drain/distress they caused us "in the moment."


    Many of us also have learned the hard way that, in effort to fix all the little things that are not done 100% correctly, we end up creating bigger problems for ourselves in the long run. We are simply trying to tell the OP that it's okay to let things like this go that are unnoticeable to anyone but her and that are otherwise FINE. Why let this ruin the joy of having a brand new kitchen? When one goes looking for faults, there's plenty to be found.


  • PRO
    Creative Design Cabinetry
    4 years ago

    Not too big a deal.

  • Sammy
    4 years ago

    We are simply trying to tell the OP that it's okay to let things like this go that are unnoticeable to anyone but her and that are otherwise FINE.


    She is the customer. If she notices it, that’s all that matters.


    cherylbirth thanked Sammy
  • vinmarks
    4 years ago

    I'm sorry but I think the OP is being unrealistic. Nothing is going to be 100% perfect. I have never measured my counter overhangs since we built our house almost 2 years ago. I did today to actually see what they were. None of them were the same. Can you discern the difference with the naked eye? Nope. I also realized today that my sink faucet is it not totally centered on the 2 casement windows.

  • cherylbirth
    Original Author
    4 years ago
    last modified: 4 years ago

    vinmarks, I'm glad you're happy with your kitchen, truly. But just because something doesn't bother you, and the others here who feel like I'm being too picky, doesn't mean that it *shouldn't* bother me. I had those windows installed so that the sink would be centered under the middle one, and had it been done correctly, it would have been. I don't think it's at all unreasonable to expect a fabricator to measure correctly and center the sink opening in the cabinet.

  • shead
    4 years ago

    https://www.houzz.com/discussions/5807674/is-it-possible-to-lighten-a-quartz-seam


    Is this thread the reason that you got your countertops replaced? Were all replaced or certain sections? IOW, did the "off center" occur because of the replacement? Are you going to ask that they be replaced again because of it?

    cherylbirth thanked shead
  • Trish Walter
    4 years ago

    Sometimes folks need reassurance. This is a long stressful process and it gets overwhelming. So objective eyes that think it looks acceptable or unacceptable help us process it all and decide from there what to do.


    cherylbirth thanked Trish Walter
  • cherylbirth
    Original Author
    4 years ago
    last modified: 4 years ago

    shead, the seams weren't the reason the counters were replaced. The fabricator used two slabs from different lots, and they didn't quite match. It's against Caesarstone's guidelines so they had the fabricator do it over and that's how this happened. I know the measurements weren't exactly the same the second time because we had to cut into the wall to make them fit where they were too wide. At this point, I would be happy with either a discount, or them taking these out and recutting them. They don't need to be replaced, just have about 3/4" cut off of the center slab so everything lines up. However, I don't know if they can be removed without messing up the other side of the seam.

  • cherylbirth
    Original Author
    4 years ago

    Also, thank you Trish and Anglophilia.


  • Steph H
    4 years ago

    That would bug the hell out of me.

    cherylbirth thanked Steph H
  • cherylbirth
    Original Author
    4 years ago

    Steph, it's especially exasperating since we were so careful to get all the other measurements right so everything would line up.

  • cherylbirth
    Original Author
    4 years ago

    Okay, so the fabricator came out today and offered to fix it or give us a discount. As much as the sink being off center bugs me, I'm happy with the seams now and I'm worried that I won't be if they are hand ground, which they would be in order to fix it, I decided to go with the discount.

  • Trish Walter
    4 years ago

    cheryl, I'm glad they were able to offer discount/solution. I really can't tell it's off center when I look at your pictures. It's probably less noticeable in real life. And especially if you are good with the seams, I think you made a good call.


    cherylbirth thanked Trish Walter
  • cherylbirth
    Original Author
    4 years ago

    Thank you, Trish. :)


  • cherylbirth
    Original Author
    4 years ago

    Yeah, I'll get right on that.

  • PRO
    Joseph Corlett, LLC
    4 years ago

    I was a countertop fabricator years ago and missed the sink center in my own home by an inch or so. Fortunately, it was a 60/40 which threw your eye off.

    cherylbirth thanked Joseph Corlett, LLC
  • cherylbirth
    Original Author
    4 years ago

    That makes me feel better. :)


  • Opdos
    3 years ago

    cherylbirth

    this EXACT same thing just happened to me. I'm glad I read this. My peninsula (2nd slab after first one was truly cut too short by over an inch) has an overhang of less than 1 1/4" and some of the other parts of the kitchen are up to 1 3/4" My eye is seeing it and driving me nuts. Have you been able to come to terms with this?

  • cherylbirth
    Original Author
    3 years ago

    Opdos, I honestly don't notice it anymore and nobody else has either. I was too afraid to risk damaging the cabinets to replace them and I'm glad now that I didn't. There were several other things that really bugged me at the time that I don't notice any more either.

  • Opdos
    3 years ago

    I'm in that same boat. We had to rip out the first peninsula that was cut too short---there was no fixing it as it had to adjoin the side of the fridge panels at one end and surround a structural post at the other. We were so worried it would wreck the new cabinets when they tore it out. Well, that part went fine and now this overhang on the front is too short. And it's the first thing you see when you walk in the kitchen not to mention I originally wanted it cut at 2.5" overhang instead of 1.5" so the countertop would be the same depth as the 27" deep fridge panels. Well they talked me out of that but now that they shorted the overhang, the fridge panels stick out even more! And although this slab is "fine" my other slab that the first peninsula was cut from was absolutely beautiful and I took a lot of time picking it out. I don't want to seem like the pickiest person in the world, but geez! Can't we get it right!!??? I hope it will not bug me forever. We waited so long for this all new kitchen and I want to love it! Glad yours has stopped bugging you....you are the hope I'm hanging on to right now!


  • cherylbirth
    Original Author
    3 years ago

    It's extremely frustrating to spend all that money and have things go wrong. Can you post a picture of the area you are talking about? My fridge panels extend past the counter but that was intentional because it's deeper than the cabinets.


  • PRO
    Joseph Corlett, LLC
    3 years ago

    Tops should die into fridge panels, not be flush or extend past.

  • Opdos
    3 years ago
    last modified: 3 years ago

    Here are a some pics and my dilemma. Keep in mind this is my old fridge...new one comes today!

    Here is how we ended up with this: I have never had an enclosed fridge so didn't think about the peninsula dying into panels or how deep panels were going to be. I "semi" designed the new footprint and took it to Lowe's where the KD took over. (yes---I know......) Bought Schuler plywood with maple fronts cabinets. Although the kitchen designer had the model number of the fridge we were buying, which is a full-size, she designed the kitchen with 24" deep panels. She knew I was trying to have the look of an enclosed fridge. Being that I've never had an enclosed fridge, it was something I just didn't think of until the install started. Evidently she put a counter-depth in the design program because the elevation sketches she gave me showed an enclosed fridge.

    "Luckily" the panels actually came in wrong and were cut at only 23" for some strange reason and the installer caught it right away when looking over everything. Otherwise he probably would have installed them and I would be stuck. So called Lowe's to reorder the panels and somehow in all this it suddenly dawned on me that a full size fridge was going to be deeper and require deeper panels. I thought "no problem! Yay I can order them at 30!" By this time the KD had quit her job due to the pandemic. The other KD didn't know what was going on so we called in the Schuler rep. She was the one who immediately told me that those 30" panels would be sticking out in front of the peninsula. She asked if we could move the peninsula forward since the other side is an overhang for seating, but we couldn't since it would bottleneck the entrance into the kitchen down to under 36" and getting rid of an existing bottleneck was one of the reasons for the re-design to start with.

    So we had a dilemma. We cannot go down to a counter depth fridge which was the other option. What I decided was to split the difference and order 27" refrigerator panels. The fridge without doors is 29.5" so I will have about 3" of the side of the fridge sticking out which I don't like, but while I want my kitchen to look beautiful, I value the functionality too. The old fridge that you see in the pic sticks out a total of 32" The new fridge will stick out 34 with doors but without handles (4.5" of that is doors that would stick out anyway)

    Here's the really complicated part....we will be installing decorative panels on the end of the fridge as we have them on all the cabinets. This is how you enter the kitchen and I don't want that big blank space there next to the peninsula. The panels should be installed with just 1/4" reveal. I posted a photo below of how the panels look that are already installed on the side of the pantry that adjoins to a 17" high window seat. Luckily those face the opposite way from the fridge panels so you will never see both at the same time. I also posted photos of us holding up panels on the side of the fridge (they are NOT the right size panels...we have to order those still---we just used these to look at the right edge as to how wide to make the panels.)

    Also keep in mind we can remove the quartz backsplash piece if that would look better. That was not originally planned...the panels were going to sit directly on top of the countertop.












    So do we order the panels with just the 1/4" reveal to match the panels in the rest of the kitchen? Or, as the Schuler rep recommended, order the panels so they are the same width with the countertop, leaving about 1 3/4" reveal on the right side, but then your eye follows the countertop all the way up.

    I asked the countertop templater guy if I should just lengthen the overhang on the kitchen side of the peninsula to 2.5" to bring it out to within 1/4" of the fridge panel but he said no....I'm now thinking I should have insisted on it. Especially since we have full overlay cabinets that already make the overlay look very small since the 1.5" planned overhang is measured from the box, not the front of the drawers. Note how small the overhang looks to the drawers. And then of course, they had templated for a 1.5" overhang and I only got 1.25" UGH! Every quarter inch there would have made the reveal on the side of the fridge less.

    Suggestions appreciated! I'm hoping that I will eventually make peace in my mind with this issue and won't notice it but it is driving me crazy right now. I think of all the things that screwed up just because of this one error by the KD that I didn't catch and I am beating myself up for it!

  • PRO
    The Kitchen Place
    3 years ago

    I personally would prefer the big flat area vs the loose applied doors...the full overlay panels look heavy to me. My eye would be drawn to how the panels would be offset. This should have been planned out in the design phase. Flat stock could have been run around instead or the bases pulled flush so it all lined up....a lot depends on the specs of EVERYTHING. Every little thing affects other things and those things really need to be thought out ahead of time.


    The counters usually die in to the ref. panel...not stick out passed it....much like you have it done.

    Consider artwork or a small flat screen tv? Or do a simple flat applied molding to dress it up. But I would prefer it just flat.

  • Opdos
    3 years ago

    Hi Kitchen Place....thanks for the input. Never thought of applied molding but that might be a good idea if we could think of something that would not make it look very different from the rest of the kitchen. Yes, it actually WAS planned out in the design phase, but the designer put in the 24" panels and a counter-depth fridge which was wrong since she had asked and I had sent her the exact fridge model at least a month before we ordered the cabinets.

    We could not pull the bases up as it would cut the entry into the kitchen down to 36-ish and we had a bottle neck before which we were making sure we designed to get rid of.

    When you said "flat stock could have been run around" what did you mean. I want to be sure we have explored all our options. Thank you for your ideas!





  • JuneKnow
    3 years ago

    Counters should die into deeper objects. They should never stick out. What you have is correct.

  • Opdos
    3 years ago

    Thanks JuneKnow. Someone said on here somewhere that the countertops had to be even with the fridge panels, I thought. Your comment makes me feel a little better about it. Now to figure out how to do those panels...or what to do about the big ugly side blank side!


  • millworkman
    2 years ago

    "Measure everything twice before cutting!"


    Awesome advice almost a year later!!

  • sushipup1
    2 years ago

    "Jeffrey Gregory" is a spammer. Please flag.

  • Erica MZ
    last year

    This sounds so stressful, especially after all your careful planning.  I hope you are happy with everything now 😊

    cherylbirth thanked Erica MZ
  • cherylbirth
    Original Author
    last year

    @Erica MZ I am. There are definitely a few things I would have done differently but in the end I feel very, very lucky to have the kitchen that I do. It's got tons of counterspace and tons of storage and since we did a lot of it ourselves it's gratifying to enjoy the results of all that work. No regrets!