Quartz backsplash seams too noticable

7 months ago

Hi I'm new posting here but after a lot of research I thought I would solicit some opinions. I recently had my quartz countertop and backsplash installed, countertop first. The one seam on the countertop is next to invisible as seen in picture. However the one seam on the backsplash is 1/16th of an inch wide and can be seen from 15 feet away. It is next to the sink and aligned with the cupboards. The shop has said they have no plans to redo it but will send someone out to 'beautify' it. My question is, why would this seam have been so much wider than the countertop? It was a different team, is it just lack of skill? And if they refuse to redo it, what can they actually do to make it look less conspicuous? Should I push back hard on this? There is a tiny bit of lippage on the backsplash seam near the bottom as well. I'm so disappointed with this especially after seeing the excellent job they did on the counter.

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julie smrke
Original Author

6 months ago

Thought I would give an update which might be useful for others who may be getting a quartz backsplash. I did talk to the company about it and they sent someone to look at it. He explained to me some technical challenges the installer may have had but admitted it could have been done better and that he would be able to do better. He made a report to his management and they approved him to return and redo the seam. which he did. The seam is now less than 1/32 of an inch, almost hairline and light. It is barely noticable and is exactly what I had originally expected. I am extremely happy and satisfied with this company, both their work and their customer service is exemplary. They are Urban Quarry in Ottawa Ontario and come highly recommended.

My advice to other customers would be to discuss expectations with the company you are working with and both pictures and measurements are worth a thousand words. I also read fabrication and installation guides from a number of quartz manufacturers and all stated that seams must not be greater than 1/16 inch and that 1/32 is preferable. So if you have a 1/16 inch seam you got the bare minimum. Another piece of advice….if you don’t ask for or expect excellence you likely won’t get it.

Now to address Joseph Corlett, LLC ’s rude and uncalled for comment. For a business man to put down customers on a public forum makes me shake my head. Or perhaps you should give your head a shake! You’ve basically put out there that discerning customers need not apply. Not once was I made to feel that I was being a ’bad’ customer. Excellent customer service along with highly skilled labour differentiates the cream of the crop from the run of the mill. I will leave you to guess which slot I feel you fit into.

As for Renee Beck’s comment … yep that floor is hideous and on its way out. Is being replaced with a floating floor which is why it was not done prior to kitchen install.

And yes the quartz goes behind the range. I have an induction range so I am not too concerned with heat damage. But time will tell.

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Comments (16)

julie smrke
Original Author
7 months ago
julie smrke
Original Author
7 months ago
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This looks so ugly and breaks our heart after spending thousands of dollars on the slab and labor. The GC says that is not a big deal and we can just add another piece of trim. He says that most times walls are not straight and trims hide it. To me it seem unacceptable as there should not be a trim in the first place and the backsplash should be the thing hiding any gaps. The trim solution looks ugly. Your enemy here is the concept of perfection ... and Pinterest. Saying they have "ruined thousands of dollars" of materials is going overboard, making a catastrophe of something minor. This is not a horrible thing, and once the kitchen is finished and filled with all the accessories, you won't see this like you do today. I cook every day and I bake, I deep fry, I broil. There is no sign of heat damage to the Formica after 50 years of use. We all know that Formica is plastic and not exceptionally heat resistant. Eh, look at these two pictures, taken from this thread ... what difference do you see? The second stove has a back, which protects the formica from the worst of the heat. That can make a big difference in whether the backsplash becomes discolored. Believe it or not, laminate tops are a lot more durable than people give them credit for. Folks had them in their homes for many years. Eh, I think maybe it used to be better than it is now. When we moved into this house 20 years ago we had the original laminate /formica ... the pattern was hideous, and some of the edges were torn off, but the main work spaces were in perfect condition ... and it was over 30 years old. We replaced it with new laminate (because the kitchen is huge, and it's what we could afford then), and it is now badly scratched up ... you'd think we use knives directly on it.
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julie smrke
Original Author
7 months ago
julie smrke
Original Author
7 months ago
millworkman
7 months ago
I see absolutely nothing wrong.
vinmarks
7 months ago
That looks good. They did a nice job matching up the gray veining. Is this same backsplash behind your range/cooktop? And if so what do the specs say about the installation and clearance to combustibles?
PRO
HALLETT & Co.
7 months ago
The photos seem to show a sink…
M Miller
7 months ago
@Hallett, if you were responding to @vinmarks’ comment, they are talking about the space in the photo that is to the left of the sink.
vinmarks
7 months ago
I see the empty space where a range/ cooktop might go plus I can't see the rest of the kitchen that is why I asked if the backsplash is behind a range/cooktop. We see that often on here.
Renee Beck
7 months ago
The flooring is what’s got my attention, not the seam.
BPMBA
7 months ago
Once your kitchen is done, I don't think you'll even notice the seam, Agree with others that's a great job of lining up the veining.
RoyHobbs
6 months ago
@julie smrke thank you for that follow-up, that is very helpful. It's also good to hear a good outcome because so many people come on here and report they did not get that kind of response from their contractors. A lot of ghosting unfortunately. As to Joseph Corlett's comment about customer selection skills, he has been saying that same phrase repeatedly for the years I've been on this forum, and I am guessing far longer. That's his tag line. Like Burger King's famous tag line "Have it your way". Except the opposite. Can't do much about it, but that's the internet.
julie smrke thanked RoyHobbs
julie smrke
Original Author
6 months ago
@RoyHobbs ’Except the opposite’…too funny! Thanks for the laugh!
vinmarks
6 months ago
If your range vents out the back it could be an issue. Just look at the specs for the range and that will tell you how much clearance you need to combustibles. Some ranges are fine with a quartz backsplash and some are not. Many times it is not just the top burners of the range you need to worry about but the oven vents out the back on top.
PRO
Joseph Corlett, LLC
6 months ago
"Now to address Joseph Corlett, LLC ’s rude and uncalled for comment. For a business man to put down customers on a public forum makes me shake my head. Or perhaps you should give your head a shake! You’ve basically put out there that discerning customers need not apply. Not once was I made to feel that I was being a ’bad’ customer. Excellent customer service along with highly skilled labour differentiates the cream of the crop from the run of the mill. I will leave you to guess which slot I feel you fit into."

Fair enough. While my seaming abilities need no improvement, I could practice a bit on my tone.

Quartz backsplash seams too noticable

julie smrke
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Comments (16)

julie smrke
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julie smrke
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Quartz backsplash seams too noticable

julie smrkeOriginal Author

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