You need to pull back and show this from a distance. Also, a closeup that close should have a ruler showing the actual width. It doesn't look too wide at all in the closeup. It looks well within the MIA's 's 1/16 acceptability. It's square, and smooth, and with a backsplash already in, leaving well enough alone might be the best course.

Any domino effect should be absorbed by the fabricator. He definitely installed this top incorrectly, with that large seam. It looks like all he used in that gap was clear silicone caulking, not resin, and the fill should come up the slab level, not be concave.

with ruler. Looks about 1/8 inch to me.

Here is the long view.

Yes, the fabricator will be responsible for all messes, but a mess is a mess is a mess. I'd rather avoid a mess than have to clean up a mess.

The seam isn't flat. It is concave. I have no idea what the fill is. The last time I had granite installed, the guys used something that looked exactly like the granite.

I'm thinking I ought to find the best seam man in the area (ideas how to do that?), tell these guys to hit the road, and bring in the guy who can fix their mess - if it can be fixed. The builder can foot the bill for the seam guru!

P.S. can anyone tell me how to take photos with an iPhone and have them oriented correctly when I attach to a post?

This post was edited by bbstx on Tue, Mar 11, 14 at 20:04

"Any domino effect should be absorbed by the fabricator."

I don't completely agree with this, The builder or owner should of had this corrected before the backslpash was put in.
That's a wide seam, that's the way we did them in the 90's.

It looks like the seam is much tighter in the back than in the front. The cut is not straight. Just have them take it out, they now know you are watching and will do a better job. It is sad that they assumed you wouldnt care, but it happens......

Is that a stacked edge on the counter? T

Did the same company put in the backsplash?

That seam was wiped before the adhesive was cured. Adhesive shrinks as it cures and this shrank below flush. I'd fill it with CA and scrape it flush with a razor blade to see what it looked like before attempting a do-over.

Yes, the same company put in the backsplash.

Snookums, I don't know what a stacked edge is. The edge is an semi-bullnose, at least that is what it is supposed to be. I think you are seeing a reflection of the undercounter lights from the other side of the room. Makes it look like there are 2 pieces.

Treb, what is CA?

I'm not happy and the ugly seam is annoying, but dust and grit everywhere would be more annoying. Guess I have to pick my poison.

With the width of the seam the size it is, is there any material they could fill it with that would minimize the look of the seam?

Could I find a more talented/experienced person to do a better fill on this crummy seam? Or is it just so bad that no one is talented enough to fix it?

And yes, the builder should have rejected it long ago. I was trying to stay on top of everything that was going on, but this got past me. I'm sure this was the sub with the low bid.

"Treb, what is CA?"

Super glue.

Ok. Thanks. I've cogitated over this all night. I'm going to call the company owner and tell him I do not want the slab ripped out. I want the seam made right. Then I'm going to contact the 3 new starts in the neighborhood and tell them not to use this guy for their granite. They should make the GC find someone who isn't an amateur!

Looks fine to me. Sure, the seam is slighter wider than the norm, but the granite looks great IMO...

Only your GW friends would notice that seam. The other 98% couldn't care less.

I'd be more concerned with the depth of that seam fill than with the width of the seam itself, which sounds like what you're thinking, too. Not just aesthetic - a groove in a kitchen counter is bound to collect gunk and be a real pain to clean.

See how it looks after they correct the filling in that seam -- you can still have them rip it out if absolutely necessary, but try the smaller solution first.

Good luck!

The tolerances are + or - a 32nd, so the seam does fall into the acceptable standards----IF it were that same width throughout the seam. I wouldn't be happy with the angled width either.

But, sometimes cabinets aren't plumb and straight in all dimensions, and neither is the wall, and granite doesn't bend. So, sometimes something has to give.

That's why shimming, cutting into the drywall, and tapering seams can be part of a stone install. As long as it's not too bad looking, it's better to most people than completely stopping the job and insisting that the GC correct the badly bowed wall, or the cabinet installer reshim the cabinets to be more level from front to back.

In the ideal world, yes, everyone should make sure that their job is done perfectly. Most projects happen in the real world, with a less than robust budget. Tradesmen who always do stellar top notch jobs don't generally work at a low price level. Premium work commands premium pricing. So, most people end up with the B and C level contractors for their B and C level priced jobs.

Builders are notorious for skimping on materials or using cheap labor to increase their profits.

When you have it filled, ask them to mottle the coloring like the stone so there isn't a solid stripe. I read that being done here. Maybe you can find your own contractor who would be willing to do that.

This post was edited by snookums2 on Wed, Mar 12, 14 at 14:06

I think it would be much better if they redid the seam and mixed a few specks in there to hide the wideness of it. I would ask them them to take the caulk out & redo it with a smooth top (it looks like the caulk dips down and creates a valley) and different specks of color to match your granite.

tt, since I'm obviously dealing with amateurs who need handy hints on how to do their job, where do the specks come from that they would mix into the seam filler?

As far as I know they just use different color of resin. They would apply the main color then just add small specks to match the colors in your granite. I could be way off, so hopefully someone else speaks on the process. My seam is done with different color specks & it looks great.

Here is mine. It's hard to tell the different colors, but they are in there. I don't have a closer pic on my computer.

I agree this is a "pick your poison" situation. And for what it is worth, I agree you've made the right choice to let them (try to!) make the seam better first.

It isn't a great seam, but like someone else said - probably 98% of the people who walk in your kitchen will literally never even notice it.

It is annoying when something doesn't go perfectly. I had a new house built about a year and a half ago, so I feel your pain. Life is not perfect, so most large jobs are going to have an occasional bump in the road too.

I bet if they can make that seam flush, and color it more appropriately, over time it will disappear for you too. Better to try that, then to have them damage something else trying to remove that piece and reinstall a new one. In my opinion anyway.

Yes! I thought I was dealing with the B-team, but I think they are rank amateurs.

I agree with trebuchet-try the ca glue-it wont be perfect but it may make it acceptable.

#Trebuchet & Teachertile: You are the resident experts here. Can you give step-by-steps, so bbstx can relay to her "amateurs"?

Yes, please! We are having Amateur Hour here on Monday morning. I hesitate to tell a tradesman how to do his job. I prefer to tell him/her what my goal is (a less visible seam, in this case), and let him figure out how to get there. However, with this bunch, I may have to get a little more hands-on than usual.

I think you will have to ask them to use multiple colors to blend in with the stone pattern.

And they really shouldn't be that sensitive. If they hadn't thought of it, they should appreciate the idea, which they can add to their toolbox.

I would mask each side of the seam, apply a bead of CA that overfills the seam, spray it with accellerator, remove the mask, and scrape it flush with a razor blade or two.

Snookums, it isn't a tradesman's sensitivity that causes me to refrain from telling them how to do something. It is my ignorance vs what I perceive to be their specialized knowledge. If I tell a wallpaper hanger that I want him to install my wallpaper by doing xyz, and it doesn't work, I cannot then require him to fix it. He did what he was told to do. Obviously, this situation is an exception.

Treb, should they first remove the silicon caulk? At what point do they color the CA, or do they?

Bbstx, I see. But if it were a technical issue, they shouldn't do something wrong with consequences just because someone ignorant got involved. That is their job as the pro.

"Treb, should they first remove the silicon caulk? At what point do they color the CA, or do they?"

I had no idea they seamed with silicone. It would have to be removed. This seam is a do-over now. No CA.