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fabrication soon...what do i need to know?

Peke
10 years ago

The fabricator will measure next week. What decisions or questions do I need to make or ask?

I want a simple rounded over edge.

I can't decide how I want the cutout for the sink. Positive, negative, or regular reveal.

What do most people choose?

Is there anything else I need to know or ask?

Thanks for your help. Peke

Comments (10)

  • williamsem
    10 years ago

    I had a whole list based on the bad experiences here! The guy was so nice, and was a little confused as to why I asked about some things that he considered standard.

    -What is there tolerance for gaps at the wall or cabinet?
    -How is the bottom edge treated? (I wanted to make sure it was rounded/eased not left rough)
    -What depth overhang do they recommend? (Or clearly specify what you want)
    -What radius will they use for the corners?
    -If you want a zero reveal sink cut out, ask if they can do that. My place does it routinely, which I was glad to hear. If they waffle about being able to make it look right, you might be happier in the end to chose something different than have a crappy cut to stare at.
    -if you will have a seam, ask about what to expect while they are there
    -if you have any little odd things, like an edge that sticks out past a wall or cabinet, or overlaps trim, etc ask how that will be treated
    -how do they secure the sink?
    -make sure you give them the sink, faucet, and anything going in a hole in the granite. My place took the sink and air switch, but were very familiar with my faucet so they left it with me.
    -review where any holes are going and their size
    -ask what you need to do to prepare for install. I was told I only need to remove my top drawers, but they didnt even have me do that on the day they came (my cabs do have full tops, so that probably helped)
    -how long do you need to wait before using? (I had a sealer applied, so they recommended 24 hours before use, and 48 hrs before leaving anything on the granite for any length of time, plus I think a day for the sink to cure in place)
    -if you want to see the template placement, ask about how long that will take and make sure they know you want to see if before cutting

    He also discussed cleaning, sealing, and general care with me since I have never had granite before. My place used a luan template, and it came out fantastic. No space at the walls, and I almost thought the range wouldn't fit, but it was perfectly sized.

  • suzanne_sl
    10 years ago

    I'm not sure there is a favorite for the sink cut-out. Some people do a positive reveal so they can set a cutting board on the ledge. Besides that, it just seems to be a matter of personal preference. I specifically didn't want a negative reveal because I envisioned gunk hiding under that ledge where I couldn't see it. (I have the same problem with bin pulls, though in that case it's not only gunk, but spiders!) Lots of people do negative reveals and are happy with their choice. I finally told the guys I would be happy with either a positive reveal or with flush, and what I got was flush. I like! You'll just need to choose one knowing there isn't a right or wrong answer.

  • Mgoblue85
    10 years ago

    I had a positive reveal at my old house and plan on another. The hidden gunk would creep me out.

    Good luck!!!

  • lucas_tx_gw
    10 years ago

    Most important-make sure they know you must be there to lay out the templates on the slabs and sign off on that before they cut. Take photos of the templates on the slabs.

    Hopefully have photos of your slabs already and the stickers on them. When you get to the shop, be sure the slabs they picked up are indeed the right slabs.

    Our fabricator was great and we worked as a team ( he and his DW and the DH and I) to get the templates on the slabs in a way that minimized use of the parts of the slabs we didn't care for and at the same time got the seams in areas that look good. Our slabs were bookend cut (mirror images) and we only have seams in the middle of the sink on the lower level and in the middle of the run on the bar level and we elected to put the seams in the exact same area of each slab, in places where there were not a lot of veins. By doing so, we essentially made the two sides of the kitchen mirror images as you stand at the sink. The fabricators warned us several times.."If you do that the veins will not be running the same way" but we were good with that, in fact we like it a lot. The sink is angled, so the whole layout is like a chevron anyway. But the point is, make sure the fabricator points out the ramifications of any decisions you make but at the same time, remember it's ultimately your choice.

    Second-either be there when they install or make sure someone you trust completely is. Even though they did a great job, we watched them like hawks and asked a lot of questions. In one case, we did stop the guy from doing something useless which was try to remove one of the stretchers off the top of the cab. It was in the way of the sink so it to him It made sense to remove it until DH pointed out to him that it was also screwed through the sides of the cab and wasn't going to come out unless he dissembled the entire sink cab. Instead, DH told him we would have to just notch it to get it out of the way.

    Oh and on the seams, ask when they template how they pull them together. I think Oldryder or someone has some threads on this but if they don't have some equipment like those suction things to pull them together, you probably don't want them doing your kitchen.

    For us the whole process was painless (except for the picking the slabs part) and turned out great. Hope that's the case for you as well.

  • suzanne_sl
    10 years ago

    Do double check with them that your faucet will have enough space between the handle and the wall to fully extend. A couple of people have run into that issue and had to find a different faucet.

    On layout, if you're lucky your fabricators can send you a computer layout of your template options on your slab(s):


    If not, be sure you attend the layout session as lucas suggested.

  • KBSpider
    10 years ago

    These are excellent tips and - bonus - all in one thread, so....bookmarked for when I do counters (if I ever get my remodel off the ground, that is....)!

  • carolml
    10 years ago

    I went to the fabricator's on "the day" and double checked their template. Because I was doing a book matched backsplash of the granite, I wanted to be double sure. I spent some time measuring and actually changed their templates as they were out by an inch. If you can be there, go, it at least keeps everyone on top of their game. My fabricator's were really nice guys who seemed to appreciate my interest.

  • Peke
    Original Author
    10 years ago

    Lucas, what is a stretcher?

    All great ideas! I have written them all down to take with me.

    My sink comes with a ledge and a colander and cutting board that sits on the ledge.

    I thought I might do a positive reveal, but I don't know if I still need one since I already have a ledge for the cutting board. Is there any reason I might still want a positive reveal? Thanks,

    Peke

  • lucas_tx_gw
    10 years ago

    The stretcher ( which might not actually be the right name but that's what I call it) is just a piece of plywood that makes up the top of the sink cab. There is one in the front and one in the back but the one in the front did not let the sink get close enough to the front edge of the cab, so we trimmed it down some.

    All just depends on how your cabs are made, not necessarily relevant for everyone but just a good example of how paying attention to what they are doing might save everyone some time, effort and/or grief, depending on the situation.

  • Peke
    Original Author
    10 years ago

    Ok, that makes sense. Thanks for the clarification. Peke

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