I have stood on my counters--I know my bad, but it's the only way to reach the clock over the sink and see where the keyhole is for hanging it! I never, ever stand on or anywhere near the sink ledge, any other part near the granite edges/overhang.

Someone else standing or sitting on my counters? I think I'd have to smack them "upside the head" for that! :)

I've also stood on my counters. How else can I access what's high above them? A ladder doesn't always give me the correct or secure angle. I also have stood in my sink. I would never sit or stand on the overhang. I weigh 110, if that makes any difference.

I hope you are able to get this fixed to your satisfaction. I can understand how upset you must be. Damage can happen so fast and it's hard not to think after it happens about how it could have been prevented.
I had a flood coming down through a neighbor's radiator. The maintenance man asked if he could get up on the counter to check above the cabinets. I couldn't believe that he would even consider standing on the counter, I was beyond annoyed.
My diligence did not prevent my fridge cabinet getting scratched during the counter installation. I was focused on the gap between the fridge panel and counter. The installer was going to leave the gap until I told him to move the counter closer.

When I was a kid I had a friend whose Mom, if she caught you sitting on the counter, would cuff you in the back of the head (not too hard) and say "that counter is made for glasses, not a**es!" And that was only formica.

I'll bet your neighbor is forever cured of parking his butt where the glasses go. I'm sure your repair will look just fine and invisible.

I'm sorry - lol at deedles and linelle....

My youngest is part monkey and is always on the counter. Ugh!

kgolby - a fix looks promising! Hate it when we don't listen to 'that inner voice'. :(

kgolby, I just want to say that I would be beside myself if this happened to my counter, and people were cracking butt jokes about it. :( I'm sorry to be laughing at what is clearly not a funny thing. I hope the corner can be fixed to your satisfaction. I hope the Coors Lite culprit had an object lesson he'll never forget.

My neighbor texted me this morning say he had nightmares of me beating the sh*it out of him. Boy, did I want to last night. hahahaha! And, yes, I don't think any of my husband's friends will EVER think about sitting on our counters again.

Heard back from our installer and has his best guy is coming out Monday morning. He thinks it should be easy to fix the corner. I'll post after pics for y'all to see.

kgolby - how nice that the installer is coming out so quickly. Hopefully relief soon! Please do post pics.

Neighbor note - can you imagine if it were you that cracked someones counter? I'd not sleep either. I'd be sick and probably want to crawl into a hole somewhere.

Our counters usually have too many crumbs on them for anyone to want to sit on them.

I hope your counter can be nicely fixed.

Oh! I feel vindicated for asking a very tall 200 lb plus guest to get off my island counter overhang. He did not agree that it was a problem. It sure can be difficult to say it nicely!
I said my granite has some problems with fissures. Now we can all say we have a friend who's corner broke off.

So sorry that this happened, and I hope that it can be fixed.
But, honestly, I had absolutely no clue that you can't sit on granite counters. Good to know.

Hope it comes out well.
I bet more than a few of us could reminise about climbing on the counters when we weighed less than 70 pounds.....but that would be hijacking...nevertheless,..... t mom put the left over birthday cake..on top of the upper cabs....threre really wasn't room anywhere else for it
idabean

I'm so glad you should be able to repair it! How distressing to have someone be so thoughtless.

Next time...I hope everyone will risk being a b*tch and tell people to get their rear end off their counter!

And why is it men are determined, forceful and direct...and women are b*tchy? Time for a change :)

Oh my, can I understand the desire to be polite and yet fearing the worst can happen, and then it does!

This morning I saw a patient, and she put her glass directly on wood side table, when there were 2 coasters there. I just moved it to the coaster. My office, my rules!

Still, i recall my son having friends over, and one young man leaned his chair against a large window in front of house. Sure enough, the window broke. His parents offered to pay, but as they were close friends, I couldn't accept money. However, if my son had warned him....

I think a grown-up should know better than to sit on a counter top, let alone a ledge. I would graciously accept the cost of repair, but I would still be bothered, as I would see the seam.

Regarding the perils of sitting on a counter.

I've sat on counters my whole life, at least in my own kitchen. Before my reno, my counters were ceramic tile on top of 3/4" plywood. Sat, stood, climbed on them. Now my counters are 2 cm quartz on top of 5/8" plywood. Are they really that much more fragile? I'm not talking about sitting or standing on overhangs, c'mon. :)

Properly fabricated and installed granite will easily support the weight of a person or two without failure, excluding sink rails and edges. You and your electrician can jump up and down in each bowl simultaneously of any sink I've ever installed and it will not budge.

Oh no! I hope it can be repaired.

Sitting on counters in your own home is one thing (which I don't do anyway), but sitting on counters in someone else's home? I just don't understand the liberties some people take ... feet on the coffee table, shoes on the sofa, etc. I just think that's rude! Where are peoples manners?!

So sorry this happened to you!

deedles - "that counter is made for glasses, not a**es!" LOL!!! Good one!

Trebuchet, yes, I also stand in my sink (grid removed).

LOL, linelle! I can't think of a single reason that I would ever need to stand in my sink. What in the world are you doing in there??

How awful - Good luck tomorrow

I have quartz and had to climb on it and the sinks to install my Garden window shelves as I was too impatient to wait for GC to put in the shelf - but I weigh less than they do...

Hope it goes well

This post was edited by a2gemini on Sun, Nov 3, 13 at 6:53

Jellytoast, I put up a valance over the window over my sink. Had some drilling and related stuff to do. The sink was where I needed to stand. :)

I agree with trebuchet and old ryder.
A tough repair that will require some creativety.

My biggest fear is the repair won't be to my satisfaction & we have to get 2 new slabs of granite. I fell in love with these 2 pieces - they're bookend pieces and match up almost perfectly. Saw my neighbors wife, who's just as upset as me, and she's prepared to have to pay thousands for new granite. I told her I hope it doesn't come to that & I'll keep her posted after our appointment in the morning.

Homeowner insurance?

That's a great Thought-call your insurance broker- it is a damage. Its possible the neighbors insurance may cover-doubtful but possible.

The before and after from Trebuchet gives me hope for you!

No advice, just a big hug and dose of good luck! :)

You can't really blame the neighbor, even though he was being out of line by sitting there. Who would expect a granite countertop to break just from sitting on it? It is stone after all.

Thankfully, the financial aspect of fixing this isn't a burden for us or our neighbors. My neighbors will do whatever is necessary to make this right. They're great neighbors - he just made a really stupid mistake & feels horrible about the situation. Keeping my fingers crossed its just a repair & not a granite replacement.

May_flowers, we were warned not to sit on the edge of the granite because it could break off. Also, not to sit on the bar overhang. If he had been sitting in the middle of the counter, you are correct, he would have been fine. But over 220 lbs was sitting on the edge with about a 2" over hang. It couldn't support his weight.

That's my point. You and your husband knew but your neighbor didn't. Most people think counters are okay for sitting on. So part of the blame is yours, in all fairness.

I am just trying to visualize how one can sit on a corner like that with one's full weight.Wouldn't the butt be further back?

This post was edited by nosoccermom on Sun, Nov 3, 13 at 17:53

I've never questioned that it's not our fault as well. In one of my earlier posts I expressed how upset I was with myself for not saying anything as well as my husband. But the guys had been playing golf + drinking beers all day so they weren't in the right frame of mind to make good decisions. I was which is one reason why I was so upset with myself.

So sorry this happened to your granite. Best wishes for a positive outcome!

My contractor was glad that I am choosing quartz instead of natural stone for my counterops. He said that natural stone, because it is natural and organic can have miniscule fissures that are not apparent to the eye but can crack with very little pressure, all it needs is pressure at a particular angle that it is vulnerable at and bingo.

So for those who have stood on their granite and haven't had a problem, you can't be guaranteed of no problem in the future, at least according to my contractor. Quartz because it is man made with resin is more resilient than granite and not subject to natural fissures (of course if the manufacturing process of the quartz is inferior, can still have problems, I suppose.) YMMV - Marble is in the same category as granite, I'm not sure about soapstone - is soapstone "manufactured"? But think the same is true of limestone, onyx, etc.

There was another thread recently on this subject with many chiming in agreeing that natural stone is capable of breaking under pressure unlike quartz and others saying they had never had problems so I think it is rather rare but I wouldn't want to gamble when it is so easy to find a work-around, I think.

I sincerely hope that the break gets repaired to your satisfaction. Best of luck.

This post was edited by elphaba on Sun, Nov 3, 13 at 23:32

this whole thing makes me nervous....my special needs son likes to sit on the counter when he eats. We will have seating overhang so we'll have to really work on training him not to sit up there anymore. It will be difficult. he is only 65lb (at 12yrs old) but growing always.

OP I hope you get the repair done to your satisfaction. Please keep us posted.

Quartz does have much more strength in tension than granite or marble. Proof?

Have your fabricator rip a 3cm piece of each 4" wide and 10' long and pick up each one in the middle on the flat.

The granite or marble will probably fail before the ends leave the bench, the quartz will not.

Of course once granite is properly installed on flat and level cabinets, the cabinets provide strength in tension, making the point moot, except with cantilevers. Most quartz manufacturers allow 3cm to be cantilevered up to 14" without additional support. An unsupported 14" cantilever in granite is suicidal.

Nosoccermom makes a great point in calling Homeowners insurance.

When my washing machine leaked in Boston condo, messed up (I wouldn't say ruined) ceiling in downstairs neighbor's LR, My insurance paid them enough to redo whole room. They just fixed ceiling, and kept the rest. All I was out was the deductible.

Aren't the lighter granites more susceptible to breaking because of the larger quartz crystals?

Please don't call your insurance broker until you find out the cost to repair the damage. Placing a call to your broker will give you and your house a black mark on the Comprehensive Loss Underwriting Exchange (CLUE) data base. You will get a black mark even if you don't make a claim.

With the current insurance climate, it just doesn't make financial sense to file a small claim. Insurance should only be used for catastrophic loss.

The negative financial impact of filing any claim (small or large, homeowners or auto) can be felt for years. Insurers use claim history to determine future risk. The more black marks, the greater the risk and the greater the premium.

Here is a link that might be useful: CLUE database

This post was edited by deee on Mon, Nov 4, 13 at 9:23

Good point. However, it states that it applies to claims that were FILED, so asking one's insurance agent shouldn't be a problem. Of course, it depends on the amount of the damage, one's deductible, and impact on future premiums.

Hi nosoccermom - That is a mistake in the article. Inquiry calls are also recorded.

I am a bit of an expert because I was burned by the CLUE database. I had two claims over 18 months. One was a few thousand dollars from water damage, the other smaller.

My insurance claims people were lovely but all the while they were submitting negative info to the database. When we moved to a new area and had to use a new insurer we were shocked that we had to be put in an expensive high risk pool. It didn't matter that we had not used the insurance for 15 years prior.

Maddening, isn't it?

I'm so sorry this happened to your lovely granite! And thank you fabricators for piping in to let us know that this can be repaired. I really don't understand the liberties some guests take in a home. And I agree that it's frustrating to be labeled "b*tchy" when you're trying to protect something that means a lot to you that you spent a lot of money on. Just the other week I had some guests (male) over who were eating Doritos and then putting their hands (without washing or using a napkin) on some white chairs in my living room. Argh! I felt terrible asking, but I just couldn't stand the thought of orange fingerprints on chairs that I saved up to buy. We want to share our homes with guests, but I think it's fair to ask that they respect the space and be careful not to do damage. I hope the repair turns out perfectly!

Another one here to say that 'just asking' your insurance company does get you marked. I also had it happen to me years and years ago.

"The house never loses" applies to insurance companies, too.

Thanks for all the well wishes everyone. Still waiting to have someone come out and take a look at the corner. I definitely will post updates and the final outcome of what happens. We have a bar overhang that's under the 14" Trebuchet was referring to w/ no additional support. EVERYONE knows not to dare sit on the counter on that side of our island. But EVERYONE knows now to NEVER, EVER sit on my counters again!!!!

illinigirl, we have a special needs son too. He's never been one to want to sit on the counters so I haven't had to worry about that. I would just recommend to start working w/ him now to know climbing on counters is unacceptable. Even ask his therapists for assistance if he's adamant about doing it.

Who do you call

I'd start a new thread. Not everyone checks in on a thread that is three years old.

Well if you live in SW FL you call Joseph

I read through this entire thread hoping kgolby had posted an update! Bummer. I wonder how it all turned out.

Paula I would call who ever installed the countertop to begin with. I know my company told me they do repairs should anything ever go wrong. Good luck

If the pieces fit back together tightly dry then a very thin adhesive may make the repair look inconspicuous. Once the pieces are back together other techniques can be added to make the repair stronger.

Feel free to call me or pm me as I may be able to recommend a pro in your area.