Ugh - I had that contractor I swear. I fired him for various reasons. That just sucks, I'm sorry.

Did he source the granite or did you?

It can be polished onsite but it i hear makes a huge, huge, huge mess. I will ask my fabricator and post back what he says.

Yeah, that argument (about not being your granite) works two ways. It is his. You won't pay for it unless it is perfect, as per your (I presume) contract.

most sealers can be readily removed with Acetone.

In any case - that is one gorgeous hunk of granite!
Here's to hoping it can be fixed by the GC

Hi phylil

Yes, contractors are special.
He sourced the granite, and I pushed hard to template the pattern with the grain of the granite. It had such beauty, and he finally did it for me. This was after complaining, in his 10 years, no one had ever cared where they cut the stone in the granite flow. ughghgh

to weissman
thx for your comments. you are right, after he yelled at me, he pulled out a razor and scraped the granite to remove the sealer. he explained that is how it is done, and he is flawless at his job.
sory, but I do not buy this theory, do you?

angie diy
thx for your reply. yes, it is his, and perhaps he can take it home, and send me another perfect one, as per the contact.
however, I did pay for it, but he sourced it. we'll see.

oldryder
thx. perhaps I will try this.

a2gemini
thx
it is gorgeous! it was 2 large slabs. I hope it gets resolved.
I will submit pics with backsplash and lighting, stunning!

Just don't let him have the faucet(s) installed or any holes cut. He will interpret that as acceptance.

I have to say your island piece is stunning! I love the veins running through it.

10 years? Yeah right. contrast that with my fabricator who won't cut a thing unless I drive there and approve the positioning of every section. Love him....

Ok.
Hold on.
First, you can answer everyone in one post. It's less confusing.

Second, it's HIS, right? Until the last 10%?
So, if you hate it, have him remove and fix it with a slab of your choosing and YOUR TEMPLATING again if he f!$*s it up. Because, until that last percentage, it's still his, right? NOT yours.

Horse hooey.
Sorry. You have a hack trying to act like a stone mason. Or granit fabricator, if you will.

You are right, he isn't.
You're paying -- or not.

Let him know that 10 years in the face of the scope of how long you'll be living with this granite, dissatisfied with not only the granite but with the smoke being blown up your bummy and with how many people you'll be telling in those years? He's bound to regret giving you a really stupid hard time.

In case you're too young to know this study, it showed that happy and satisfied people tell 3 others about their experience. Unhappy or dissatisfied people tell 7 to 10.

Let him pick.
B. S.

"This was after complaining, in his 10 years, no one had ever cared where they cut the stone in the granite flow. "

thats a big load of horse puckey. We have customers in all the time and we ASK them where to cut the parts when the stone has a dramatic movement like yours.

we've learned the hard way that one persons beauty mark is another persons wart.

I woke up thinking about this post.
I cannot believe yet another numbnuts expects you to nod and smile and believe them.

I'd cut this guy loose as fast as you're able.
And check every single thing he does.
Particularly the validity of his permits, insurance, etc. He's no stone person, and I wonder what he actually is.

Ten years in this business is nothing. It's frankly almost not worth mentioning, considering it's indicative of a lack of experience. In my experience being married to a GC-from-birth-into-a-GC-family.

Did scraping the granite with the razor blade remove the excess sealer or not? Granite is a very hard surface and it shouldn't have hurt it. Where do things stand now?

Hi
I am unfamiliar with this site and forum, so please bear with me as I try to reply. It was suggested that I use one post.

Thank you for all your comments, it really makes me feel like I am not alone, or crazy.

Regarding the spills on my granite, the razor blade did remove most of the sealer rings. This left some, and light scratching, but I will get it resealed as necessary.

Since the stone is so spectacular, it is a less on learned for me, and I will enjoy the island and counters.

Overall, the kitchen is wonderful, it is the experience dealing with a young know it all, that made it very difficult. I am almost 60, and have retired from my own business, and I am with the wise comment, regarding how people talk more about a bad experience.

What I have done is play nice to get him to finish up, and have him leave.
What he is doing is punishing me for micro managing and dragging his heels.

As you can see it is almost done, and very beautiful.

I must include his last comment, although I know it makes me feel trite. It cost a lot of $$$$, and I will feel better letting you all know. " I am perfect, and my jobs are flawless."

I pondered this as I peered over the sealer remnants, and the missing handle he has refused to install, because he hates it when a handle is placed on the sink panel.

Who is running the show? Oh, yes, it is clearly not me. He's a bully, and he frightens me. Silly, I know but still....

Sounds like he hasn't suffered life enough...he will.

You are right, on all points.....the kitchen is VERY beautiful!!

Nancy

Sounds like you handled it with grace and with the wisdom of a lifetime, which, as enduring has pointed out, will likely come to this pup the hard way.

Your kitchen is very pretty, and you are neither silly nor trite.

There is always the Better Business Bureau (link below) where one can fine a complaint, if all else fails. I have had success doing that, when all else has failed (meaning that I have exhausted every other option).

I wonder if your kitchen is beyond his normal price range/skill level. Sounds like he is bullying you because it has always worked in the past, but it does not have to work with you if you don't want it to.

Your kitchen is absolutely beautiful! TDF! I hope you get everything worked out.

Here is a link that might be useful: BBB online

beautiful kitchen. similar issues happened with my first contractor of our renovation, and I think our project was beyond his skill level. I think his past projects, while of good quality (because we looked), just didn't have the higher end details that we wanted and our GC assumed incorrectly that a certain standard would do, which it didn't. then he cut corners and we let him go.

anyway you definitely handled it well and soon you will be rid of him and will be able to enjoy your gorgeous kitchen!

I am surprised that no one said that this isn't that big of a deal because it is common and easily fixed. Watching construction is like watching them make sausage; you don't really want to know what goes in there. 511 Impregnator is a commonly used sealer for tile and granite. If you read the bottle it tells you that you can clean up dried marks/puddles by simply applying more sealer and rubbing the area. I can tell you that this approach works just fine.

Kitchen looks good and glad it worked out.

Your kitchen is beautiful and the island granite is gorgeous!

Your kitchen is beautiful and the island granite is gorgeous!

sringroz- thank you for your support, and comments.

angie DIY- thank you. He will learn, as we all have leaned. Nothing good comes from getting down into the mud, take the high road, and have a clear conscience.

Cavimum- thanks for your kind words. That is a good idea to think of the BBB, if all else fails. I believe you have hit the nail on the head. his project is probably out of his range. I say that due to many factors. My eye for detail is keen, and he'd like to sweep it by me, and tell me," he promises to love me in the morning." My daughter recommended him, as he is a close friend. So, I did not do my due diligence, and check him out, and plan the fine details.He apparently did million dollar homes in Bermuda. Now, I find that had to believe, as he left unfinished edges for my stove opening, saying, you won't SEE it. Guess he's never boiled over any stock pots. Thank you again.

phylhl-thx for you insight. I think you are right, and the same thing occurred here. He was really surprised at some of the things I brought to his attention. For example the island pendants. They were roughed in incorrectly by electrician, who didn't have a template of where the island would go. My GC wasn't ready and guessed.I pointed out the proper placement, as I had measured it.My GC overrode my instructions to the poor electrician. They were put in the centre of the cabinet under the island, but not the centre of the counter. So, the differnce being 30", put the rough ins over top of the sink placement. GC brushed me off, and indicated if I didn't like it at the end, he would come back and move them at that point. However when the pendant party day came, the electrician agreed with me and moved them.I hope you find this story amusing, as these things happen, and now I can laugh!

Could you post a picture of your kitchen?

SkidKid- thanks for your explanation, as you are dead right. I lost faith in his judgement from the first day, when he told me to ignore my first flooring quote that I sourced myself, and let him call them back. It was the same price, but the baseboards and appliance and furniture moving, were removed. I let him shush me, hoping he had a plan.Yep, he did! Pay the price, an extra $600.00, and pay him again to install the bbboards! Avoiding a fight with him, I foolishly went ahead and did just that, since he is a close friend of my daughter's. Then, my four door samsung fridge was dented about five times, as he refused to listen to me when asked to remove it, saying I was a negative person.Flooring company is covering the cost to replace the $500 damaged drawer. Sorry, for the rant, but now I can look back with knowledge and know I must assert myself with these guys.
I am retired, and always here and it drove him crazy. I agree, because most renos have people away at work.
I find your "sealer" tip very useful. There is some left, and I will try this tonight, and post my results.
Thank you

deb52899- many thanks for your compliments. When that granite was brought out for viewing, it took my breath away, and I had to hold back the tears.

CEFreeman- good points you have made here. Yes, " Trust me, I'm from the government, and I am here to help you". I 90always check and verify, when I am given information. Th\is did not bode well with him.
I appreciate your advice to cut him loose. I am at the end of this project, and found this forum last week.

He asked for, and I gave him, 60% up front, and 30% when materials arrived. This investment left me committed to him. Live and learn. I was trying to trust.

CEFreeman- I can't wait to tell him what you have posted.

weissman- will keep you posted

oldryder- well bless my soul, I am not the only one! It does matter where you cut, and can change the whole look. Thanks for understanding, and your information about templating.

phyll- thx, the veins are awesome

So, I have another question. My GC is coming over later this week to install a support and corbel under the counter area of the granite island.Anything I should know before he rips into it? He is a carpenter in fact.
I am hesitant.