While the color pooling is a normal part of quartz slabs, the yellow circles are obviously where someone else found them objectionable and perhaps may have rejected the slab for that reason. Perhaps they got the rejected slab at a discount. And while the yellow marker should be removable, they should be the ones to remove it. It's slimy to even try to get you to accept someone else's seconds without fully informing you of the fact and passing along any discount.

I'd want the counters replaced. Again. You aren't dealing with above board stone fabricators here though. Your GC needs to use his leverage against them. And never use them again.

I wouldn't be happy with those dark things either, that were marked as defects to work around or alert a buyer.

If I recall the other thread correctly, you are indeed dealing with slime. They are jerking you around. They seem to think they can take advantage of you. If dh can get involved, it might be a good idea to let him tell it like it is. If you have a GC, I have to wonder about him too and everything else that was done in the house.

I would request your gc get rid of these clowns, out of your house.

Isn't the GC the one that hired these people in the first place? Not only did they give you a countertop with an obvious flaw, they were kind enough to draw a big yellow circle around it to highlight it! Brilliant!

Adding insult to injury. Un-freaking-believable.

They've fabricated your replacement tops with "drops", or the cutoffs from previous jobs which the previous job has paid for, in order to cut their losses. And weren't even smart enough to remove the yellow circles. I wouldn't let them back even to tear these out.

I see you're having flooring problems too. Who are these people? Builder, remodeling company, gc you hired? Where did you find them?

I am a fabricator.

Yellow paint pens or something similar are commonly used to mark areas to be avoided in a slab. It is almost unbelievable to me that a fabricator would install parts without removing the marker pen. I see a lot of evidence of shoddy work on this forum but this example just might be the worst ever.

Get your money back and hire a competent fabricator. I'm sure getting new tops seems a horrible idea to you at this point after all the grief you have gone thru but it'll be worth it if you get a decent fabricator. That fabricator can show you what the experience of getting new tops is supposed to be like (i.e. challenging, fun, exciting, and very satisfying once they're installed.)

That is absolutely phenomenal. Quartz "blobs" that are bigger than dime-size are considered defects in the quartz (by the manufacturer). The fabricator circled them for someone else (who rejected them) and then tried to foist them off on you. I'd "stop the check" (is that still possible?), tell them to come and get their lousy counters, and start over with a reputable fabricator.

I am this close to posting their business name on this forum so future customers can be forwarned. I had tried to find reviews of them online but couldn't find much, despite the fact they have been in business 20 years.

Here's a summary of what I have in my home, that they are demanding full payment for:

Kitchen Uba Tuba that doesn't match (they replaced some parts but not others, and are obviously from different lots.) Several obvious chips, even in the new stuff they replaced. Edges are not polished the way they are in their showroom (which I consider bait and switch which is illegal in my state.) They wrecked my Kohler Vault sink and 6 solid walnut cabinet fronts, which to their credit they did pay me back for.

Bathroom vanities that have been replaced with second rate quartz. They totally banged up a bunch if my walnut trim and cabinets in the process. One of the back splashes is upside down. My toilet was clogged after they left.

Shower door that is literally falling out of the wall. They used short drywall anchors in an exterior ICF wall.

Laundry laminate with seams that don't meet up.

Corian window sills that are not mitered in the corners as I requested. May be minor but it's not what I wanted.

These are not the same idiots that did my hideous walnut floors. See the flooring forum for that post.

I would not pay them a cent! Take numerous photos!

You forgot the weird lamination of your walnut cabinets.

I don't often post on Kitchens, but have followed your building saga.My heart breaks for you that you have been the recipient of such poor workmanship during what should be one of the happiest, most fulfilling times of life--a new home build.

That being said, did your walnut doors also ever get resolved?

No, the door issue has not been resolved! The sales guy ignored it for MONTHS hoping I would get over it, which only made me madder. GC wasn't any help with moving things along either. We just got pricing for replacement Trustile doors, which I consider acceptable. We shall see what happens.

Another question about crappy slabs...the fabricator claims that these huge black sparkly patches in the Uba Tuba are natural. There is nothing natural about these in my opinion. They are disco ball glitter, and probably an inch and a half across. Are they fills, or are they actually natural parts of the granite?

And thank you to everyone for your sympathy. I agree, this should be a happy, exciting time in our lives with a new house and new baby. I have been trying to keep my spirits up and learn from these lessons.

I have another story about my windows but I have to save that for another day.

One more thing...it would just kill this fabricator to offer me a simple apology for all this. Or a thank you for the money I have spent paying someone else to fix their mistakes, such as the shower door and banged up trim and walls. And clogged toilet. Just a simple apology would do wonders and doesn't cost them a thing, except a little pride I suspect.

Following this never ending saga is just astounding. The level of absolute incompetence is downright cartoonish.

Do not pay them a single red cent. Lawyer Up!

You have definitely hit the point where their name needs to be associated with this 'completed work'.

But the most important thing is not to get lawyers involved, right?

How did that work out for you?

pumpkin: You really need to find a way to cut your ties with this fabricator. I think that the pooling quartz and accompanying yellow circles is his way of showing his displeasure with you at having to redo the countertops. The fact that he gave you this countertop which is so obviously defective, makes me wonder if he is trying to get revenge. Telling you to remove those marks yourself is an act of aggression on his part.

This post was edited by jerzeegirl on Tue, Dec 23, 14 at 20:15

Could you just tell him the job is unacceptable and you are not paying for it? Also that you do not want them to return to your house. With all the photos I think you could have proof against any action on their part to get payment.

I'd cut my losses and go to a reputable fabricator at this point. Do you even want the daily reminder of that awful experience in your house? I wouldn't be able to touch them without cringing at the thought.

"pumpkin: You really need to find a way to cut your ties with this fabricator."

There is really no better advice than this. Cut your losses and get out now.

This is a case where you sue their bloody a$$es off. You can contact the state too. Contractor licensing board or something, anything you can find.

Although the fabricator is fully responsible for the countertop issues, the one that is most at fault here is the job's GC. The buck stops with him, and he is responsible for choosing such a substandard sub. And the countertop sub isn't the only bad sub. There's the flooring sub. And the millwork supplier. And cabinet supplier. It's a long list of poor judgement calls.

The GC was the wrong person for the job. There were concerns from the very beginning, before ground was even broken because of the lowball quote. He needs to go away. He's ineffective at quality control. Who knows the quality of the invisible behind the wall stuff.

I can't believe they left the yellow marker that shows that this part of the slab should not be installed! The GC should be firing them and not paying them at all and helping you get this right.

The reason you keep getting sub standard materials & workmanship is because that is what your 'GC' is ordering and paying for.

Obviously you made a huge mistake when you hired this guy.

At this point, I would be talking to a lawyer about my options to wash my hands of the deal and how much it's going to cost me. Most likely, in the long run, whatever it costs is going to a bargain....when you consider the corners that probably got cut on the foundation, electrical, weather proofing & roof and what it will cost to remediate those inefficiencies when they raise their ugly heads.

I agree with jerzeegirl and those counseling contacting a lawyer; this fabricator, his employees and probably your GC are sending you a message .

Have you been taking the lead on this with little support from your partner? Some men have women issues; the construction trades tend to be a man's world for the most part. You may be the victim of misogyny; how dare a women make demands of the menfolk and demand the competence she PAID for; this could very well be about power and control. It may be time for you to consider that your GC is playing that game too.

My DH will accept the shoddiest job because he "buddies-up" the workers, and then does not want to be a "jerk" by making waves about a poorly done job. I was in tears this weekend over custom bathroom cabinets...vanity not centered in the alcove, not tight to the walls by 5/8 of an inch, and interior/exterior face frame edges gouged in multiple places...some an inch long. I am not sure what frustrated me more...the quality of the job or DH's attitude. He was angry that I "embarrassed him" by contacting the designer employed by the cabinet shop about my issues. I want answers and the shop to make it acceptable. I also called him on the fact that he is more than willing to blame me to workers when he is unhappy with something instead of owning it himself. When we began this remodel, I kept telling myself it was okay as long as issues were resolved, but it still stuck in my "craw." I am not okay with it anymore; I was allowing him to perpetuate the stereotype of woman = b - - ch while he gets to be a good ol'boy.

It is long past time to have a confrontation with your GC! Write down EVERYTHING (mistakes, errors, incurred costs, probable sabotage, etc.), bring any legal paperwork, and then buy 30 minutes of a lawyer's time to find out your legal recourse and options. Go to the contractor meeting with your partner armed with the information gained from the lawyer. Then if the GC feels no responsibility to help deal with fabricator (and others?), meet with them next. Enough is enough!