Oh, wow....that is some gorgeous granite. I don't think I'd want that ripped out either. As much as I don't care for the little thin strip of granite to start the back splash, I think I'd look into the possibility of doing what they suggest. It would go perfectly. Your granite starts light at the front and goes dark at the back, so it would be dark continuing up the walls 4". If it was light at the back edge it would not look nearly as good. I still think they need to compensate you some way even if they do fix this with the strip because you are still having to settle for something you did NOT want. Is there enough granite to do a full granite backsplash? All the way to the bottom of the cabinets? Now THAT would be gorgeous!!

Thanks for your input, ccoombs1. Initially we wanted to do the full height backsplash (b/s), we had 2 slabs of granite that were mirror image of each other, but unfortunately, we did not have enough. IRT the 3" granite b/s option, I do have the darker veins running along the back of the long perimeter wall, the other wall where the stove is does not have the dark veins on the back. If we did, the veins would go the other direction (hope this makes sense) I do agree that the black would look ok behind the darker veins, my concern was the other walls with the lighter granite. Would the darker b/s make it look "chopped" up? I will be painting the cabinets black (I think!!!) or at least the bottom cabinets. Mmm, maybe I should post a "Help Me! What do you think of BLACK cabinets" ... Garden webbers to the rescue!!
Attached is a pic of the black b/s and tiles ... what do you guys think??? I am open for ANY suggestions ... Thanks so much! btw, the granite is called Spectrum Classic, purchased from Stone Mart in Columbus, Ohio (someone had asked)

Oh, that sucks. The black would have looked fine with the other wall, but I do think it looks chopped up on the one you just showed. It's just to stark of a contrast between the brown, tan and cream tones in that section of countertop. I feel SO bad for you. That is an incredible chunk of stone and it is just such a shame they did a crappy job installing it. If you are determined to keep that slab (and I think I would be) or if you can't get them to make it right, What about getting a tile guy to install a sheet of cement board on the whole wall and then tile over that? You can buy cement board in various thicknesses. Get one that if added to the thickness of your tile, should just cover the gap. If an edge shows, a creative tile guy should be able to come up with some bull-nose treatment to cover the extra thickness. This might be a good question for Bill Vincent, resident tile expert.

What about instead of an entire backsplash of granite, you had a small strip? I don't know what to call it, but I'm envisioning something similar to the base shoe moulding on flooring.

Thanks! ccoombs1 and alabamanicole, one of the tile installers did bring up your suggestion. The problem is, I have a window right above the sink, the added thickness of the board, plus thinset, plus tile will not work (the combination of all that will be THICKER than the window frame!!!!) plus I still have the issue with the hot water dispenser and faucet being too close to the wall!! As it is, with just the tile backsplash option, my hot water dispenser will touch the back when we flip back to turn on.
WIth the granite b/s option, it has to be 3" for it to work, but the faucet (cold water) will not turn all the way back (it will hit the granite) ... here's a picture.

I think alabamanicole might be on to something. Your tile looks like a travertine....right? Start your tile with a chair rail piece. Then run a couple rows of tile or decorative accent pieces, then finish it with another chair rail. It won't change the tile thickness anywhere else, but the chair rail will cover the gap at the bottom beautifully.

Here is a link that might be useful: chair rail

That's a good idea to start with a trim piece. There's also a piece called a liner that might work on the first row.

I don't like the short granite backsplash piece with tile above either. There should be another way to solve this.

We had to do a row of pencil liner in our bathroom when our idiot tiler screwed up and left a gap. I actually like the way it looks now - kinda unique (but I'd still clobber that tiler if I ever ran into him on the street)

Thanks you guys! I do like the liner idea. Maybe I can have the granite fabricators make them out of my remnant piece and cut 12"X1" pieces to cover the gap and lay the tiles on top? We know the wall with the dark graining would not be a problem, and for the lighter wall the 1" is skinny enough that it wouldn't look too chopped up. What do you think????

sclee,

Sooo sorry you are having to deal with this. I agree that your granite is drop dead gorgeous and I'd also want to keep it. Just wanted to ask if the strips along the bottom would create a "ledge" below the tile that might be a gunk and grime collector. That would drive me crazy. Looks like there are a lot of ideas that might work for you. Good luck!

Mmmm that's a good point. Didn't even think abt that. I was more worried abt the other option (inverting the chair rail piece and let the rounded edge sit on the granite), trying to clean that curved edge against the countertop would really bother me (I think!), especially since I am constantly having to wipe off the area behind the sink caused by the faucet splashing, plus it's going to be kinda tight to get behind the faucet to clean once backsplash is installed .. for now, if the 1" liner works, I don't mind cleaning the ledge (at least it's just straight across!!) Thank you!

"Pencil liner" -- yep, that's what I was talking about. Or a squared version of it. Either tile, or one made out of your slab remnants could work to cover the gap and I don't think it would get any dirtier than a corner where the counter meets the tile.

It would be a different look than normal. I don't know if I would want it -- but you could always go to the tile shop and get a few pieces of tile liner ihn black and travertine and put them up there to get an idea of what it would look like.

A good tile store should definitely have a selection of liners you can check out to be sure it works. If it is flat on the counter it shouldn't be a big pain to clean. I have seen them in granite so that would be a good way to go.

Bill V. could probably give pointers on how to caulk the bottom to keep it smooth and clean.

Since the area around your sink is so dark, you could have the faucet holes redrilled closer to the sink and the little of the holes that peeked out from the escutcheons could be filled with matching dark epoxy. That would give you room for the full thickness of the stone for a backsplash. And, for the trouble you've had from them, the fabrication of the full height backsplash in the same stunning stone should be on their nickel.

Thanks for your suggestion, live wire oak. Unfortunately, in order for them to move the faucet(and the hot water dispenser) closer to the sink, they will have to move the whole sink forward too!! furthermore, the granite supplier is all out of the spectrum classic (well, they do have one slab available but it's from an old stock and it looks totally different than the slabs I got)

You know, the thing that frustrates me the most is that the owner has not bothered to return my phone calls! I have made numerous attempts to contact him and each time they said he'll call back and he hasn't! My patience is running out! How long am I supposed to wait?!!!!!

The granite was installed March 9, 2010. The owner and the manager(?) came out to look at the problem the following week. They gave me 2 contractors' name who can "solve" the problem. The first one showed up as scheduled. The other one never bothered to call, after waiting a whole week, I called him, and scheduled an appt. He never bothered to show up! Anyway, I had called the manager and told her of the options the first contractor came up with. She said the owner is handling the case and she's going to give him the info. I waited for a phone call from him. Nothing. So I called the morning of 3/29. They said he'll be in at 2.00. Waited, no call. I called 3/30. They said he won't be in till the next day. I was getting really annoyed at this point. Asked for his cell #, I said I really need to talk to him. If he doesn't have the time to pick up the phone to call me, I am going to call HIM! They said they are not allowed to give out that info. I told the guy that I am getting tired of all this, if they are not willing to help me solve the problem, just tell the owner that I want the granite out of my house!!! You would think he'll call first thing in the morning after hearing that right? NOPE!!! So, I called again 3/31, the lady said he's not in, he'll call me back tomorrow...

Thanks again for all your advice and support. They are very much appreciated!

Hope you all have a Happy Easter!

First, I am sorry you are going through this. Where is Mike Holmes when you need him?

I may have missed some key points in this thread, so I apologize in advance if my suggestion is not feasible. And it's not a suggestion on fixing the granite, it's more of a suggestion on getting the service and respect from the owner.

I would suggest a visit to their office, especially at a time when they are busy with potential customers, and obviously when the owner is present. Of course acting insane isn't really the most appropriate thing to do, but speaking clearly about the unacceptable gap and bad fabrication, and not having had any calls returned by the owner who keeps promising to do so, might get their attention. You know what I mean? That's when you give the customer in the showroom the friendly look and tell them, "I've been waiting to get this situation resolved since March 9th, but I can't even get a phone call returned". I would also mention to whomever is at the front desk how you had to contact your credit card company and file a dispute because this is taking too long, and you don't want to be too loud, but loud enough that they will start getting nervous because others will hear you in the showroom.

And one more idea, did you mention the name of the company and the city they are located in somewhere in this thread? I would hope that if someone is googling the company name they will find this thread and be warned.

Your granite is gorgeous, by the way. Shame on them for not doing that stone justice and doing their job properly. I'm sure they would like to take credit for how beautiful it is, but I think we know that Mother Nature is really responsible for that stone!

Good luck to you and make sure to keep us posted. I hope you have a Happy Easter too.

sclee - I don't recall seeing how you paid for the granite. I sure hope you paid by credit card. It's time to dispute the charge - generally you only have 60 days to do so. That will get the owner's attention. Also, the fact that you had an independent person look at the install will support your claim. It's time to play hardball with them.

Thanks for the suggestions, beekeeperswife and weissman. It sounds like the owner is hardly in. Apparently, they have operations at other locations, and he travels around. I thought abt going in, but they are going to tell me he's not in. I hate to create a scene, but that's a good suggestion! I guess I will just have to build up my coourage and do it! Or I could park my car outside and make a sign saying "BEWARE!! half inch gaps is NORMAL and ACCEPTABLE!!" or pass out flyers with this Garden Web forum responses ... how does that sound????

I did pay with my credit card. I am still hoping I don't have to go that route! I really want them to help me solve the problem (my painter has already taken some of my cabinet doors and drawer fronts to be painted black!)

Anyway, If I file a dispute, I still have to go through the trouble of putting everything in writing, getting a written statement from another granite fabricator, etc etc .. and I heard that filing a compalint with the BBB requires the consumers to go through a similar process ... I really don't want to go through the hassle ... maybe that's how some of these businesses get away, because they know consumers do not want to go through the hassle of filing complaints etc , so they think by ignoring us, we'll just fade away ....

It's true that to ultimately get your moner back from the credit card you will need documentation, pictures, etc. but you can file a dispute immediately with just a phone call and a follow-up letter. The credit card company will put the disputed amount on hold and not charge you interest AND they will notify the vendor about the dispute - that should spur them into action. If the vendor challenges the dispute then you will need to follow-up with documentation.

Thanks weissman! I just placed a call to my credit card company. According to them, since this is a "quality of service" dispute, they require me to send in a written statement, and get a written second opinion from another qualified vendor stating that the service provided by the granite fabricator was faulty and incorrect etc, then they have to state how and steps to correct the problem etc etc ...(in my mind, why would another granite fabricator want to go through all that trouble and inconvenience...) *sigh*

Ask to see the owner if not there, ask them to get him on the phone. Say you are not leaving until you speak to him. Say you will wait in the showroom (where you can speak to potential customers). Do not let them indimidate you! You don't have to cause a seen to get results. In a resent minor issue I had with Sears I got results by just sitting in a chair. I explained the issue, they apoligized, I said very politiely, that an apology wasn't good enough. I just sat there while the manager squirmed and came up with a discount, which I accepted.

File a dispute with your CC company. This is why you pay fees and interest!

You are right that most people don't want to go through the trouble to deal with this stuff. This means bad companies stay in business.

File a complaint with the BBB. Many times I have seen bad companies have good records with the BBB. Must be that no one bothers to file a report.

Once you have have taken a stand I think you will feel empowered and get your problem solved.

sclee, I'm so sorry you're going through this. (((((Hug))))

Thinking about the faucet area...Did you know the Ladylux3 has a handle with forward motion only (won't hit the backsplash)? You could have them pay to replace the Cafe (if you like the 3, that is).

Also, maybe they could turn the base of the instant hot a bit to the left (with the spout still swinging forward).

If you didn't have to worry about the faucet clearance in the back, maybe some of the options you've thought about would work.

Just brainstorming...no need to respond!

Did the contractor who looked at your granite give you a written statement? You could send that to the CC company - alternatively another you could get another fabricator to give you a statement for a fee or possibly as an estimate to fix the work.

Maybe the credi t card company would accept a statement from Kevin based on photos or he can recommend someone in your area.

I had to use the credi t card hold method once and it really got their attention. It really is more pain to them than to you so you'll get a call back fast. When everything is resolved you release it and they get their money.

Sclee -

Let me know if you need any further assistance.

You know how to reach me......

kevin

You want I should go get my very good friends Vinny Two Fingers and Jimmie the Fish, and have a talk with this guy? You know, Giants stadium has TWO end zones! :-)

Thanks you guys! This is just a quick update before I hit the sack (I am totally exhausted and haven't slept right for the past few days..) I finally made contact with the guy today (I have a strange feeling he saw these posts) but anyways, he said he will make a sample piece of the liner (1"X1"X24") and bring it next week ... So, Bill, let's put off getting Vinny Two Fingers and Jimmie the Fish involved for now!! (I am just a dumb foreigner, had to google to find out who they were!!) :O

So, will keep you guys posted .. and again, THANKS SO MUCH FOR ALL YOUR HELP!, good night and hope you all have a Happy Easter!!

I wouldn't keep waiting for the owner to contact you. could be they plan to go out of bz or plain skip town. that's been done before - i used to issue bz licenses in a local city.

you should be able to get the owners home address and ph*one # from the licensing office. info on the apps should be PI except for the SS #.

contact your state office that licenses contractors. File a complaint with them. they do hold money to settle complaints (at least here they do).

get these in motion. if they come thru to your satisfaction you can pull the complaints or they'll be noted as completed to customers satisfaction.

They've had more than enough time to deal with this. not returning your ph*one calls is a very bad sign.

and yes I think your granite is beyond beautiful! wow. hopefully something will work out for you there.

DO call another granite contractor to look at it. I think you should be able to find one to do that. if for no other reason than that they might get your bz in redoing it.

I would still dispute the CC charge -- your time to do so is running out. The vendor can get paid when the install is corrected.

I was thinking the same thing as Nicole. I would dispute the charges ASAP. If and when they make things right they will get their money. Right now they could be stalling you completely on purpose so as to pass a certain amount of time that would give you control in the situation. You need to quit putting it off and trying to be the nice and accommodating customer....as long as they have been stringing you along dictates that continuing to do so is over.

Be smart here and put yourself first!

sclee, I'm so sorry you're having this trouble. Sounds like you might be making some progress now; hopefully the owner will get that sample liner to you quickly.

I know you are very busy but, could I ask you a quick question, please? I am planning to do a similar backsplash (diagonally run 6"x6" tile w/ the "irregular edges", for lack of better description). What is your tile and where did you find it? Thanks so much!

The upside of this, as much as there is one, is that you have truly stunning rock. Absolutely worth saving as possible and one of the most beautiful ones I've ever seen.

jbrig, the tile is called tuscan bone (made in brazil) and I found them at Lowe's (couldn't believe the price! very reasonable). There are variation of colors from tile to tile (some have lots of white specks, some less) so you have to check each box to make sure you get the colors that you want. I didn't realise this till I brought them home and saw the difference. I like the ones with the darker specks. I have to go exchange for the darker ones. I am glad I bought these at Lowe's, there'll be no problem exchanging them! I had looked at so many places for the right color (it's amazing how some look right in the store, but when you bring them home, they look totally different, so you have to take your type of lighting into consideration) The little black accent piece is from Meese Distributors. I had also ordered samples online (glass tiles by DalTile) originally planned on doing glass, but could not find the right shade, so started looking at ceramic/porcelain tiles... I am still a little nervous abt the Tuscan Bone, but for the price, I told myself if I didn't like it, I can always change!
Here's a pic (the tile on the left has the white specks) Good Luck!

LOL, sclee! No wonder I liked them so much--that's what I've got, too! Although I don't need them right away (probably not until the fall), I went ahead and bought them (plus used a 20% off competitor's coupon from Home Depot, so that made them even more reasonably priced). I did make sure to buy boxes from all the same lot # (it's the # labeled Tone/Shade), as there was def. a difference b/t the boxes in stock. The price was def. a plus, too, as I have some 4" tiles that I plan to use as accents, and they are not nearly such a good deal price-wise :-o

I had originally just bought 4 of the Tuscan Bone home to sample, but then when I looked online, it looked like some people were having trouble finding this tile, b/c Lowe's had discontinued it..(?) The Lowe's guy was not aware of that when I asked him, but I didn't want to take any chances, as it was the only one I had found that I really liked, and at such a good price. I figure if I have too much extra and can't return it, I can list it on Craigslist or something.

Thanks for taking the time to answer my question. Can't wait to see your finished countertops w/ that beautiful granite--and your backsplash, too, of course! Stay strong, online friend, the end is just in sight! :-)

This is an update to my granite problem ..

The owner finally brought over a sample of the 1 inch liner on Thursday evening, and initially I told him to go ahead with the liner. But throughout the night, the more I looked at that liner, the more I did not like it, so I sent picture of the liner and consulted with my family and friends. They didn't like it either and suggested maybe I should try the 3"! I didn't want to bother the owner late at night, so I waited to call him first thing Friday morning. Left a message at 8am and told him not to cut the liners as planned. He finally called back at 8.30ish and when I told him that I have had a chance to talk to other people and I really do not like the looks of the liner, he was not happy! He said he's got the granite ready for the workers to cut .. bla bla bla and when I asked abt the other option "can he cut down the 3" granite", he said "If we do that, ARE YOU GOING TO GO AHEAD WITH IT?!" I could not believe his attitude! I was really taken aback by his comments and I finally said "I didn't even want a granite backsplash in the first place, but what other options do I have?????" Uggghhhh! So he thinks he's being inconvenienced! what does he think I have been doing this few weeks??!!

I am so mad, so for those in the Dayton, Ohio vicinity who are looking for a fabricator, please be warned "DO NOT USE STONE CENTER OF MORAINE, OHIO" They have locations in Columbus, Cincinnati and Indiana. STAY AWAY from this company!!!

the 1 inch liner is right below the tiles .. I need your honest opinion -- would you accept this as a "fix" for the gap?

Okay. So it looks really sharply angle. I was expecting it to have a flatend edge. Could they cut the corner off so the angle made more of a transiiton. I'm not against the edge piece per se but I'd want it to look more decorative.

what morgne said.

morgne, countrygal, thanks for your feedback! That liner has a beveled edge (that's probably why you see the sharp angle) He also made one that has more of a "rounded" edge... but I feel that they both look so "chunky" ... it just wasn't what I was expecting ... I didn't think it would stand out so much!

here's the one w/the rounded edge ..

I think you are better off with the 3" backsplash idea. I really don't care for the look you have with the filler piece and your granite is too gorgeous for something like that to distract from it.

I hate to suggest... but can't they just fill the gap? Then between the depth of the mortar/thin set and the depth of the tile, maybe just in the larger gaps there will only be a teeny bit of the filler showing??

Although I would prefer there be no gap, I think seeing a teeny bit of fill in some areas will be better than the 1" or 3" liner piece. I think in the grand scheme it will be a better look.

That is too clunky. If they can't make it smaller like a pencil liner, I would see if they can fill it instead.

this guy owns these different fabrication places? he's a terrible bz person. I'd find out if he really owns them - or just runs that one. info should be on file with the city licensing office. all should be PI except his SS#.

I agree w/ you, sclee, that liner piece does look much too chunky, or heavy. Maybe filling it in and tiling over (most of) it would be the best course of action...? What do our resident stone & tile experts, Kevin & Bill, suggest, based on these latest developments?

MORE of a bevel. Likek an actual edge removed so that at the side near the tile it narrows down to the width of the tile. Closer to a triangle than a square.

*clarifies* Something that has a small edge facing the front of the cabinets, a long diagonal next and then a small edge facing the tile.

I agree that the fix is too clunky and out of place. There's got to be a way to fill that void somehow so that your tile can rest on the plane of the granite. One would think that a thin slice of granite could be set into that space even if the dry wall has to be notched back somehow to allow a patch be set in place.

I know this isn't what you want to hear, but I wouldn't want a fixed up countertop no matter how beautiful the slab. I would know forever that it wasn't right. I'd want it out of my house.

jb1176, filling the gap has been discussed earlier and it will not work for my situation... and believe me, there were times when I wanted to tell them to get the granite out bcoz I was getting really frustrated, but DH (and the "D" doesn't mean DEAR! if you know what I mean!) said that was not a reasonable request .. obviously, he's not the one dealing with the problem!!

I am sure some of you understand how frustrating this can get ...

I think if you want to continue to try and fix this you should do so with decorative tile - not a granite piece. Based on those pictures, it's just too clunky. I think you'll have a lot more flexibility with tile -

Too Clunky!

Sclee I can see why you tossed and turned worrying about
this. You know in your heart it is too clunky. The worst
part is that this manager or owner is not being helpful.
His company made a mistake! Period.

If this is how they measure granite installations then he
has had this problem before and will continue to have this
problem with future clients. He is NOT a stone artist.
Measure twice cut once. And cut to perfection. Use sharp
tools and be precise. Measure every nook and cranny!

If they can not fix this they need to give you a fair
discount. And then you can hire some other Stone company
to make this better. Trust me there are better stone
companies out there. Granite installers/fabricators that
have talent and truly care about their work. Shame on
this company.

I hope he does read these posts because he needs to
straighten out his company. Quality work deserves
excellent pay. This is not quality.

I send you
((((((((((((((Cyber hugs)))))))))))))))))))))
I wish I had a solution. If it were me I would have
them take the stone out. Start over with new granite slabs
and a new company. I know, I know you love the stone
but do you really love the gaps. If it is not going to
work you will forever be upset with the outcome. And
you will find another beautiful stone. Perhaps this
slab can be converted to a window sill or end tables or
bathroom vanity, night stand, bathtub sill, desk,
entry way. As for your DH. He is under stress too.
Husbands like to solve problems and when they can't they
become a little edgy, difficult, stubborn, or they turn
it on to you saying you are "overreacting".
Oh dear I am talking about my DH. ;>

Thinking of you and sending well wishes to the granite.
~boxer

I agree with all of you-too clunky. I don't remember if this was suggested, but is there a way to build out the drywall? Even if you had to take down the upper cabs, install another piece of drywall and rehang the uppers?

I had to drop the ceiling in a bath because the tile layer mis calculated and left a small uneven sliver of tile at the top of the shower stall. The eventual solution was to add another layer of drywall to the ceiling, believe it or not. It worked ok.

Just a thought....

Good luck with whatever you choose. Remember YOU have to be happy with the solution.

I have up to a 1/2" gap at some places where my granite meets the wall. We knew we would though, and we were ok with it. The granite people filled the gap with something (silicone or epoxy, I am not real sure what it is). Our GC said that our tiled backsplash will cover most of the gap and he will "build up" the wall a little where needed. I guess I am not too concerned about it...maybe I should be.