Countertop Installation Snafu

17 years ago

I think this is one of those things I just have to live with and it is not as bad as some countertop issues I have seen posted.

However, I have not paid for the installation yet and wonder what my recourse is.

We purchased Ice Stone for our large kitchen island - 12 x 4. It was a fairly straight forward installation - prep sink cut out and gas cook-top cut-out. On one side we have an overhang - but the top is one level. THere is a leg supporting the middle section of the overhang - this leg was placed so the the cabinet base slightly bowed out at the leg placement. Obviously once the top was on this would not show. Our GC pointed this put to the template maker - telling him to make it straight from corner to corner.

Unfortunately, the fabricator followed this irregularity and the top is not straight! It is very obviously bowed at the leg.

The fabricator came to take a final measurement to finish the final template and 2 days later I got a call saying they were ready to install!!? I was a little surprised - no opportunity for my GC to check the measurements? No final sign-off and approval of the template by either myself or the GC? I figured it was a straight-forward job and hoped for the best. I should know better by now ;-) I thought from reading on the forum that signing off on a template was common but have been told that is not true.

It isn't the most horrendous error - we can - and will have to live with it - I got the last 2 slabs of a discontinued color. But I am pretty disappointed in the job given the premium cost of the material.

Any installers out there with any advice on whether I have legitimate claim against them?

Removing is not an option - the sink was installed and the information I have received indicates a high probability of the material breaking if we try to remove it now - there is no more so that is not happening!

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Comments (6)

alku05
17 years ago
Pictures?

Did you get the last two slabs that your supplier had, or the last two in the area/country? I'd push hard to locate new slabs (someone may have a couple left) and have the job redone at no cost to you. Failing that, I'd want a significant discount for being stuck with a design I didn't want.
kitchenredo2
17 years ago
Please post photos - I am having a hard time envisioning this.

I agree, check if there are other slabs available. I find it hard to believe these are the "last 2" available anywhere. It is their mistake, they have to make it right. Or give you a discount to live with it. Either way, it should be your choice.
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flseadog
17 years ago
Yes, the prior posters make a good point. No longer available is often contractor for it's too hard, time consuming or costly for me to correct my mistake. Even if you have to do the leg work to track down the slabs (we have done this with stone and tile that was "unavailable") do it if living with this will bother you but make sure they pay for the correction.
gldnfan
Original Author
17 years ago
Unfortunately, it is truly a case of I got the last 2 slabs - ice stone discontinued the color last year. I contacted the company myself. They know how many they made and where they were shipped and that was it.

I will take a picture - not at the house right now though. If you look down the long side of the countertop you can see that it goes in slightly in the middle and then back out again - instead of looking down a straight line.

The fabricators say they want to make it right but I am not sure how they can do that if we can't move them - try to plane it somehow in place? Anyone ever heard of that?

I also discovered they cut the opening for the cooktop and downdraft too large - it is slight but the edge of the downdraft does not cover the opening. We had the downdraft and cooktop there when they came to template and they measured them so I am not sure what happened - they cut the opening bigger than what we had there for the cabinets.

The store that sold me the ice stone and highly recommended these folks says they have never had a problem before and gave me some references. I can live with it - my friend did not notice right away even though I had told her about it - she had to look for it so it isn't an OMG that looks terrible situation. However, combined with the incorrect downdraft cut-out I certainly don't think I should be paying the full fabrication and installation fee. Just not sure what would be reasonable.

Oh well. I'm really done with this rebuild. I thought this would be more fun - lol pretty naive huh?! We were gone a couple days and I returned to discover I don't like some of my very expensive choices :( I really hope that it is just that many final details are missing and when the backsplash and cabinet fronts are all installed I will like it better.

I love my master bath so I think I will just hide out in there ;-)
vrjames
17 years ago
What is the name of the Icestone material and where are you in the country.

This installation is unacceptable in any way.
chloe_s_mom
17 years ago
I think that the cut out for the down draft could really be a big issue - wouldn't stuff (crumbs etc) fall down there? And gee, in at the middle? If anything, it should have been bowed out....