I thought that was the fireclay sinks. I have never heard that about Silgranite?

It was definitely Silgranite and other composite granite sinks. Not sure how to post links to the posts I saw, but I found them by googling various combinations of silgranite, cracking, and thermal shock.

I haven't read about that.
I read a lot.
I also found NOTHING when googling. ( silgranite, cracking, and thermal shock)

--

Long ago, I found that "Solid Surface" might crack under thermal shock. Not the same product.

--
gilmoregal:
"...Not sure how to post links to the posts I saw...."
Why not paste and copy?? It's a start.

--

if the moderators leave this thread, it can help.

Googling "Silgranit" and "crack" unfortunately yields a rich load of pages discussing cracked sinks, and many (though not all) seem to be a result of thermal shock. How weird! I've never noticed that problem discussed here before.

First and most importantly, do not lump in Elkay or other brand composite sinks, or Swanstone, with Silgranit. Silgranit is a patented (seven patents actually) material exclusive to Blanco. It is superior to other granite composites on the market.

Second, Silgranit is specified to withstand heat up to 535 degrees fahrenheit.

Third, any incidents of cracking of a Silgranit sink have occurred in transit, not after installation. From reading the "Sunny-jim" post you provided of his "brand new" sink, it sounds like it was cracked before installation. That is why it is crucial to purchase your Silgranit sink from a reputable dealer who will pack it appropriately. If, instead, you go with a seller who simply has the cheapest price, you may be risking purchasing one that was not packed well, was dropped, or whatever. Two reputable dealers are homeandstone and qualitybath, though there are others. We don't know where Sunny-jim bought his. We also don't know if Sunny-jim's countertop installer may have cracked it.

Fourth, Silgranit was improved in 2009 (though it already was excellent) to "Silgranit II". The Silgranit II is even more stain- and heat-resistant than before.

I agree with Davidro1 in that I researched Silgranit sinks extensively before I purchased one. I don't know where you are getting "multiple reports". I could only find a few old posts with anything negative to say about Silgranit. Those old posts fell under a few categories: (a) were actually talking about another brand, but mistakenly calling it Silgranit, (b) were talking about another brand like the OP here did about Elkay, (c) discussing a sink of their mother's/friend's/uncle's/neighbor's for which they had no specific information, but just "heard" that "it" stains or somesuch ("it" could be fireclay for all we know), (d) bought sinks from unknown/new retailer or on eBay, and it came packed in a thin box with little or no styrofoam or other protection, and (e) installer used plumbers putty inappropriately, the installer made the countertop cutout badly and tried to jam the sink in, or the installer was a poor/careless one.

We've had our Silgranit sink for 8 months and love it. We pour boiling water in it all the time. Yesterday we had family over, made pasta, and also served cold drinks cause it was hot. We drained pasta, then our teenagers threw their iced drinks into the sink. No problem.

alwaysfixin - I appreciate your input as a Silgranit II owner, and I am very glad to know that you are happy with your sink. I hope you understand that I was only asking for information so that I can make an informed decision. I did not intentionally 'lump' Silgranit products with other inferior composite sinks - I just said that I had read about cracking problems with both Silgranit and other composite sinks. And I did read multiple reports - I only posted two of them in response to Davidro1's statement that he had not read of any problems. I realize that some of the reports were written several years ago, and I cannot speak to the veracity of any of the reports. I can only say that they left me with some concerns, so I wanted to get feedback from this community before I made my final decision.

I, too, read about the cracks in silgranit sinks when I was at that point in our remodel. I hemmed and hawed about whether I wanted to take the chance or go with a stainless steel sink. I bought the stainless sink and then realized I really wanted the silgranit, so back it went. We have had no problems and absolutely love the decision. If I pour boiling water from pasta I just turn on the cold faucet as well...precautionary. Eases my mind.

gilmoregal-

We have one of those "other" Silgranite, or, as we call it, Fauxgranite, sinks and it's been great. It looks good, has held up exceptionally well and we've had no problems with it (and the sandyponder household babies nothing, ever, we are hard on stuff). Ours is the HD Pegasus model, black, single bowl, 33" and it cost about $330. The Blanco models were not in the cards for us, too pricey for our budget. kitchen.

Good luck-

sandyponder

I just installed a Blanco Silgranit sink in February, and I love it. Hot pasta water, ice cubes, hot pans, no problems yet, and no babying in my house, either.

gilmoregal now is a good time to do one more search (of the same type that produced those results before) and report back.

This is not sufficient: "... I only posted two of them in response ... had not read of any problems. I realize that some of the reports were written several years ago, and I cannot speak to ..." You are scaremongering if you do not produce results.

I don't think the OP needs to justify her concerns. If she is worried about Silgranit so much, then she should just get a stainless steel sink and be done with the worrying. Having said that, it should be noted that EVERY sink material has downsides of some sort. You just have to decide which you feel comfortable with. The OP isn't comfortable with what she's read on the internet about Silgranit and thermal shock. I myself would have preferred Silgranit (didn't know about it when I was purchasing a sink). I have read so many threads by enthusiastic Silgranit owners, it strikes me that the OP is focusing on negative reports from elsewhere, rather than positive reports from this forum. Regardless, the OP should look at other materials. A sink is a big expense, and if undermounted, is fairly permanent. A kitchen re-do is stressful, and if Silgranit is adding stress, she should choose something else.

Having said that, you will find that all sink materials have things to worry about. Stainless will not experience thermal shock. But, it has annoying water spots, can get a dull film, will scratch, can be noisy if not soundproofed or if not a thick enough gauge. How about another choice, enamelled cast iron - well, there is a thread going on right now from a poster who has the enamel on her new sink lifting, exposing the cast iron. Cast iron is also heavy to install. OK, what about fireclay? It's gorgeous. But we've had reports on this forum about fireclay cracks and crazing, and being difficult to install. OK then, copper - well, you have to be OK with its living finish, and its very high price. Whew. As I said, they all have downsides, and the OP has to decide what she wants and is most comfortable with. No point in looking for justification here; it's her personal decision.

Gilmoregal, thanks for asking this question. It kinda seems like people are picking on you. Anyway, "multiple" is more than one, and you posted two. I really appreciate this forum for the opportunity to ask questions and hear responses from posters who have first-hand experience with the products in question. It didn't seem to me that you were trying to damage Silgranit's reputation. No need for anyone to get defensive; and IMO no need for you to document the items you saw while googling. Sheesh! Replacing our old cruddy sink as the prime factor that brought me to this site. So thanks to you for the question, and to those who were kind enough to explain how the product has worked for them.

davidro1 - Scaremongering? Really? By simply asking a question? Isn't that the purpose of these message boards - to allow an exchange of questions, information, and ideas? I really don't understand why you have been so snarky from the outset. First you challenged my statement that I had seen any reports of cracks, so I provided two of the reports that had concerned me. Are they several years old? Yes. Are they true? I assume they are, but I have no way of knowing. That is why I brought my question to this message board - to find out whether others had experienced this problem and whether it had been resolved. And there were other reports - you don't have to believe me, but ttosh and marcolo both said that they had seen others. To be honest, I don't think I owe you "one more search (of the same type that produced those results before)". But if it is that important to you, please feel free to do one yourself and report back.

I suppose you could buy the sink and set it in the driveway, perhaps on sawhorses with a large stopper in the drain. Then you can alternate pouring boiling water and dumping ice cubes in the sink. Splotch on the most acidic, staining stuff you have and leave it for days. Heat your cast iron pan to smoking and place it in the sink. Basically, inflict whatever torture you like, for as long as you like. If the sink meets your expectations, install it. If it does not, return it.

I'm serious. If you have doubts about the durability of a sink, test it for yourself.

Gilmoregal - I too have the same concerns with a Silgranit sink. I have a cast iron enamel sink now and while there is technically nothing wrong with it (except for the little silver marks on the sides) I wanted something with a thinner deck. Like others have said, it does seem like most of the reports of cracking are due to poor packing during shipping. I had stainless steel at my apartment and I hated it. Like you I am on a very strict budget and it seems like the Silgranit is out of my range but I will try to find a way to get it since I am a leary of the other brands, although I have heard that the HD Pegasus brand is actually made by Blanco.

We heard from the kitchen and bath manager at HD that Pegasus sinks perform very well but that we should not use ammonia in the sink, they explicitly state in the literature that you should not use it, and he said they mean it, it weakens the resin that holds the granite chips together.

Since we don't use harsh chemicals like ammonia or bleach, we figured it wasn't a problem for us. He also said to keep the receipt, the sinks have a lifetime warranty and as long as you have the HD sales slip, they will replace if it fails under normal use. He also said the sinks were made by Jacuzzi. I have no idea if he was telling the truth about anything, but I did keep the receipt, just in case.

sandyponder

I've had my Silgranit II sinks installed since August and have drained pasta and other hot stuff in them numerous times. They are topmounted and I like that the deck is thin. I also bought the racks, so I can't speak to setting a hot pan directly on the bottom of the sink, as I've never done it. I do like the racks, as without them they'd be a little deep to reach into, and I like being able to set things to dry on them. I love the sinks. They are quiet and easy to keep looking nice and clean. Mine are in Anthracite.

Just for the record--I don't think you're scaremongering at all. This is a good place to bring up concerns and find out what experiences people have had with a product. Good for you for ferreting out any potential problems and checking them out. Better to know before purchase than after! For me, if I only find two or three "bad" reviews intermingled with lots and lots (ie, like here) that say "I love them", or lots of problems a few years ago and then nothing but love in the last year or two--then I'd be likely to go with the Silgranite II if that's what you really like. But if it makes you nervous, then look at stainless. YOU have to be comfortable with your choice.

For what it's worth, I bought both of my Silgranit II sinks from Homeperfect.com and they came packed to the nines with huge, very thick pieces of formed styrofoam and sheets. It looks as though that's the way Blanco packs them into the boxes for shipping to the retailer. I found the pricing at Homeperfect to be very good--especially if you wait for a holiday weekend discount. :-) Shipping was prompt, no complaints here.

Cj

We have recently had a very popular non-sink product fail for us in our remodel and I wish I had been warned in advance about it. I have posted a bunch about it and maybe others have seen and taken heed. I am working out a settlement with the company, so the less said, the better.
It was supposed to be a quality product and cost us top dollar to get it. It was one our true splurge of any consequence.
I can totally understand being worried after reading reports like you posted from other people. If you can't ask for advice about it here on GW, then where can you?
I hope everyone feels free to post their concerns and opens a dialogue. Knowledge is power. After reading all the responses, your decision should be a little clearer. It is something that can't easily be changed out after the fact, so you want to get this decision right. I hope whatever you choose works out as you hope it will.

In the last three years i've not read of anyone having a crack. In their Silgranite sink in the kitchen.

The threads from 2008 dealt mostly with transport cracking. Shipping.
There was a case of a crack after installation. But it is not clear beyond all doubt.

--

It is a valid point of view to put a finger on the fact that
1. no crack reports in the last 1000 days.
2. most of the threads from 2 to 3 years ago did not report a crack, but only reported of having read somewhere of someone having a cracked sink.

= And, the OP did not acknowledge these points 1. and 2., and started the thread off with strong statements that served the purpose of dredging back from the past the buzz or misinformation.

= And, last Monday the OP offered to "post more if you are interested" and then a few hours later posted s/he "had read about cracking problems with both Silgranit and other composite sinks..." which only serves to reinforce the original doubt instead of containing it or reducing it.

A week later, no-one has added more quotes from more threads

--

Of course, this is the place to discuss this.

Sorry for not responding sooner - I have been out of town.

Thank you so much to everyone who took the time to respond to my original question in a kind and helpful way. My question was never intended to damage the reputation of Silgranit sinks, and I am still a little shocked at the reaction it received from a few. Maybe I should have worded it differently? I don't know. If anyone felt the question was inappropriate, I apologize.

I appreciate hearing from those of you who are happy with your Silgranit sinks; it is reassuring to hear that none of you have experienced thermal shock cracking issues. Maybe the newer Silgranit II has resolved any issues that may have occurred with the original Silgranit. Or maybe the issues I read about were isolated and/or caused by other factors. I had already read many positive reviews about Silgranit sinks on this board, so when I ran across the negative ones, I only wanted to find out if any issues had been resolved before I made my purchase.

To the few who did not respond in a kind and helpful way, I just choose to ignore your comments. Life is too short. These message boards are a wonderful source of information, ideas, inspiration, and support. I appreciate those who answered my question in that spirit. Thank you!

I'm glad you were able to acknowledge the dilemma and thank people too.
I'm sorry to have caused any distress to you and to all the other readers.

I have a Silgranit sink branded by Pegasus. It is Anthrazit in color and was manufactured in 2003 according to the label. It has a crack running from the center to the edge, I only noticed this when looking underneath and seeing a small wet spot. Looking from the top it looks like a hairline fracture. I have tried calling Pegasus customer service for over two weeks with no response or return call. What is the best way to repair this sink?

Pegasus and Blanco (the maker of silgranit) are very different companies. Pegasus is a Home Depot brand, mostly made in China, that specializes in knock-offs of higher-end products from other manufacturers. Support is lousy for their faucets, too. Your sink is not a silgranit sink, but a copy.

This is about faucets, but there's a lot about the company here:

http://starcraftcustombuilders.com/sources.faucets.Home.Depot.htm

ETA I would think replacement is the best option in your situation. If there's still a warranty I'd pursue that. I would also start a separate thread that you can call their attention to. Your post doesn't have a lot of umph at the end of a 6-year-old thread.

"What is the best way to repair this sink?"

You aren't repairing the sink, you're replacing it. $500.00 or so plus the cost of the sink.