Why do you keep reposting this? Give it time.

Sorry! I didn't mean to do so. I was getting " can not be posted at this time" messages and it was my first time trying something like this.

Maybe, just maybe you can do something about it, since you picked the stone from a sample and when that happens usually they would explain to expect variations in color and most places I know who offer "pick-from-a sample" would make you sign a waiver...

On the general note, I never heard that anyone would have his customers choose stone from a sample and not the whole slab, because Granite is a natural stone and comes from different lots and is never consistent and has variations" some more- some less", therefore it's always a problem when picked from a small example you don't know what to expect.

With that said, what you have there is not that bad, it is part of natural stone and that is the beauty of it...

Good luck

Thank you!

Wow! You so called pros can be mean and I wouldn't use any of you while building.

I think what you have is consistent with what one would expect from a natural stone. The variation is what creates the beauty of the stone so that it does not look homogenous and "man made". There are many new home builders that have all selections made at their design centers. It is certainly not uncommon in the industry. It is better, IMO, to see the actual slabs. Whatever your contract says should dictate. If you were never told that you would be taken to see the actual slabs and just assumed it would happen without asking, then that does not equate to an obligation on the builder's part to replace the slabs.

Actually, with the amount of marbling in the granite, I think the veins gives the granite a little bit of character. However, I think the builder should have had the granite cut and installed in such a way that the veins would be against walls instead of the edge of the countertop. Is there any way you can cut a deal with the builder and then just replace it with another granite company once the house is done?

Having said that, I have been where you are. We just had black galaxy granite installed in our kitchen and our island had a huge white vein running through it that made it look more like a crack than a vein. Our granite people found another slab and replaced that piece for free. The new one has veins in them too but they are black and hard to see.

Kittn, we're not being mean, we're being realistic.

I remember many years ago when stone counters were a rarity in the construction industry, it was nothing but formica being installed into every home being this a $150k home or 1m dollar home.

When Granite hit the market in the late 90's everyone was ripping out Formica and replacing with Granite... With that said I been installing Granite for over decade and I have never had my customer pick the counter from a sample. They go to a distributor, they pick out the slab group 1,2 o3 and important if there is more than one slab needed they come from the same lot, and the stone is sent to the fabricator... This way the customer gets exactly what they selected.

When you chose from a sample, that sample represents that particular stone and lot is was taken from, maybe since the place been in business. Now when you pick from the same stone sample, you can get a totally different stone, small portion of it will look like the sample, but the rest it might not even be close to that...

With that said, no matter what product consumer selects they should do a little research about the material, what questions to ask, etc. People in the service industry should also teach theirs clients and provide them with enough information and explain what to expect, instead of giving someone a 4x4 or 6x6 sample and say pick your Granite.

I think those veins make the stone more beautiful.

@kittn- Not mean, but directness is necessary in these types of things.

Stone is stone. The people who complain seem to think they are only paying for a certain look, which may mean huge slabs of wasted stone for which they don't want to pay, and somehow the stone fabricator needs to absorb it.

I think too, as we renovate, we have a laser like focus for problems and flaws. I know I did during our recent renovation. So we see things out of context, and they may appear a much bigger problem than they are. The posters do not like the stone. If the builder refuses to replace it, it is on them, cost and time wise, to replace it.

That vein and pattern variation does look a little weird but not terrible. I think that you may be blowing the issue out of proportion. Personally, I have my clients go and select the slabs that they are going to use but not everyone does it like this.

You mentioned that you thought that you were going to have the opportunity to go out and select the slabs. That means that you didn't know the answer to that question for certain so you should have asked your builder, especially as the time got closer to the installation.

Unfortunately this is an expensive lesson to learn. Don't assume anything. If you have questions at pre-contract signing or need clarification any time during the construction process, then ask them and receive responses all in writing. Companies that utilize project management software such as Co-Construct (http://global.co-construct.com/) greatly simplify this process.

Maybe the veining would have looked better at a different place, but I would think they cut the slab they had in the way that the counter fit. Maybe they could have gotten a better match if they would have seamed the slab a couple of places, but then that introduces a whole new basket of cobras.

IMO, I don't think it looks horrible, but I would've been surprised to see it. I'm about to go through remodeling in a little bit once I find a contractor, so that's good to know about the nuances. I think this is a normal reaction that anyone would have. It should've been explained. Buyers don't come to the table knowing everything about the process, so I think it would be helpful for the contractor to explain the process. There's a kinder way to explain things when someone had paid thousands of dollars for an item. "Due to the natural occurrence of granite in nature, like a diamond, it may have some imperfections. Unlike a diamond, these imperfections add character to the stone. We will try our best to place these variances in a place where the eye is not directly drawn to it." Thanks for sharing your experience.

It's stressful building, but I really like the variations in the granite. It makes it much more interesting. I'm sorry you had a bad experience with your builder.

I have to say, that as others did, that the buyer or customer has to be very proactive when building or planning renovations. There are countless resources to use, especially Houzz, to learn what to expect or what to ask.
It is true that the small swatches are a ridiculous representation of how a granite counter will look. They merely indicate the color tones- grey, beige, and so on. The more exotic the granite is, the more you have to go look at the slab, and find out how they will cut it up.
I am sorry for your trouble. Why not live with it a while and in the overall scheme of the kitchen perhaps the obvious will become the dramatic nuances you come to love.