Caesarstone installation issues

11 years ago

I had my new Caesarstone countertops installed about 6 weeks ago. My kitchen sink has a 1/4" bevel so I asked for the sink cut-out to be flush to the bevel. When the countertop fabricator initially came to look at the job, I had the sink here and he measured it. He commented, "It's a good thing that I measured the sink because the template is off." I watched him measure the sink and I don't think he took any measurement of the amount of curve at the corners.

The straight portions of the installed countertop are flush to the bevel, but the corners hang over the sink about a half inch. I'm attaching photos to illustrate.

I had the fabricator's guys come out this morning to redo the caulking as it was already disintegrating. They took photos of the corners that overhang the sink and said they would talk to the supervisor about re-shaping the corners to make them flush to the bevel and consistent with the rest of the sink cut-out. I asked them if this can safely be done after the countertop is installed and they said it can.

So my questions are: Is the installation incorrect with the countertop hanging over the corners of the sink? It looks odd to me; shouldn't it be consistently flush to the bevel all the way around the sink? Can the countertop be reshaped at the corners of the sink AFTER it's been installed?

Thanks in advance for your comments/input.

Featured Answer

PRO

Joseph Corlett, LLC

11 years ago

That seam is unacceptable. I don't know what adhesive they're using, but they're not getting a good bond and it looks contaminated. With all the other work, redoing this is not a big deal. You want color matched methacrylate, not polyester or epoxy.

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Comments (9)

Bunny
11 years ago
That doesn't look right. Surely that's an easy fix.
Deborah Taggart thanked Bunny
mbnrb
11 years ago
Probably an easy fix, but it certainly needs be fixed!
Deborah Taggart thanked mbnrb
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Deborah Taggart
Original Author
11 years ago
Thanks Linelle and mbnrb - good to know I'm not being overly picky (although I am...).
sjhockeyfan325
11 years ago
It looks to me like they [literally] took a shortcut. It should be fixed.
Deborah Taggart thanked sjhockeyfan325
PRO
Joseph Corlett, LLC
11 years ago
last modified: 11 years ago
What you're looking at is the downside to CNC machine tooling, which has a minimum radius, usually 2". They can't make a smaller radius automatically because the bit is too large and didn't try to do it by hand. Now instead of doing it in the shop, they'll be removing the sink and doing it in your home.

Make 'em reprofile the edge with a larger radius while they're at it. It isn't that much more work now and you'll get a lot less chipping.

They aren't allowed to set mechanical fasteners into Ceasarstone to hold the sink; it voids the warranty. Have them use a Hercules Universal Sink Harness or a Sink Strap.
Deborah Taggart thanked Joseph Corlett, LLC
Deborah Taggart
Original Author
11 years ago
Thank you Joseph Corlett, LLC! I already do have a chip which I thought was odd. I'm very careful with my heavy pots and pans and thought Caesarstone was extremely tough.

To make matters worse, the seam at the front of the sink is uneven and wider/more noticeable than it should be. The other seams are acceptable but this one isn't. I wasn't able to capture it adequately with my camera but I'm sure you've seen this. What can be done now to fix a bad seam, if anything?
PRO
Joseph Corlett, LLC
11 years ago
This is how you fix a bad seam at a sink.
Deborah Taggart thanked Joseph Corlett, LLC
Deborah Taggart
Original Author
11 years ago
Thanks Joe. Looks like a big job. I was able to get some pics of the bad seam in my Frosty Carina Caesarstone.

The seam is about 3 3/8" long and shows up better next to the suds in the sink. It's not as bad as the seam you repaired in your link. In your professional opinion, is this worth complaining about? In other words, is it acceptable or should it be repaired? Thanks very much for your expert input.