Ask them to replace the tops. It's fine to have a seam, necessary on most kitchens. They probably dropped the top or bumped it. White granite is fragile.

Hopefully you have photos of the clamps and it should be expected that they replace. Don't sign off and don't back down unless the seaming of the broken areas aren't very noticeable and they are willing to discount

Thank you, Larissa. I will definitely stand my ground. I totally understand on the seam, but the chunk I do not. I did not get any pictures of the clamp as I didn't know any better and thought they were just doing what they were supposed to for normal installation. I will head over and get pictures of the chunks on each corner and the uneven laminate edge right now. Again, thanks.

just to head off any possible misunderstanding and be ready, search the granite slabs for anything else that look like it might be a crack... in case they say its a natural feature of the granite and was in fact never broken off. if its a natural feature they won't be just at the corners.

i say this because our old island did have a fissure across a corner, it was never broken off and repaired. but boy was i nervous about leaning on it.

Quartz is much stronger and would have been the way to go. But you have granite and it is distressing for this to have happened to you as having a home built is nerve-wracking with umpteen choices to make! You are spending a LOT of money on this project. You need to be completely happy with your counter top as you are paying for this and will be using this everyday, several times a day. Did the granite and installation come with a Guarantee? Technically until closing date, the builder owns the house. Tell him you will only sign off if the granite is fixed to your satisfaction or give you a HUGE discount the way it is.

Homeowner, with remodel and total custom experience, with contractors. This is an issue that you need to get in front of your contractor, NOW. I don't know what you contract looks like, but it's standard in my area for the contractor to deal with this sort of issue, in toto.

Unfortunately, it doesn't mean it isn't your issue. But if you have a contractor who hired subs (or had his own labor) to do the work, you have but one "throat to choke". It seems extreme, but you have to get on it. Press the contractor to fix.

On the other side? Be prepared that the granite slab you fell in love with may/may not be able to be replicated. Be flexible- you can find similar, and it may all need to be replaced, to satisfy your contract/needs, but hold your ground. "Chunks" in granite cannot be "fixed", to any "new" standard.

PS- as Larissa (first poster) says, don't sign off on ANY of it, right now. There is a real appetite, within contracting, to take defects, "move on" and deal with it during punch stage. DON'T do it. This isn't a punch item, but a true defect, detected before sign-off- I hope!

I agree with you Margocorp, if they break it - make it right. I had curtains made and installed by the same company. I was in the room on and off while he was installing, and it looked FAB when he was done. Two weeks later, I was showing them off, and my friend was looking at them thoroughly and one of the finials fell off. We looked at it and saw that it was cracked in two, and the installer had pieced it back together, and never said a word. I was on the phone the next day, and they ordered me a new finial and came to my house to put it on.

Another thought: tell the contractor to remove the granite and that you want to upgrade to quartz (not quartzite) which quartz is a far superior product. We have Cambria brand. It comes with a lifetime, transferrable warranty. The installers carried this part of the counter with the sink hole as a handle into the kitchen. With granite being so fragile, this "handle" would have broken off. We have no seams. Each section of the counter top was one piece.

The trim under the window will be made wide for a plant shelf for herbs.

Definitely replace it. Sometimes the stuff they use to glue it back together turns a horrible blue or green color and it doesnt show up for a week or so.

It must be made right to your satisfaction before closing on your house. Handle it right away.

The bond that the glue creates is stronger than the stone itself. If you were to stress it, it would break somewhere else rather than the same spot. A repaired break isn't an automatic disqualifier. Many times, stone is repaired at the quarry before it is even shipped to the wholesaler. Structurally, it is NOT an issue to be concerned about.

The big issue is the skill of the repair person in creating a repair that is inconspicuous. An artist at repair can create fill of multiple colors and you would never be able to tell that it was repaired. Doesn't sound like that's the case here. Ask them to get a better stone artist in to tweak the seam.

Thank you, everyone. I did go and take some pictures of the granite. The front of the island is the worst of all. The other back corner and the corner on another counter were fixed pretty decent, but the front of the definitely island stands out like a sore thumb. The first 2 pictures are of the front of the island. The third picture is of the piece that was broken off of the countertop next to where the refrigerator will go in. The fourth picture is also of the island and is located on one of the back corners. You can also see where the bottom of the countertop is not straight in the first picture where the laminate strip underneath the gets a lot thinner and then gets thicker again (which is quite noticeable as well).

Hopefully my conversation with the superintendent goes well.

@Vettyvu: pictures tell a thousand words...the "repaired" granite is awful!! Don't sign off on this issue.

Em Bee, we definitely won't. Hopefully the superintendent will be receptive.

"Hopefully the superintendant will be receptive"? Do NOT be intimidated by contractors or their superintendant. They should be more than pleased to rectify this granite install abhorration! They should be worried about their reputation. It is YOUR hard earned money they are getting...this isn't free or a throw in. You are paying for this! I suspect you are young people and just want to be nice and are unsure of how to approach this. Well a good builder worth his salt will play nice too and make sure you are satisfied. A GOOD builder stands behind his product and workmanship. If they hassle you, make sure you mention you will be speaking with your lawyer. And do it! Aarggghhhh...I hate it when people get dinked around...

Em

As a granite fabricator, that is UNACCEPTABLE! Repairing things is sometimes necessary but it should never be something that could ever be noticed, their epoxy is not even properly color matched! Stand your ground and get it remade.

I would like to thank all of you again for weighing in on my broken granite dilemma. In short, you all ROCK! I stood my ground and after I make a second selection of slabs, new granite will be installed in our new build kitchen and butler's pantry.

For kicks and giggles, there are 12 cabinets that match the kitchen cabinets that were supposed to go in my laundry room. After letting the superintendents know that there was a problem when only kitchen cabinets were delivered and installed, I addressed this 4 more times. One week out from closing I finally found someone who would listen to me, confirm this, and see that these cabinets were ordered (even chose countertop for these cabinets at my design center visit some 6 months ago which should have been a clue). I even told the superintendent on another occasion when I had to "remind" him that there was to be tile throughout the whole laundry room and not only half of it - which was all that was done. I even asked why they were tiling the floor where the cabinets would be going in and he responded rather snappily, "they will be installed on top of the tile". He obviously didn't mean it since that conversation took place about 5 weeks ago.

It has been a long road to say the least. You all really helped me get through a literal "granite" roadblock and I can't thank you enough! My closing has been pushed out to May 26th - can't wait to see what else happens between now and then! ;)

Hi! Glad to hear things are turning out for the better! About your tile...my kitchen cabinetry was installed over my hardwood floors which had been extended to all four corners. Of course no one would see this wood UNDER the cabinets, but was done in order to keep things level. So your contractor/builder is placing your cabinets on top of the tiled floor for the same reason.

Thanks, Em Bee. And I won't give the tile/cabinets a second thought.

You're welcome! And hello Tibbletrouble! :)

Hi, Em!

I'm glad they're replacing everything for you. I can't believe they damaged that much...sheesh. Hopefully you like your new slabs just as much. :) Our granite is going in today and is very similar to yours (Glacier White).

When things aren't right, complain nicely. The squeaky wheel gets the grease!