Your fabricator needs to be tested for color blindness obviously. That bright white adhesive isn't remotely close to matching and the gaps are kinda wide. It does look like there are scratches filled with the white adhesive. If those were Dremmeled out and even filled with clear superglue, they'd look better than that. Your faucet escutcheon will probably cover most of the seam at the faucet, but the hole has been drilled so close to the splash you may have to cock your faucet in order to give the handle enough space to function. Test for that before you cut his final payment, please. I wouldn't worry about the splash seam too much, you're never going to see it as much as you are now.

Scribing a top to a wall is Carpentry 101. Incredibly simple and easy. His excuses are inexcusable.

Tell him he's doing all the seams over, repairing the gouges, and to properly scribe the top to the wall or pay to have the wall floated to the top before he's getting any more money.

Thank you for validating my thoughts Joseph. I don't know that there is a fix for the gap between backsplash and wall though. Seems to me that he should not have insisted on a marble splash because that will never lie flat on a bowed wall, right? He should have stuck with my plan of no splash and either scribed the counter to the wall or cut into the high point in the wall and sunk the counter into that a bit. Doing either now will require a whole new slab, right? Ugh, I just want this done!

The bowed wall is laid to tne feet of the GC on the job. He should have fixed that before the cabinets went in, much less the counters templated.

No GC, just me. But when he templated we discussed the bowed wall and he said including the backsplash would allow him to cover and gaps so there would be none more than 1/8 inch. What do I know, I agreed. I guess I figured the backsplash was scribed somehow, or pieced in a way to allow for the bow. But that didn't happen. 1/8 and 1/2 of an inch is a significant difference.

Meant to say, "cover any gaps"

1/2" is significant. It required opening up the walls and fixing the issue behind the walls that caused the issue.

"I don't know that there is a fix for the gap between backsplash and wall though."

Yes there is. Depending on your layout and your overhang, the tops could still be scribed to the walls on site. If not, the walls can be brought to the marble with mud.

OK, thanks Joseph. It's hard to know what to accept as a proposed remedy without advice from a knowledgeable third party. I just re-read your initial response, and wanted to point out that I am not using a faucet escutcheon. I am just using my pull-down faucet and a soap dispenser. I am going to test the faucet in the morning, I never would have known it might be too close to the backsplash. Do you think there is a chance of getting the backsplash to lie flush with the bowed wall, or should I have them scrap that and just scribe the countertop to the wall as I originally wanted?

It seems you have to be an expert in anything you hire someone to do before you hire them these days. I did not shop for price on this install, I went to a highly recommended outfit and shopped for a slab I liked, not the cheapest.

Greendesigns, if the marble contractor had told me it would be an issue he could not deal with, I would have had it fixed before he started. But on template day we had a full discussion about the bow in the wall and my not wanting a gap, and he said he could get it within 1/8" if I let him put in the 3" backsplash. I agreed, and even paid a bit extra for the backsplash (well, haven't paid yet). So in my view it was completely on him at that point to get it within 1/8". I would have accepted 1/4", but 1/2" just looks ridiculous.

Just got off the phone with marble guy, who now says "the wall is not my problem." But when he agreed to make the gaps less than 1/8" with full knowledge of the bow in the wall, he agreed to make it his problem. He says he will take out the backsplash and cut a new one with the seam at the bow in the wall. I asked if he could miter the cut so that the seam is not extra wide at the front. He said he could "try." Not too thrilled with that answer. I asked about scribing the actual countertops to the wall as I had originally wanted and he said it will throw off the overhang.

I guess I have no choice but to let him try the backsplash thing and see how it goes. I am going to impress upon him that I do not want a large seam in the front of the backsplash as a result, so he should make sure to grind it down to achieve a miter. Is that unreasonable at this stage?

He had lots of excuses about the seam at the sink but agreed to "look at it" when he comes.

I sure hope he color matches his seam better than he did at the sink seam. Is he going to address that seam? I am afraid if he put a seam at the bow you are going to end up with an angle rather than a flat backsplash.

Hi Raven. He said he would fix the seam, "sometimes the white turns yellow after it dries." It looked pretty yellow while he was doing it, which I mentioned at the time, but he said to wait for it to dry.

Regarding the backsplash, you're right, it will probably end up angled. Not sure which is worse, the angle or the 1/2 gap. But I only need him to angle it enough to close the gap by 1/4 inch. I can live with that as long as I don't have a wide seam at the front of the backsplash. He has to figure out a way to miter it.

He said the stone was not cut thick enough front to back to be able to scribe it into the wall at the high point. It would affect the overhang.

I guess I could insist that he yank out the whole thing and start with a new slab. But I am already tired of fighting.

You need to be hiring a drywaller. Your expectations cannot be met with the current condition of the wall, and at 1/2" out, never could. Not unless the fabricator has a laser template system and a zillion dollar CNC water jet. Scribing stone to a wall is no easy matter. Stone ain't a 2x4. It requires specialty tools, and 1/2" is way too much to reasonably field cut.

I'd want to know why that wall is 1/2" out. Is it just one stud that they placed the crown the wrong way? Or is there a worse problem behind the wall?

The wall is his problem and it's not even an uncommon problem. In our previous house we had a wall bow because one stud was turned with the crown toward the kitchen while all the others crowned towards the room on the other side of the wall. In this photo, look at the upper cabinet knobs just to the right of the microwave and the drawer pulls on the lowers underneath them. Right about there is the errant stud. The granite is fitted perfectly to the wall, but to install this piece we cut a trough in the drywall so it could be slid into place (the back corner and the bit right next to where the stove will go being longer than the part butting up to the crown). If you look hard and use your imagination, you can see the cut-out. It's probably 18" long. We patched it afterwards.

Here is the same area after we did the backsplash with a better close up. You can't even tell the wall is wonky.

Our gaps at the wall are less than 1/32" everywhere. The wall end of the peninsula was left without any backsplash. It's a good look.

How much overhang do you have at the front? I'd be more inclined to have him scribe the counters to the wall properly if it leaves you at least 3/4" overhang. Another option would be to mud the wall to the counters - bring the wall forward. Doing a humpy-bumpy short backspash over the problem area would be way down on my list.

Yes, I agree Suzanne that in this case, where he knew about the wall and agreed to make it work before starting, the wall is his problem, and it all could have been addressed as yours was. There is only one high point, and the wall could have been cut out a bit at that point to insert the countertop into it. That would not have been a difficult fix. I am not going to hire a drywaller now to fix it.

Not everyone here is doing a complete gut and remodel. I do not have a GC, and we did not tear down the 1938 walls and redo them, nor could I have possibly afforded to do that. I hired someone to demo and my dad and I installed the new cabinets. We were aware of the bow in the wall and every single countertop company I spoke with said it would not be a problem, including the one I hired. So how could it possibly be my responsibility now? Why would the pretend they could do something they could not actually do, and why should i be expected to know better than they do how to do their job?

He does not want to try to insert the slab into the wall now. I think I am in for a big argument on that one. But I am still holding half the money, and he did promise to make this work with only 1/8 inch gaps from the beginning. If no one thinks there is a reasonable fix by somehow scribing the backsplash, I will fight for it. What I don't want is for him to try the backsplash thing, and still have me be dissatisfied, or for it to be even worse.

Oh, and Suzanne, the overhang ranges from 1/2 inch to 7/8 inches.

Paige, we didn't have a GC either. DH and I did the demo, but not to the studs, and we did the cabinet installation. The issue of the backward crown came up during installation when we had to install major shims to get everything level. The granite guys came up with the fix on sliding in the granite without any prompting on our part.

Why would the pretend they could do something they could not actually do...

1) They wanted the job

2) Clearly you're female and have no brains (I want to wring their necks!!)

3) They're pretty sure they can bully you into accepting a substandard result.

Joseph, correct me if I'm wrong, but isn't the most expeditious solution at this point to mud that wall?

Paige, have you ever done any drywall patching at all? It's kind of fun. In this case it would involve multiple layers of wall board compound until you got to where you need to be. If that's just not in your skill set, I'd try finding a drywall guy over 50 and appealing to his better nature for a small job at an affordable price. One way or the other I'd be inclined to get rid of the short backsplash.

Another thought - get your marble installer to hire someone to mud the wall. That would be cheaper for him than some of the other solutions. Joseph, this does work doesn't it?

Suzanne, I have shoulder and back issues and could never reach over the countertop to do that. And the thought of all the resulting drywall dust from sanding the many layers - - ugh! You may be right that it would be the easiest fix, but it's really tough getting contractors around here to do small jobs.

YOU are the GC on the job. The big picture and all of the little pieces that make it up are your responsibility. When the template was being done, which you watched, the conversation should have ensued about how the counter needed to be 1/2" deeper overall so that the drywall could be notched. And the conversation should have been repeated when you attended the placing of the template on the slab.

That was your responsibility as both the GC and the consumer. That is how a GC would have handled the job. They make the subs aware of what they expect them to do, with diagrams, pictures, and communication. They own the details. If the details involve multiple trades, they sort that out on the front end.

If you were the customer of the GC, you could tell him to rip that out and redo it. And because he was the GC, he'd force the sub to supply the labor, and probably eat some of the material costs himself. The mistakes are all ultimately laid at the door of the GC.

So try that as a solution. You pay for new materials, and he supplies the labor again at no charge to you.

Sophie, you may not have read any of the several posts where I explained that we did discuss the bow in the wall - - first when I looked at the slab and put down my deposit, next when he came to template, and last when he started the install. At each point he promised that there would be no gap more than 1/8 inch. I am not his babysitter. He is a professional trained to do a professional's job. His failure to do as promised is on him, not me. If I have to dispute it with my credit card company if he does not make it right, I will, and I am confident I will win.

I did not notice the 1/2 gap until he left. I did notice the bad seams, and he told me to wait until they dried and they would look better, which they do not. And now, two full days later, the caulk behind the backsplash has sunk in behind it even in the places where there was only a 1/4 inch gap. That is not a professional job. If that was what the result was going to be, that is what he should have told me up front, instead of promising otherwise.

I am thinking along Suzanne's advice that the solution is to have him redo it all with no backsplash. If the wall is a bit rough I can do tile or shiplap or something.

"Just got off the phone with marble guy, who now says "the wall is not my problem."

He is correct, the wall is not his problem, however, collecting the balance of his money is his problem and until he makes you happy, by scribing the stone or mudding the wall or crediting you for getting it done, he's not going to be seeing any of his balance due.

One does not need a CNC or a laser templater to do scribing. It is nearly child's play. A stone marker, a spacer, a grinder and a dust mask is all that's required to do exacting work in relatively short order. Have him Skype me; I'll walk him through it-no charge.

I hate guys like this. They give my industry a bad name. You've got an unhappy customer, idiot. I don't care if the lady wants you to mow her lawn too, get out there and do it, make her happy, and collect. Smile and act like you like it too.

Suzanne, I've been meaning to say that I love your kitchen. The countertops are really beautiful and the overall impression is so serene.

Stone guy just left my house. He acknowledged the problems with the seam. He said he can't fix the white area to the right of the seam in front of the sink, as he thinks it was caused by heat? He said it isn't a chip in the stone, and it does feel smooth (not like it is filled with epoxy) so I'm not really sure what it is and what caused it. But he said he can try to remove the top of the epoxy in the seam and fill it with a better color match.

The area in front of the faucet where the epoxy ran over the marble by 1/2 inch is actually worse (although it is hard to capture in photos) because it is darker than the marble and you can feel that the rough epoxy was spread over the marble there. He said he can "try to smooth it out" and also fix the seam color there. If I am not satisfied, he will rip it out and start over with a new slab. But he says he can't guarantee that what happened with that white spot next to the front seam won't happen again, which worries me.

If I am satisfied with his efforts on the seam, we discussed how to handle the 1/2 gap between the wall and the backsplash. He said it would be costly for him to hire someone to drywall mud it because his guys don't do that. He suggested adding honed carrara tile part way up the wall. I said I would rather he remove the backsplash first and tile it down to the counter. He needs to ask his tile guys if they can float it to cover any gaps between the counter and the wall. The remaining question would be what to do with the side walls, as he had to cut into them as well. He suggested maybe just pencil tile along the marble on the sides to cover the wall damage. Or I could just repair the drywall there down to the countertop, I guess?

So, he is trying to remedy the situation, which is great. I am worried about his overall skill level and abilities, though, and concerned that any fix he attempts could make things worse and waste both our time. At least now he knows he can't just do a sloppy job, and he should be more attentive.

Thanks for all of your input and support, it has been invaluable. Any further insight on his proposed remedies is welcome.

Meantime, the plumber showed up and of course he can't plumb the sink until this is resolved, but hopefully I will at least have a plumbed out and functional gas stove after this! No sink and stove for two months now, getting tired of take-out!

Forgot to mention, he said he would pay for the backsplash tile and installation.

" He said it would be costly for him to hire someone to drywall mud it because his guys don't do that."

How are his costs any of your concern? They aren't. I just spent 36 hours on a job I thought should have taken 12. I did not tell my customer "It would be costly for me to finish this job.", I sucked it up and finished. It's the nature of the game we play. Do this once in a while and you can rub your behind and move on. Do it too much and you're bankrupt.

Let him do some simple subtraction. Let him subtract the cost of hiring a drywaller from what you owe him and see if that's as costly as not getting paid the balance he's owed.

All things considered, drywall was some of the least expensive work we had done in the house we bought last year. We had so much of it done that the drywall guys, who came episodically over several months became good buddies. [First popcorn ceilings, then mud over wallpaper installed over unprimered wallboard 50 years ago that was never coming off, then the wall where we removed paneling and needed to remove a return air vent and which also had a zillion hammer holes in it, then the ceiling where the fireplace was removed, then the ceiling where we took out a monster light box in the kitchen that was ever so fashionable in 1964. Good buddies.]

In other words, I wouldn't be crying buckets over how much it would cost him to have someone in to make cosmetic repairs to cover his poor workmanship. Just be sure it's a real drywall person, not a friend's kid who's previously patched a few holes in his bedroom walls.

paigect, I'm very sorry you're having these issues. I have spots on my Carrara island top that look like the white area to the right of your seam. They appear to be natural to the stone--maybe a flaky area or air trapped in the sediment. We found the marble on craigslist and knew what we were getting, though. I think of it as character--and much better than the star dings that I and my family have caused.

Thanks all. I think I am actually fine with him putting in a backsplash if he is able to fix the seam. He said he would do it 3/4 height. I could still do two rows of open shelving over the backsplash, which was my intention. If it is actually cheaper for him to do that, I see it as a win/win, depending on the style of the marble tile he offers. If I don't like the style we will be back to square one.

Boy, this guy sounds like the granite fabricator that I used. I even paid extra from the original quote because the 70 year old wall was not straight in order to have it closely scribed -- and it was not, or at least not very well. He also used bright white to fill the top/wall seams (my granite is dark) and told me to paint over it. He did come back and re-do the poorly color matched, too wide seam at the sink, and attempted to remove the color-enhancing sealer that I had specifically told him that I did not want. (He used it anyway because he remembered that I had said the stone color reminded me of soapstone, and so he assumed that I wanted it to look like oiled ss -- but I was referring to the soft grey-green color.) No do-over because there was no more of this stone in the county -- I got the last slab at a discount because it was the last.

Oh no! What was the resolution in your case?

Paigect, I asked for and got a discount on the final bill. And, posted a very truthful review on Yelp.