backsplash gone terribly wrong

it's not unusual for the counter top to have a gap, but this seems a bit large. We usually caulk it like you have shown, but this looks larger then most. They may have measured wrong when templating. Your splash should have a bullnose for the end. You can bring that down to cover the counter top gap.

Match the color of the counter with the grout.

Leelee- we are using the same stone used for countertop to backsplash and it would go all the way till end. We think it would look less awkward like that. I'll ask them to use a white grout instead like you suggest!

Kitchen Pro- thank you. I was actually shocked to see the gap and thought it was unprofessional. I guess I wanted to understand how common it was to not do a perfect job when it comes to countertops.

That is a wavy wall issue. Stone doesn't bend. The wall should have been fixed until it was flat. You're gonna have issues with your backslash unless you fix the actual problem and not the symptom.

Sophie how do I know that it's a wavy wall and not poor craftsmanship that resulted in simply not cutting the stone properly? The backsplash we had there before seem to be perfect.

Nope. It won't look better. It is done often but it always looks wrong.

You don't have a dilemma if you're planning to cover the gap with a thick piece of counter material.

Because stone is straight and doesn't bend. Walls are always wavy, and it's up to the contractor to straighten them out. That is especially a problem if you are planning a full height stone backslash.

To answer your question on how to tell which is off, I would just take a square and see which surface is out of square, the counter or the wall. Then you would know. But it also seems like the countertop could have been cut to accommodate an out of square wall if that exists.

Yes stone is straight and walls bend but what happens when stone isn't cut to angle properly? You get gaps. Looks as if the fabricator didn't template properly. Choice is up to the homeowner to keep it for fight for what they're paying for.

Yes the wall is on an angle, not square. This should have been picked up when templating and the stone cut to fit. They should have been able to get this within 1/8".

Graham

I can't not see well enough from the picture, but if the wall is drywall it can be fixed. We had a similar issue during our renovation after my marble vanity top was installed my drywall guys were able to use a feather technique to level the wall. Of course mine was a back wall and your application might be different, however, it might be worth looking into.

I have an update as now the backsplash is installed and the fabricator also changed the caulk color to match the stone it it looks alright. Here's a photo.

We need to paint the wall around the work but other than that you really have to look up close to see it.