I cannot imagine how pulling out a dishwasher would have cracked a countertop. I'm guessing the whole install was bad.

You can’t see it well in that pic so I drew a line. The cabinets were made by Benedettini cabinetry in Rosenberg TX. They were also installed by them. The layout was designed by me along with the cabinet company. They came and looked at the layout of our old cabinets and we added a few things, but nothing irregular, just a trash compartment. Hopefully that helps.

They were made on site and assembled at our home.

If you can edit your original post, I would change "he completely cracked it" to "it cracked completely".

I don’t see an option to edit it. You can edit comments but not the post itself.

Looking at the crack in the context of the design, I would bet $1 that the cabinets are not level, and that stressed the counters. The point of origin, and end of the crack, in relation to the cabinets below, point to the sink being possibly high at the rear, and low in front.

New cabinets should be level, coplanar, and plumb, and require minimal shimming to get the counter level. Something isn’t right with the cabinet and sink install.

What does the island rear look like? What is directly behind the DW? Who installed the sink? Is it a handmade fireclay?

Take a long straight edge like a 4’ level and place it across the crack. Does it rock?

There is also the issue that the radius at the sink corner appears to be too small, creating stress there.

That’s he back, nothing but a panel behind the dishwasher. Everywhere I put the level, it’s level. The fabricators installed the plywood underneath, I would think they’d check to make sure it was all level.

Nothing but a panel at the rear is an issue. Especially with that overhang there. The stone is not properly supported. There should be a minimum of a horizontal filler or piece of steel at the rear between the sink cabinet and the cabinet next to the DW. If there had not been an overhang at the rear, there would be less stress. If there had been a pony wall at the DW rear, a cleat could have been installed there.

This is a primarily cabinet design and installation issue.

The GC should have caught before calling out the stone people. But, the countertop guys accepted the result of that, and proceeded. They should have checked it all at the template, issued you a No Go, listing what needed to be fixed, charged a trip charge, and returned to template when it was fixed by the cabinet folks. So, they own a piece too.

Ultimately, the GC is responsible for the whole job, and he is who eats it when the finger pointing begins. Or he assigns who is going to fix the issues, due to his experience. And the subs comply, because they want his repeat business.

There is going to be fingerprinting here. Your GC needs to step up to the plate and own this.

" I would think they’d check to make sure it was all level. "

Dream on. (I would have thought the same - but I had to have my fabricator come back out and correct one countertop that was not level. )

Did anyone stand on the counters to do any electrical work or painting?

Was the DW screwed into the side panels or plywood above? If it was, did you husband remove every single screw before he tried to adjust?

There might have already been a stress crack from the sink corner and the not supported cut out area over the dishwasher.

Why was there plastic? You might have felt or seen a hairline crack without it.

Yeah the problem with that is that we don’t have one. Again, our house flooded and we did not have flood insurance. This entire process has been a taxing and very stressful nightmare of living through a remodeled house with 5 small kids. We did not have the money because all of the GCs in the Houston area were overcharging everyone because they simply could. Insurance would pay all of those high priced fees, but we could not afford it. I tried to get this all done myself, so I guess it goes back onto me and since I have no idea, I’m just trusting each sub to do things the right way. There goes another 2 grand down the drain.

Do you have the support plan diagram for that overhang? Because that is another area of concern.

As the GC, talk to the countertop people. They should own part of that, since they accepted the conditions. But be prepared for pushback. Because as the GC it was your responsibility to perform quality control on all of the subcontractors work. And to recognize that there was an issue with the cabinet install before asking for a stone template.

You also need to be talking to the cabinet guys. And you need them to get more support into that cabinet design than currently exists. Where are the required electrical outlets on the end of the island? That should be in the cabinet design plan as well.

Not sure, I have the CAD drawings for it all.

Nonstanding on anything, the plastic was just what they put on it for protection. The dishwasher was free standing in the space, he was trying to make it level so that he could screw it in above, but as he started to level out the bottom of it, the pressure cracked everything. He insisted that he hadn’t used much force at all and that moving it up a bit should not have cracked everything. I don’t know, I’m clearly no expert.

They are mounted on the back of it up underneath the overhang.

The best result at this moment would be to remove that DW, and screw in some steel into the adjacent cabinets at the rear to support the stone there. Not knowing what supports the overhang, the rears of the cabinets may need reinforcing and some after market supports added too.

Then have them repair the crack. Done properly, it will either be invisible, or look like a natural fissure.

Thats assuming that everything is settled and level now that the stress has been relieved.

Did I understand that the island was 2K? That seems terribly low priced.

HI Hillary,

You poor thing, so sorry, ugh!

Sophie is right, by code, you need electrical outlets. Having one for the DW doesn't count, this won't pass inspection.

The slab was 2k I think.

Here is Hillary's cabinet maker...https://www.houzz.com/pro/benedettini-cabinetry/benedettini-cabinetry

This is a laminated edge top, right? I'm not familiar with the ins and outs of that type of fabrication and installation (not common in my area), but I'm wondering if that had something to do with it and the farm sink sink combo. We need a stone installers opinion here! But that is definitely a stress crack. Farm sink cutouts are more "delicate" and prone to cracking during transport, but once properly installed, it should be fine. I'd say this is on the stone installers.

Thanks all! We do have two other outlets, they’re on the back of the island. Sounds like just weren’t properly installed. Our slab was 15 dollars a sq ft with a Harvey discount. I think it’s venatino marble. That was just the material price, we don’t have a ton of square footage so it all came to around 5,000 with fabrication. It wasn’t a cheap job. Although t looks like they ripped me off at this point.

I’d say it was on the stone installers if it happened during transport and install. It didn’t.

I’d suggest that adjusting the DW created too much pressure on a fragile balance of stress in the stone. The stone shouldn’t have been stressed after install. And it would not have been if the cabinets and sink were perfectly level and the stone properly supported by the cabinets.

This is a 50/50 deal. Cabinet guys and stone installers both. And it still has unknowns about the rest of the design being appropriate to supporting stone as well.

Outlets underneath overhangs do not count for the required electrical outlets. They must be readily accessible to the user. The more that is revealed, the more the cabinet design is lacking. Reading their reviews, they sound like the typical faux custom hacks found only in TX.

Where should they be located? I can access them just fine. They’re on he back panel. I didn’t want them lower as it would show an ugly outlet that I didn’t want to see. You can see them if you’re sitting down though

They must be within 6” of the counter surface, on the side of the island, or integrated into a filler on the front side of the island. The ones under the overhang can be a convenience addition, but they do not count for NEC compliance.

The problem with outlets under an overhang is that it creates a hazard. I think most codes state that if the overhang of the counter is greater than 6″ , the outlet cannot be placed under it. Check your code.

Well, That’s where my husband put them because I told him I didn’t want them on the sides. Again, doing this ourselves so no idea about the codes. Probably our fault. I just wasn’t prepared to have this happen 3 days in. I’ll just have to live with it as I’m not paying for another slab and fabrication. At this point, I wish the entire house would burn down.

Please tell me you got a permit.....

I’m sorry Hillary. I know this is frustrating, but hang in there. Sophie indicated that a repair could be done on the slab which sounds like the best thing to try. Personally I would add the outlets on the side, because the others absolutely can create a hazard with cord placement.

Do I need a permit to remodel my flooded house? Most of our neighbors are doing all of this on their own. The only ones that had builders come in are the ones who had flood insurance. Can you add them on after a countertop is already in place?

Call your city planning dept and find out.

[https://www.houzz.com/magazine/building-permits-when-a-permit-is-required-and-when-its-not-stsetivw-vs~44893569[(https://www.houzz.com/magazine/building-permits-when-a-permit-is-required-and-when-its-not-stsetivw-vs~44893569)

Hillary, just wanted to say that I’m sorry for all your troubles and wish you well. I hope that with some small tweaks you’ll be able to resolve the issues and end up with a beautiful and functional kitchen. You’re getting good advice from the pros here but I know it’s probably a lot to digest. Hang in there.

Hillary,

Is this the exact same schematic as when you purchased your home and had an inspector approve? Outlets in the same place, etc?

It’s pretty much the same, but we had a black Island before and now it’s that stained maple, so since there wasn’t an outlet cover to match the wood, I had them mov d to the back. Now the fabricators are telling me that it’s not their fault and that they can’t fix it so I have to fork out another entire payment for material and fabrications

Hillary:

Was your husband drilling/screwing into the stone when "resetting" the dishwasher? If so, he owns this. Modern dishwashers are screwed into the cabinet sides. The metal tabs at the top of the dishwasher are to be ignored or used in a plastic laminate top with substrate.

If he wasn't screwing into the stone, the corner of the sink cut out is a notorious weak spot and crack starter, especially if the sink edge isn't rounded much and yours doesn't appear to be. Now we're talking fabricator error, especially if the top is out of plane/level. How long is your pictured level? Set it on top of an 8' straightedge and take another picture, please.

The good news is that the break is all the way through from point A to point B. I hate it when I have to finish breaking tops because you never know exactly what you may get.

After Rotozipping the substrate along the crack, I'd drive a scraper between the sink flange and the stone bottom until I could free the entire piece, then I'd re-adhere it with a color matched methacrylate, clamp it with Gorilla Grips, scrape the hardened squeeze-out, then polish the crack to flush and finish match. It will be inconspicuous and whatever you see will look like a natural fissure. A home inspector will probably never find it; you always will.

Repair this immediately. Every day you risk contamination. Quit rubbing it too.

On second look, this crack is completely consistent with what would happen if the cabinet to the left of the dishwasher and the sink cabinet supporting the top were not on plane. The left cabinet was too high, the right too low, or both, but someone pushed on the corner at the sink and broke the top.

Who’s reaponsibility is it to make sure that they’re level. Obviously he cabinet guy should have done it right, but shouldn’t the fabricators also check that? I think the pressure was from us trying to level out the dishwasher so that the shelves didn’t fall out when you open it. Would that be enough to crack it?

Leveling the dishwasher by adjusting the feet, should never crack the countertop. Even pushing on the corner by the sink should not have cracked it. I mean, it’s a countertop. Just my opinion of course, to me but to me this is squarely on the fabricators shoulders.

It wasn’t screwed into anything when it happened, he was adjusting it from the bottom. Trying to make the unit level. I’ve had a thermador and now this kitchen aid and neither of them have been screwed in at the sides. We hadn’t screwed it in at the top yet. The fabricators are telling me there’s no way to fix it and I’ll just have to get a new slab.

I’m with you chess yeah, seems pretty lame that leveling out our dishwasher would crack it that bad. I asked him what the hell he was doing putting it up that high and he said, I barely moved it. Apparently it didn’t take much to crack it. I realize it’s marble, but it’s still a heavy stone slab.

This is crazy! How can the fabricators just wash their hands of this? Leveling a dishwasher obviously won’t crack a properly installed counter. We have had a replacement of a dishwasher and didn’t crack ours, surely this happens all the time! Can you imagine if every time someone levels a dishwasher or press down near a sink the countertop cracks! Especially one that was just fitted!!!

Sadly I am of no help to you but hopefully someone with some knowledge will come on and advise how you should proceed. It is not your fault!! This counter was not installed properly!

Thank you so much for saying so! I sadly, had a feeling they weren’t going to take responsibility. It’s just so hard to be faced with yet another cost on top of this. It has cost most of us upwards of 100,000 to fix our homes and not many of us had flood insurance. Most of these companies just see it as a pay day and benefit off of others losses. I understand that you can’t give things away and business has to go on, but this flood was so bad. Sorry for the rant, it’s been a long year. A flood, 5 kids and then baby number 6 arrived in May. I’m probably still a bit hormonal And no, I did not try to get pregnant after a flood he was a huge surprise!!

2cm stone is not as strong as 3cm. You can’t treat any thickness of a soft porous stone as though it’s indestructible. It has to be properly supported, You can’t try to drive a screw through it. And you can’t try to mechanically raise it up off the cabinets by over adjusting appliance legs.

All DWs going under stone must be fastened into the adjacent cabinet sides. There’s a $10 bracket kit on the shelf at any box store if yours doesn’t have the relocatable brackets that most modern DW’s have.

It is a modern dishwasher, we just got it last September. Again, my home was full of water. It’s all pretty modern I’d say.

Then look at the owner’s manual about how to attach the anti tip brackets under stone. There may be a separate bracket kit to purchase, or the existing brackets may be relocatable from the top to the side.

Will do thanks!

"Whose responsibility is it to make sure that they’re level? Obviously he cabinet guy should have done it right, but shouldn’t the fabricators also check that?"

It is the cabinet installer's responsibility to install level cabinets, however, a top installer blesses the installation when he put tops on them. If the top installer can sneak in a few shims to get the tops to level, that's perfectly acceptable.

"I think the pressure was from us trying to level out the dishwasher so that the shelves didn’t fall out when you open it. Would that be enough to crack it?"

I can't imagine how adjusting a dishwasher can crack a countertop unless you got the left side too high and then pushed on the right side at the sink.

The top can be repaired inconspicuously. It's that or telling the fabricators that if they pull the top and the cabinets/underlayment are out of plane/level they'll eat the replacement; if they aren't, you will.

I don’t think they will, still working it out but I talked to a guy today who said to try a different fabricator and see if they’ll mend it. It can be done, it’ll just take someone who knows what they’re doing.

I told the fabricators that I’d be willing to buy new material if they’ll fit it for no cost. I don’t want this to happen again, so I would like to figure out exactly what the problem was. Obviously we put stress on it from he DW, but if it wasn’t installed correctly then it’ll do the same thing again if someone were to sit on it or something like that.