Quartzite chips easily. You should have had that expectation on the front end. The seam is tight, and the epoxy isn’t the worst. An outstanfing fabricator eould have mixed multicolor epoxy to try to shade it a bit. But that is acceptable the way it is, as it meets industry standards being done as a single color.

Yes it is acceptable. You don’t view it from 6”. You view it from 6’ back. It’s not a huge 1/4” seam, and the epoxy isn’t white.

Yes, it’s acceptable. What did you expect? Corian level invisibility is a chippy brittle stone?

Not perfect. Not AI generated. I would call it within the acceptable range. A really top notch stone cutter would have new / sharpest blades and hole saws for quartzite and then use them after for granite / marble and cascade down the hardness scale. But this is workmanlike.

It's also not dramatic enough that your eye will be drawn to it when the kitchen is complete or you have stepped back a couple of feet.

Easy to obsess over a single point / feature / item of a build / remodel. Especially the "latest" new thing that is added. Take it in context. It will be lovely.

The first thing that jumped into my mind when I saw the closeups was that they didn't use a sharp blade. With natural stone, if the blade isn't sharp, there will be chips along the cut that then have to be filled with epoxy to try to mask the chips. This isn't just a quartzite issue.

I'd like to see a photo from "eye level" - what do you actually see when standing at the sink?

I agree that they could have cut it cleaner, but I don't know if it goes into unacceptable territory.

Take a picture 6' back. That's the judging distance. If you can see a chip from 6', it has to be way worse than what you are showing.

I don't think 6' is the right distance. I would take it from your eye level, definitely not 6' but also a lot higher than the closeups appear to be.

As has been stated. Quartzite is the hardest material to cut. Diamond blades will cut but dull more quickly than for other stone choices. Those blades are expensive. This fabricator did not use the blade he certainly had included in his bid for the job. Lack of professional integrity. You should call him out for this.

No one is using a skil saw here. You do not have a clue about CNC or waterjet fabrication. Or stone. Many quartzites like Taj chip if you look at them crosseyed. That is geology. Hard is brittle. It will chip with a freaking waterjet or a $2000 ”new blade”.

https://youtu.be/PWMeBgx-obo?si=bOVB9bfiPfH4SwUS

It's not bad and could be eliminated by retrofitting an apron front sink.

Any tool, even a $2k diamond blade can fail to produce quality outcomes if is miused. The reality is there are examples of clean cuts with tight seams. This is not one of those.

I'm wondering how it looks from a reasonable distance too. In the first pic, that forefront seam is noticable, but the one in the background is barely noticable. But the super closeup of that same seam in the second pic is noticable since it's so close.

"Clean cuts with tight seams" is entirely dependent on the particular slab's crystalline structure and bond to itself. High demand has flooded the market with materials that formerly would not have made it to market. You have to accept the reality of what is, at this point in time. Some slabs cut better than others. You cannot categorically state that all quartzite will be baby bottom smooth at the seams. Because it will not be. It will also have crystal popouts and voids and chips on the shop polished edges. Because: quartzite. Those get fill also. That's SOP.

they are willing to fix. is there anything they can do to help the non sharpened blade issue

" is there anything they can do to help the non sharpened blade issue "

Well they need to pull the current seam apart and recut the edges (removing stone from the length), very slightly, so they should be sure to use a new sharp blade. But you should not need to tell them that.

An acceptable seam in your home project depends on the material and context, like countertops or flooring. For granite or quartz countertops, a seam is typically considered acceptable if it’s less than 1/16 inch wide, tightly fitted, and blended with color-matched epoxy to minimize visibility. In flooring, seams should align with the pattern and have minimal gaps, ideally under 1/32 inch, to avoid tripping hazards. Lighting and angle can affect perception, so check seams in natural light. If it feels rough or uneven, ask your installer to adjust—industry standards prioritize both aesthetics and safety, so don’t settle for sloppy work.

Be concerned that the cure can be worse than the disease.

Uninstalling these, transporting to the shop, recutting and shortening - but also could require recutting the sink area because the width will be slightly reduced and then, the overall length will be slightly reduce.

You have to remove enough of the area to not end up with MORE chipping because youa re trying to "shave" something off less than a saw kerf.

I don't see this being able to be done on site unless they are talking about color matching and filling this to smooth and that wold really take a LOT of artistic skill.

I think Just_Janni is right. If they re-cut it, your sink might not fit. I would ask them what they suggest to fix the issue. See what they come up with.

FYI...the people who came to install may not know much. I would contact the owner or manager/supervisor to see if they have any suggestions.

(When my counter was installed, they people who came to install our counters were just there for the heavy lifting. Unfortunately, they didn't know what they were doing and ended up irreparably damaging one of my cabinets and we had to wait 4 to 6 weeks for a new one. When they came back, the supervisor was with them and not only was everything installed correctly without further incident, he also did a MUCH better job filling the seam than what was done on the other side of the Kitchen.)

" I can see it and feel it."

Of course you can. Had you picked Corian, your seam would be much more inconspicuous. "Inconspicuous" is the key word, never "invisible".

Your fabricator/installer has made a mistake; he failed to properly set customer expectations. The seam he made meets industry standards.

Who is ever going to see that from several feet away? It's fine. Don't make a problem where there isn't one.

So I guess customer expectation should have been "It's going to look crappy."

It’s not Corian. If you want virtually undetectable seams, you buy a material noted for that. Not one known for being brittle and chippy.

so when you are buying it, does the fabricator tell you that you are purchasing brittle and chippy material?

pigeen:

As the extensive written record here will document, too often customers aren't at all interested in the function and performance of a given material. They have fallen in love, and they're hoping to hear what they want to hear.

There are at least 25 horror threads of quartzite permanently staining here, yet much to the detriment of the industry, the fabricators keep fabbing and installing it, the designers keep specifying it, and the consumers keep falling in love. Until they find out their bad boy doesn't have a job, can't keep one, and is 6 months behind in his child support.

Brittle and chippy? No problem, their love can change him.

Well you know your customers better than I do. If you told me it was brittle and likely to chip, I'd pick something else. And if you didn't tell me, I'd wonder about your integrity.

You are in the age of information power from the internet. You can’t be a professional victim anymore just because you dont know how to do a google search.

I guess I stupidly expect more from a "professional" than some rando on the internet.

OK, dont put electrical appliances in water, use hair dryers while sliiping, or expect water to be dry.

Seriously? You don't see a difference? Some professional.

You are the agent of your own free will. If you want to be a professional victim, placing blame on everyone but you, no one is going to stop you choosing passive ignorance. No one will also stop you from doing a google search and developing a list of questions and being involved in the process of life either. But it sounds like you prefer to play the downtrodden passive victim role.

People wont listen to the professionals, and want to tell them how to do their jobs. You can’t win for losing. You tell them that marble etches and they choose it anyway, and want to blame you for ”letting ” them choose it. Then they want a diagonal corner seam, which you say ”no” to, but wont agree to buy another slab to actually have enough stone for even good straight seams. And then blame the fabricator for seams that aren't perfect.

backsplash installed. is this a crack? can you see it runs vertically from top to bottom. you can feel it

I can't see it in the first pics, might be due to how refelctive the stone is. There might be something in that third pic, but it's hard to tell if it's a natural inclusion or not. What does the installer say about it?

He said it's a fissure which I obviously hope it is. but i got a feeling.

first two pics are backsplash. the third one is near the sink. different locale. my concern is forst two pocs.

Looks like a fissure to me.

Fissure. Stop trying to find fault! Mother Nature doesn't make mistakes. Just enjoy the natural beauty!

hanks:

There is fabricator/installer fault here, but not on the technical end of their work. They failed to properly set customer expectations. You'll see and feel any seam in any stone; it's not Corian. And the very first thing they teach you at Corian school (yes, I'm not making that up, I went) is that seams, even in Corian, are to be sold as "inconspicuous" never as "invisible".

There is a beautiful permanent technical fix for the more conspicuous front seam; undermount an apron front sink. Pricey, but it will be eliminated. You're forgetting that half of the rear seam will be behind your faucet and is considerably further from your eye. Good luck.

They. hanged the epoxy color which I thought looked better. I approved the seam and then they installed the backsplash. However, last night the seam did this. I am majorly concerned about this now.

Be concerned that the cure can be worse than the disease.

Perfectionism drives a lot of churn, sometimes resulting in a worse overall outcome as you layer increased chances for new issues to show up.

The bleed is DEFINITELY not acceptable, but now if that can't be drawn out and becomes a stain, it's a MUCH larger problem than the original seam.

Edited - I am not blaming you - this isn't your fault and a professional should know how to deal with any stone they install. The reality is - we're not in an environment with a ton if super skilled craftspeople - but an era of subcontractors of subcontractors with lesser skills and lowers costs.

You've worrywarted yourself into a corner now.

That's adhesive bleed. You're getting an apron front sink.

And my reps wonder why I don't want to show or sell quartzite.

Some really obnoxious comments here from professionals. Anyway the seam was fixed.

What was the fix?

@The Kitchen Place, not all quartzite is the same. There are some, like Taj Mahal, that are not prone to fabrication, or usage, issues and work great in kitchens or bathrooms. The issue seems to be the "white" or light gray quartzites that tend to be porous.

"Some really obnoxious comments here from professionals."

Hank:

You get to pick your questions. You do not get to pick your responses.

Many criticisms of responses happen when a poster gets told what they don't want to hear, but that information is what gives the site value.