The right place for the seam is indeed in the center of the sink. I would not be happy with this.

Thank you Cynthia and Diana. I had a feeling that they were trying to make up for the first mistake with left-over material, so it is nice to have confirming opinions. I will hold firm on having it done correctly.

the color of the epoxy used on this seam is also way off, its best to use the color of the darker veins in the stone.

Ok, an update: they have tried to fix the seam by mixing in darker epoxy. The idea was to mottle it with the dark and light areas lining up, but now the seam is even more noticeable since it is darker in the light areas. It also seems a bit wider that it was originally, so I am not sure if they had to sand off the original epoxy or if it's just an optical illusion.

The manufacturer says that even if they make a new countertop, the seam will need to be someplace other than the narrow strip of the sink cut, otherwise it will break. This does not seem correct, but they are stressing that.

So my question is, should we let them try a third time to get the seam right? Is it even possible or will it create other problems? If they can mottle it correctly I would be fine with it, but if the seam will be widened I want to stop this and do it correctly.

I disagree with their statement that the joint cannot be in the centre of the sink. Can you consult with some other local stone fabricators and see what they say about this? Maybe if you tell your company that their competitors will do this, they will change their mind. I am not at all impressed with their handling of this job. In my opinion it is not acceptable. It looks like you were trying to salvage some old marble and just put some short pieces together randomly. This is not what you planned or paid for.

The seam looks wider with more chips to it...almost as if they had to grind out the old epoxy and then fill with darker (I bet they had to dig out the lighter epoxy and that widened the seam). What had been a clean cut (but filled with a light epoxy) is now a crooked cut with chips filled with a more appropriate colour. By trying to fix the first (or 3rd mistake...which ever way you want to look at it) they made it worse.

I think you are now owed a new slab cut properly. I am fascinated about how the manufacturer states you are not allowed to have it at the sink...yet the fabricator TRIED to do just that - deliver a slab with a seam at the sink???

Someone is giving you the run around. Either you CAN have the seam at the sink and the first slab was correct. Or you CANNOT have the seam at the sink and the first slab was WRONG! So someone got ONE of these wrong. Either slab #1 was wrong (aside from the fact it wouldn't fit) or #2 is wrong (seam is allowed at the sink).

Something fishy is going on here.

My Carrara marble kitchen countertops are cut in the middle of the sink. And they're nearly completely invisible. See the photo, then zoom in and you might see the seam. I wish my bathroom installers had the same skill - I'm in the same boat as you are with that project.

We have a similar question and are not happy with this seam, which is dead-center on a 10'5" vanity. Sorry about the lighting. We had to use a flashlight. Should we accept this? We've been told by the builder and fabricator that this looks good.

So lets asses their story. The first counter top had the seam in the narrow portion of the sink cut-out, the fit of the counter top was incorrect, they took it back and used leftover material but that required the seam to be in the main section, you complain about the seam and they tell you the seam must be there because if would crack if it was in the narrow section of the sink. Nothing like contradicting ones self when trying to get out of something. If this was the case then why was the seam across the sink in the first place?

Graham

Different people I do believe Graham.

Millworkman - I thought the OP said the manufacturer made this claim, I assumed this was the fabricator. If it's a different person then things are even worse, now there are possibly two people that don't no what they are doing or fibbing.

Graham

@donahuegriffith
You should start your own dilemma if you want answers to your question.

Every time I have needed a seam, in any solid surface or stone, the sink has been suggested as least obtrusive. And I agreed.

I got marble twice they tried to hide it but it's still noticeable.