Help - Fissure

[lovegranite]

Dear All,

I need your help to find a solution. I installed this countertop for a customer 11 months ago. I offer a 12 month warranty. The customer called saying that there is a crack in the countertop. This fissure is in the sink piece. I sent of fabricator to surface polish to no avail. I don’t have any more stone to remake the piece. I really don’t want to remake the entire kitchen on my dollar. Do you know what I can do? Your advice is appreciated in advance

I have attached a picture of the fissure.


Thanks,

LoveGranite

[Todd Luster]

My first advice is this.
Control the customers expectations.
A suitable repair is fine and acceptable.
Let them know this happens from time to time and you will figure out what is causing it, stop it, and do a repair.
I'm guessing this wasn't properly shimmed or supported during install or something moved or gave, so figure that out.
Someone may have stood on it, but they will never admit it if so.
Regardless be sure you secure And backfill obviously first.
I'd suggest penetrating epoxy, topcoat anything left with ca then polish.

Why was the first top polish unsuccesfful?

[ash20ash]

Might be mo better if this was in the members area

[Rick George]

This is a tough one as there is probably no support in that corner from a crappy lazy susan cabinet and someone probably sat or stood on it as Todd mentioned. This will need to be addressed before any granite repair will last. Hopefully your customer is understanding and will accept the expectations of this possible repair.

[Curtis R. Marburger]

restore area , pector black , penetrating epoxy , top polish

knock it off with the 90 degree corners , 1 inch radius min , along with the above ,

that stone has all kinds of them fissures that show up from time to time

[GuyboR]

This is a tough one as there is probably no support in that corner from a crappy lazy susan cabinet and someone probably sat or stood on it as Todd mentioned.

I would disagree in my opinion. That break looks like one of the two ends were stressed (maybe stood or sat on) not the actual corner. With it being a square inside corner, that creates a stress point and it's a likely failure spot. That is one of the reasons that solid surface doesn't allow square inside corners and also why on cutouts like cooktops you should try and leave a small radius in the corner.

I think you should be able to fill and top polish this and make it 90% good. They will always be able to see the crack, but it will be very inconspicuous. This will fly if they know they caused it, whether they admit it or not. If they don't, your only 100% satisfaction may end up being a replacement...and in the long run that may be some of the best advertising money you will ever spend.

[Dan R.]

Fix it by a fill and polish. 100% legit way to repair this type of issue.

[steven nenzel]

Dear All,

I need your help to find a solution. I installed this countertop for a customer 11 months ago. I offer a 12 month warranty. The customer called saying that there is a crack in the countertop. This fissure is in the sink piece. I sent of fabricator to surface polish to no avail. I don’t have any more stone to remake the piece. I really don’t want to remake the entire kitchen on my dollar. Do you know what I can do? Your advice is appreciated in advance

I must say, my immediate reaction when I read your post is your lack of concern for the customer. Had the crack happened after the 1 year warranty, would you be doing anything? It does not sound like it. You mention you are 1 month from being out of warranty and..."I really don’t want to remake the entire kitchen on my dollar".

Please correct me if I'm wrong.

[Curtis R. Marburger]

Hawian Green has fissures ( small Cracks) its the nature of this stone , we make that clearly known up front with Hawian Green , Black Galaxy, and a few others , that these small cracks can show up before during or after an install ,
with the use of proper products and technique's they can be taken care of


There is a technique used top polishing Hawian green , it is a very difficult stone to top polish and should only be attempted by a seasoned Top polisher

flip HG around and examine the back of the slab and you can see them little buggers

[ash20ash]

Dear All,

I need your help to find a solution. I installed this countertop for a customer 11 months ago. I offer a 12 month warranty. The customer called saying that there is a crack in the countertop. This fissure is in the sink piece. I sent of fabricator to surface polish to no avail. I don’t have any more stone to remake the piece. I really don’t want to remake the entire kitchen on my dollar. Do you know what I can do? Your advice is appreciated in advance

I must say, my immediate reaction when I read your post is your lack of concern for the customer. Had the crack happened after the 1 year warranty, would you be doing anything? It does not sound like it. You mention you are 1 month from being out of warranty and..."I really don’t want to remake the entire kitchen on my dollar".

Please correct me if I'm wrong.

you nailed it Steven.

[pkomorowski]

The inside corner is a natural stress point for any installation. Solid surface manufacturers require an inside radius to reduce the likelihood of cracks like the one you have pictured. Some quarts manufacturers (I know Caesarstone for one) requires and inside radius also. Those practices haven't made it over to the MIA specifications yet, but in my opinion sharp inside corners like what was fabricated here should be avoided. Normally we'd either put a radius or put a seam there.

One thing to keep in mind is what a warranty normally covers. If the problem was caused by improper installation then you need to make it right. If the cabinets or house settled, then it would normally fall under the customer's homeowner's insurance policy, not under your warranty which covers defects in material and workmanship.

[lovegranite]

Dear All,

Thank you very much for your help. We are going to remake the $2700 dollar kitchen. We want the customer to bare the burden of the plumbing and demi-bull edge. I hope they will agree.

When it rains it pours. I know that when we have a problem, it never happens one at a time, but in droves. I wouldn't be surprised if the sink rail "popped" on the new countertop. Or we scratch a cabinet during removal. Or their plumbing bursts and burns down their home. Lets just hope that nothing of such happens.

Yes! I am not happy with this remake. I do have very high expecations for myself, my employees, and my product. I guess I am just tired of BS.

Thanks again,

lovegranite

[clhilde]

[quote="lovegranite"] We are going to remake the $2700 dollar kitchen. [quote]

If thats all you loose in a year count your blessings and be happy about the referrals you get for doing the right thing

[Stone Dude]

The fissure should be cut wider to accept glue. Use a penetrating glue to stick it together, then a cosmetic top off. Face polish it and it should disappear. This is actually a fairly easy repair.

[Curtis R. Marburger]

got to really slow down and think your way through things on a Un-Install , yes things go wrong more times than not when reversing a process that is 95% forward motion

[steven nenzel]

Replacing a kitchen sucks and good on you!!! We had to replace one not long ago for rusted steel rods - 6 or 7 years old. We slide it our from under a tile back splash. Customer was responsible for plumbing re-connect and caulking tile. Went off without a hitch and they now have better seams than what we were able to produce back then.

[Nick]

We are going to remake the $2700 dollar kitchen.

If thats all you loose in a year count your blessings and be happy about the referrals you get for doing the right thing

Dude $2700 hard material cost, or a finished retail price of $2700? Since it is Hawaiian green I am guessing the first one in which case Chris is right, that is a blessing. I have almost that much in a broken sink piece and fissured Bartop alone this last month and I am talking material cost only and we don't generally have issues

[Mike Stites]

It blows but sometimes it happens.

[oldschoolstoneman]

its not a fissure its a fulcrum lol.I have seen this before proper shimming would have prevented this.sorry bad install

[Dan R.]

Where is the fulcrum, the inside corner?
How can you tell from that pic?

[Stone Dude]

its not a fissure its a fulcrum lol.I have seen this before proper shimming would have prevented this.sorry bad install

where did you get your Xray specs?

[Nick]

its not a fissure its a fulcrum lol.I have seen this before proper shimming would have prevented this.sorry bad install

where did you get your Xray specs?

I use mine on women's clothing, never tried granite so not sure if they work on stone

[Mark Lauzon]

We made a pretty cool discovery after we bought our Sirio.

We started using the Tenax penetrating epoxies to resin slabs. That stuff works miracles for those types of fissures. (er uh cracks) That glue will penetrate the tightest fissures. Be sure to mask off underneath the glue will flow thru and make a mess if you are not careful.

URL=http://i.picoodle.com/dbbje7ma][/URL] Uploaded at Picoodle.com

It's probably too late now....but next time.

[Curtis R. Marburger]

http://tenaxusa.files.wordpress.com/201 ... -email.pdf

about 1/2 way down is the listing