White Quartz seam installation

[GMAC Construction]

I am in search for some expert unbiassed opinions regarding a recent silestone white quartz countertop install. We are in the middle of a second attempt (complete tear out and start over) install. During the first attempt, the seams were completed with Integra and a seam setter and they were acceptable. During the second install, a different crew (subcontractors) was involved and they did not have any type of seam setter and basically just hand butted the seams and used an "instant bond" type glue and activator. There is some lippage but of more concern is the inability to fill the seams and get an acceptable color. A different crew is now trying to fill and color match the seams with Integra, but have spent many hours with no success ( We will be going on Day 4 for a less than 100 square foot install). The current crew claim it is because Integra was not used initially but a different person within the fabricator organization is saying that the hand butting is acceptable (even though it wasn't done initially) and they just cant match the white color. I do not know who to trust at this point and am just looking for some answers so I can have the correct knowledge.

GAMC Construction
Dallas, TX

[steven nenzel]

Making seams disappear in white quartz can be tough. Just butting the seams together without a seam setter is not the best way as without the correct tools you cannot take a bow out of the quartz to flatten the seam. If there is any bowing in the quartz slab and you do not get the seam perfectly flat you will see a grey shadow line. We have had problems even using gorrilla grips (seam setters) to bend the bows out to get them perfectly flat and have had some slight grey lines show up on seams. No amount of color matching glue seems to work to fix this... we have tried and tried.

IMO, any effort to fix this without breaking the seam apart and resetting it will not make things better. Even if they reset the seam they still may not be able to get it perfectly flat and you still may have some grey in the seam. Just because you have one success does not mean they will all be perfect. We have slabs that were very flat before we cut them and then after they were cut they bowed. The cutting must have relieved some tension within the slab. At that point we are stuck using the material as the slab supplier basically says once cut it is your's.

We one replaced one countertop 3 times to try and get rid of the grey shadow. In the end they still have a slight amount of grey line at one end of the seam. It really sucked that we could not get it to our expectations as we are known for the quality of our work.

Expectations need to be set with quartz seams. Not all are going to be perfect. On some only marginally good is achievable. With natural stone we never have there issues as the seams can be polished.

[ageless]

What Steven said. White is a pain in the butt to match. You think you have it just right, but then it's not. We just tell customer to be prepared to have noticeable seams. We also pride or self on quality work but sometimes it's out of the installers control.

[GMAC Construction]

Thanks for the responses. First experience with pure white and definately don't want to be unreasonable in demands/expectations.

[Jonathan123]

can you upload some pictures? would like to see the seam in some different angles.

[Darryl Miller]

Thanks for the responses. First experience with pure white and definately don't want to be unreasonable in demands/expectations.
[

Thanks for researching rather than just assume everything is wrong. Pictures would help us to give you a better opinion on your specific situation.

[Kowboy]

IMO, any effort to fix this without breaking the seam apart and resetting it will not make things better.
[

Yep.

[GMAC Construction]

Here are 2 pictures, one shows the seam after the first crew left. The second is after the second crew left. I now have a different issue,lthough the seam looks better, I think they tried to sand down the lippage and now there is definately a dull sheen that contrast to the factory polish.

[GMAC Construction]

2nd attempt pic

[Ken Lago]

Replace is probably going to be their only option now they tried to face polish the seam. Matching the factory polish is very difficult and only a very few would even try.

[steven nenzel]

For the most part you cannot face polish quartz. It is not like natural stone. Matching the factory finish is next to impossible. Replacement is likely your only option.

[Alex_Bores]

For the most part you cannot face polish quartz. It is not like natural stone. Matching the factory finish is next to impossible. Replacement is likely your only option.
[

If they play around with quartz renew you can get this to blend no problem. companies do it all the time. Regent sells the Quartz Renew.

I would want my tops to be perfect so i would give them the chance to repair first before replacing. There is a company called Surface Savers. Jim Lang is the founder as well as the founder of the Quartz Renew product if interested.

Look forward to seeing the end result!

[steven nenzel]

Alex, no way this can be fixed with any topical coating. I think even Jim Lang will tell you the same. Alex, how much experience do you have face polishing quartz?

[Andy Ross]

I agree with Steven. I top polish A LOT and I wouldn't even consider trying this one. I have the quartz renew and it helps. You can get close enough on a lot of quartz colors but no way on pure white.

[BellaTerra]

Edited/removed as I didn't intend to offend anyone. My apologies.

[Mtodd62406]

I agree with most that I wouldn't take this job as another party trying to fix the work of a crappy polish, but if our company messed it up than we'd spend the time and effort to try and repair it right before thinking about a replacement. It is totally possible, I am a product of jims training at regent with quartz renew and I've been polishing lots of quartz for 3 years now. Totally right though, to polish this out properly might take upwards of 4 hours depending on where it's at but it is possible.

[GMAC Construction]

Thanks for all the information, appears some think "may" be able to polish but we will see. They sent a guy last week who could do nothing to improve the seam. I wasn't there but he did try a polish, but I don't think it was Renew as it was only a one step process. They are sending their "magician" this week who they claim can fix anything. We will see. I will keep everyone informed with pictures. Thanks again for the information.

[Jonathan123]

You need to remove the seam and pieces, grind all the glue off. Then re seam. test on off cuts.

[Amroczka]

Was this a home depot project? I only ask because this is the same thing they do around here. Sub out for fabrication, hire someone else for install, and when a problem arises guess who shows up? Yet another completely different company. I seen the same exact issue with a 4 ft island they seamed out here. Couldnt get the white seam right theg had someone else come to fix it and now the whole thing is ruined.