Granite worktop..seams/joining

E

Eilie123

Registered User
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13
Good afternoon,
Im hoping someone might be able to advise me on what to do. We got a new granite worktop and our snag list guy tells me I should get the kitchen company to remove it, basically where the square was cut out for the hob, the part that is on the outer edge has been joined to the rest of the worktop, so you can clearly see 2 joining lines, about the width of the hob running from the edge up along the bottom of the ceramic hob. The sink part was done perfectly with no seams or joints..the kichen company told me afterwards "thats the way we do it, that there has to be joining there otherwise if someone lent on it it would break". My snag guy reckons this is not the case and they just dont want the hassle of having to take it out and start again. I know from just looking at it that i would prefer it had no visible lines.
I want to know my facts because its me and not the snag guy who has to argue with the company. But if there telling me the truth then theres nothing i can do..right?? Any advice would be very much appreciated as I haven't a clue to what the "right" way is. Has anyone exeperice anything like this, are kitchen companies "good" when it comes to taking something as big as granite out and doing it again? I don't want to be fobbed off by them..
Regards
Eilie
 
I think your kitchen company is telling porkies - but then again that may be the way "they" do it - we have a hob inset into our granite worktop and it is all one piece - no joins visible
 
When we were putting in granite we were asked where we would like the spilt to be. we chose in the middle of the sink as the sink cutout removes most of the seam and the tap covers the rest pretty much. its hardly noticeable...
 
Our granite worktop is 1.8m x 1.2m and it's in one piece (no joins) and we have a cut-out for a sink. The kitchen guy said that we got a great piece of granite and that normally there'd be a join on a piece that size.
 
hi

We've put in three kitchens with granite - not in the same house obviously :) - and none have needed a separate piece at the front of the hob as you describe. Currently we have an island in one 2.4x1.2m piece with a hob cutout and no joins and another piece of 2x0.8m with a sink cutout and grooves - no joins.

However we did order the kitchen and granite separately in the most recent case.

My suspicion is that the piece either broke when they were cutting it so they added a new piece in or whoever supplied it had limited cutting capabilities so they had to do it that way. Either way I wouldn't accept it.

BTW - I'd be surprised if you could break a granite worktop by leaning on it!

SSE
 
Eilie123 said:
and our snag list guy tells me
Click to expand...

Granite worktops will be fitted the way your describe or for a few quid more the better way of inset with no joins. You would have a quote from the granite worktop people which I presume sets out what your paying for and getting. If your quote doesn't say either way your stuck with it IMO.

The fact that there might be a better way doesn't mean that your automatically entitled to ask for it to be taken out and replaced. It would be a different story if those two joins were poor workmanship. You really shouldn't notice them that much but are noticable on closer inspection.
 
sse,
i am currently getting ready to finalise kitchen plans,
and we are putting a hob into island and I see you have also.
question on the granite surrounding the hob is it taking the wear and tear of steam etc. Do you have it all at one level or is there a height at the back of hob?

Also do people sit up at this island when someone is cooking, our will be a reasonable size hopfully .9m depth by 1.6m length,
your advice /experience would be appreciated.
thanks
 
In general I would expect the hob cutout to be a single piece. After all the sink cutout is a single piece, if your salesman sticks to his story that it could break if done in a single piece you could ask for the top to be replaced because if someone leans on the sink section it will break! In other words he can't have it both ways!

Obviously it wouldn't break, it should be supported correctly underneath, not a free span.

I have heard of people getting three worktops because of damage to the first two. I make kitchens but would never handle a fragile granite worktop with cutouts, too vunerable. Instead I would pay the high price (maybe 700 a day) to have it professionally installed, then it will be right, if it isn't they will redo it at no cost to me. In other words I am paying for a proper installed worktop and that is what I get.

However if it's not written in stone that it should be a single piece it could be difficult for you. Maybe ring many granite companies and feign interest in a worktop, ask if the hob cutout will be a single piece, if they all say yes then you are onto a winner.

Obviously the kitchen company won't be keen on replacing a 3,000 worktop for free and they will resist it. Maybe just keep the worktop but make so much noise they have to drop the price by 50%, they would probably still prefer to do this than buy a new one. Check out the kitchen showroom, are the tops there in a single piece? If so then you can expect the same.

Cheers
Joe
 
I've just checked ours and it's the same, ie the two lines in front of the hob, I never had an issue with it (before now LOL) but anyway just thought I'd let you know. We do have an extra wide hob, not sure if that's the reason. Job done in 2000.
 
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