Granite not installed correctly???? - DIY Chatroom

debsc · 02-01-2009, 07:50 AM

Hi,

I recently had granite installed in my brand new kitchen, the problem is I was looking under the cabinets yesterday and in the area closest to the long wall I have the granite is not sitting on the cabinets, but appears to be sitting on pieces of wood in some places. Further down the cabinet, the granite is sitting on the cabinets. I used a level to see if there was an issue with the cabinets not being level, and they are level, so I am not sure what is up. There also looks like there is no glue or caulk underneath the granite to glue it to the cabinets, is this normal? any ideas? Also, there are seams that are visible, are there any products that can color seams after the granite is installed. The place I bought my kitchen cabinets from recommended the granite guy, they have worked with him for 6 years and have had no customer issues with him, so I am not sure what is going on. I have pointed out several other granite issues to the granite guy, but now I am worried that there is some stuff I am missing, or the guy really messed up my installation. Should I hire a third party to look at the kitchen and tell me what the issues are? What type of expert granite person could I hire, is there some sort of assocation of granite fabricators? Any help would be appreciated.

DangerMouse · 02-01-2009, 08:23 AM

the 'pieces of wood' were likely to level it.
not sure why you cannot see how it's mounted, (glue, clips, etc.) without seeing it.
pictures may help

DM

debsc · 02-01-2009, 09:06 AM

Thanks for replying, I looked again and I cannot see anything, glue, clips etc.. that is connecting the cabinets to the granite.... here is a pic of the wood underneather the granite. I think they are there to level it, but the question is, if the cabinets and the floor are level, why would the counter top not be level??

DangerMouse · 02-01-2009, 09:29 AM

they evidentally found it not level in some areas, therefore the shims, and i suppose they used gravity-glue since it's so heavy?
does it shift or move at all? if so, inject some 'PL' (construction adhesive) in the gaps here and there, and the next day, it will not move.

DM

Michael Thomas · 02-01-2009, 10:01 AM

From the Design Manual produced by Marble Institute of America:

Residential Stone Counter Top Installation:

- 2.17 Spans & Overhangs
- 2.18 Stone counter tops under 1-1/8" thick should not span more than 2'-0" between support centers. Spans should always be minimized. 3/4" counter tops should be installed on underlayment.
- 2.19 Unsupported overhangs shall not exceed 6" on 3/4" counter tops or 10" for 1-1/4" counter tops. In an overhang condition, the supported area must be firmly secured and properly anchored to insure the unsupported area, when loaded, will not cause failure of the setting material. Mechanical anchors and gluing are recommend for overhang supports. If overhang exceeds the maximum amounts, proper brackets, legs or other rigid support must be added by the cabinet maker of builder

angus242 · 02-01-2009, 10:15 AM

This doesn't sound like an abnormal installation (although maybe a bit sloppy). Shims are commonly used to keep the granite level. You cannot truly measure the cabinets after the granite is installed to see if they're level. Put your level on top of the granite. Is that level?
Also, believe it or not, just a few dollops of silicone are used to hold the granite to the cabinets. If you've ever had to remove something that was held in place with silicone, you'd know its adhering capabilities. That along with the overall weight of the granite, your counters aren't going anywhere.

debsc · 02-01-2009, 10:54 AM

Thank you for all your comments. Sent an e-mail to the fabricator for him to come by next week to go over some of the issues I have. I think you are right, just sloppy work nothing major wrong.

debsc · 02-01-2009, 10:58 AM

Also, I did measure the cabinets to see if they were level before the granite was put on. I had major problems with the floor being uneven, I had to have the tile down up, floor leveled, and then put back down so I was very careful that floor and cabinets both were level. I will see if counter is level.