Granite changing colors and it is sealed +

[Stone Dude]

yeah i saw it, its wierd. ive never seen that before. Lowes needs to be involved, warranty or not.

[deemaxx]

yeah i saw it, its wierd. ive never seen that before. Lowes needs to be involved, warranty or not.

Hi Mark & Stone Dude: What kind of barrier should be installed if it is the moisture from the dishwasher? Should I let Lowes deal with this?  The crack is getting longer not wider.

I just heard from Lowes, someone is coming out tomorrow to see the counters. Do you have any expert advise for me to tell them.

I really cannot believe someone is coming out. The manager called this morning and told me it was out of warranty, but he would see what he could do. I don't know what to expect..Any suggestions?

Thanks a bunch
Diann

[Stone Dude]

i dunno, now that i think about it, maybe Lowes should stay away, and you should call a reputable (not lowes or HD) fabricator or restorating tech in your area. see what the guy from lowes says, and see if hes got any idea whats going on. who knows, they might be able to take care of it. please post the results of the visit.

as far as a barrier, i have no idea.

[deemaxx]

i dunno, now that i think about it, maybe Lowes should stay away, and you should call a reputable (not lowes or HD) fabricator or restorating tech in your area. see what the guy from lowes says, and see if hes got any idea whats going on. who knows, they might be able to take care of it. please post the results of the visit.

as far as a barrier, i have no idea.

Lowes is coming tonight when I get off from work. I think I may have figured out what is going on, but then again what do I know. I think the heat from the dishwasher is going thru the wood base and the underlying wood is bleeding into the underside of the granite. Only a guess.

I do not even know where to start looking for a reputable fabricator. If I do not like what Lowes has to say I will look in the yellow pages and see if I can find one, so that I can approach the corporate office regarding this matter. All I know is that I am due some kind of compensation for what is happening in my kitchen.

I will most certainly let you know what is happening.

[deemaxx]

i dunno, now that i think about it, maybe Lowes should stay away, and you should call a reputable (not lowes or HD) fabricator or restorating tech in your area. see what the guy from lowes says, and see if hes got any idea whats going on. who knows, they might be able to take care of it. please post the results of the visit.

as far as a barrier, i have no idea.

Lowes is coming tonight when I get off from work. I think I may have figured out what is going on, but then again what do I know. I think the heat from the dishwasher is going thru the wood base and the underlying wood is bleeding into the underside of the granite. Only a guess.

I do not even know where to start looking for a reputable fabricator. If I do not like what Lowes has to say I will look in the yellow pages and see if I can find one, so that I can approach the corporate office regarding this matter. All I know is that I am due some kind of compensation for what is happening in my kitchen.

I will most certainly let you know what is happening.

Ok- Lowes came out today Sunday. They said it is getting wet from  underneath. I did not feel the wetness when I put my hand there. The insullation around the dishwasher is thick and as far as I could feel it was not wet. But they did not take it out so I couldnt see or feel  the top part.

What size plywood do you usually use when installing granite. My husband says they used the cheapest 1/4 inch they could find.
They did see the crack and she was concerned. And I even found another crack. I had a piece of the original granite and even showed them that color. I showed her how the one side is girtty.
By the way the crack that I sent you photos of were not on the dishwasher side. But there is another crack in the edging on the dishwasher side.

She said the installer, who did not install the counter, and he even measured incorrectly  said "too bad not under warranty" I only met that guy one time he was not here for the install.

But she did say she would talk to management. She kept insisting it was wet from underneath. So I told her that was an installer problem. They did not take precautions for over the dishwasher. My other counter was white and laminate, it never showed any signs of discoloration.

So now what do you suggest I do to proceed with this. She said she will call me probably wednesday. I have a feeling they are going to try to blow me off.

Helpppppp

[Mark D.]

I think they will find a way to remedy this as their reputation is on the line.
Wait and see on this.

1/4" Plywood? I didn't even know you could buy it that thin. Normally for 2cm stone you would use 5/8" so it doesn't drop below the lamination.

Mark

[deemaxx]

Thanks Mark, I should hopefully know something on Weds. But I am not going to hold my breath waiting. At this point I will not take NO for an answer. To me the installer took short cuts, and they didn't work. If I used the dishwasaher all the time I may have found it sooner, but I do not.

I'll let you know what happens.
Diann

[Stone Dude]

theyve confirmed that they are a little concerned when they sent someone to look at it. the best advice i can give you is call them repeatedly. dont harass them, but call them daily if they dont return your calls.

many companies do not even use a sub top, but if there are factors to be compensated for, then they need to be taken care of.

[deemaxx]

Update:

Lowes called and they are sending out the guy who was supposed to come originally and install the granite. The one who measured incorrectly, etc. But he sub contracted. Anyway, he wants to see for himself what is going on. The gal at Lowes already told me that this man said "well it could be the minerals in the granite that is causing it to change color". I am not going to accept that excuse. I reached up under the dishwasher and from what I can feel  the insulation is not wet, but that may change if he takes it out.  I am also not going to accept them replacing just that piece, because the color still will not match. I also found a spot under the bar that has 1/4 plywood and then a hollow space, then more plywood. It looks as if he ran out when he was installing it. The day it was installed it was litterally 105 degrees, and we had to shut off the ac. or so they said so I did not inspect everything. I guess I should have.

He is supposed to call and make an appointment but I will be surprised if he does any time soon.

[deemaxx]

The contractor from Lowes came out to the house finally yesterday. I was not home, so I really do not know what conspired. Except that he took photos, with the lights on and the lights off. He told my husband that the grit on the bar side was dirt. My husband laughed and told him "you don't know my wife" this is not dirt it reappears within minutes after cleaning!.

He left no indication of what is going to happen. Just said "he would see what he could do". I have no estimated time line. This is most frustrating.

[Stone Dude]

thats a good start. to be honest im surprised theyve done that much so far. be patient, these things take time. be polite with them and hopefully, it sounds like, they might take care of it for you. and if you have pay something, its better than paying for all of it. its hard to say whats going on without seeing it.

[deemaxx]

I started looking at samples and was wondering if there is a difference of quality.

The two I am leaning toward are Blanco Leblon by Sensa and Luna Pearl. Which would you recommend?

Also is there any particular eding that holds up better or looks better than the others. The fabricator came out said the seams on the edging were horrible as well as the seams in the granite. But I was not home to ask questions. If we get new granite, I also want to get a new sink. Which is better inside or self rimmed?

Thanks for your help and I will keep you updated.

[Stone Dude]

undermount sink always looks better in my opnion, stainless steel. most of the granite that home depot sells comes from spain, and for the most part it is pretty good stuff. go with what you like best, its gonna be there for a while.

[deemaxx]

undermount sink always looks better in my opnion, stainless steel. most of the granite that home depot sells comes from spain, and for the most part it is pretty good stuff. go with what you like best, its gonna be there for a while.

Thanks for responding.

I have a stainless steel self rimmed now. But I do like the under mount. I was considering an acrylic sink in black. What is your opinion on that?

Does Lowes sell the same type of granite Home Depot does? We are working with Lowes. Are there different grades of granite?

I do like the luna pearl, what is your opinion on this type?   

[deemaxx]

Hi Mark & Stone Dude:

Ok I went looking at large slabs of granite today. Oh my now I am totally confused. I did not like the luna pearl in a large piece for the kitchen.
I did however like Blue Pearl or Emerald Pearl.
My concerns with these are:
1. I was told not to seal these 2 particular granites, Why?
2. Would the Emerald pearl show fingerprints and make my life miserable? I do not want to be a slave to cleaning my counter top. I am a neat freak.

3. Any suggestions in type or color? I have bisque appliances.

Any help would be appreciated.