Granite Countertop Crack at Sink Corner
by Barbara
QUESTION:Black Galaxy granite countertop. There is a crack at the corner of the sink. I don't know how it happened...no one has confessed to causing it.The top is 11 months, 3 weeks old. Should this be covered by the warranty. Could this have been caused by the undermount sink not being installed corectly? ANSWER:Cut outs for sinks and cooktops are weak points in any granite counter top and are the most likely spots for a crack to occur.The sink area receives a lot of abuse, so a crack could develop from direct impact, someone sitting or standing on the countertop or stress from the sink or yes... it could have happened during installation of the granite countertop. Usually this happens simply because a granite slab is extremely heavy and difficult to maneuver. Despite all best efforts and care sometimes a crack develops. If a major crack occurs during install any reputable fabricator will cut out and replace the area if possible or simply eat the cost and start over. But if only a hairline crack it may go unnoticed or even when noticed installed anyway because these are almost never a problem, will remain stable and do not affect the performance of the counter top. Highly unlikely it developed because the sink was installed "incorrectly". Not much to screw up with that. However, eleven months after install it's impossible to tell if the installers are somehow to blame, so not really fair or productive to accuse them at this point. And it may be nothing to worry about. If the crack can only be felt by running your finger tip or fingernail over it and there isn't any lip, then it probably won't be an issue. However, if the crack has a lip and/or it looks to go all the way through the entire slab, then you may have an issue and it could get worse, especially around the sink. Most often granite countertop cracks around the sink are just hairline cracks without a lip and never really present a problem other than a bit of frustration that it exists. You should have your installers take a look and see if extra support could be added or if the area can be further stabilized. Of course, you can't expect them to do this for free since there's no way at this point to fault them for it. If there is a lip you may still be able to level the surface, repair and stabilize the area so it eliminates any problem. Worst case scenario is replacement of a part or the entire granite counter top, but almost never needed. Good Luck, Ryan |
