To not accept this?

[Liiinoo]

We have been waiting seven weeks to have a new hearth fitted. It took ages because the marble had to be custom cut. The company arrived today and I left the two men to get on with it. When they called me in to view the finished product the front and back pieces were completely different colours. The front piece was very similar to the sample (as seen in the photo) but the back was a totally different colour.

I had a long chat with their boss who assured me that the two pieces were cut from the same slab of marble and that colour variations were to be expected but I think this goes way beyond an acceptable colour variation.

The men have taken it away and I'm waiting to hear back from the boss and stonemason.

It is so annoying, I have a huge hole in my wall and until the hearth is fitted and everything made good I cannot get my new stove fitted. And winter is coming.

I sat this as a person who has visited a marble museum in Carrara. They are not the same at all. Good for you, complaining.

*say this not "sat this"

That looks like two random offcuts of marble, not even remotely like something that has been designed for that space.

Another person saying why did they not just cut piece to the correct shape and size?

Not only is that wrong for all the reasons already stated, it should not have taken seven weeks to cut. We had over 12 metres of granite work surface and a separate shelf, measured, cut, shaped and fitted in less than a month (and they came highly recommended from Howdens Builders merchants, so not short of work). That piece could have been done from an off-cut very quickly. You are not wrong or unreasonable to reject it.

Thank you everyone who responded. You gave me the confidence to persist with this. They are still swearing up and down that the two pieces WERE cut from the same slab but did admit that they were like 'chalk and cheese'. I had to make a 120 mile round trip to the stone masons yard to personally inspect various sheets of marble and pick out a replacement. Nothing has been said about who will pay for it yet (I paid in advance for the last one) so that might be a conversation for another day.

I also asked why it had to be in two pieces, apparently because it is to go under a log burner a two piece hearth allows for heat expansion.

Well done for standing your ground!

Have you done your research? Marble is terrible base for log stoves to sit on, it can't withstand the heat and will crack. Tell them to stop cutting and get your money back! Stone, granite or slate are much better choices as they're harder.

YANBU

Holly makes a good point.

Maybe use this incident to get your money back?

www.bespokemarblefireplaces.co.uk/guides/can-marble-hearths-be-used-with-wood-burning-stoves.html

I wish I'd seen that link 6 months ago. No one I've dealt with over this has ever mentioned it! However I am desperate for the new stove to be fitted before it gets colder so am going ahead with the marble - if it cracks then I will replace it next summer.

Here is the replacement (marble) hearth. A big improvement! And the guys that fitted it said the old one was the talk of the workshop, they are all shocked at how bad the colour match was. Thank you all again for the moral support.

So much better! Good for you for sticking to your guns and getting a replacement!