Quartz worktop issue

[SpecialJK]

I've just had a silestone worktop fitted in my new kitchen. I've got a couple of problems and wondered if anyone had previous experience.

Firstly, the join between the two slabs isn't level. When you run a wine glass over it, it catches. I'm getting conflicting information from the fitters, one who says the slab has dropped concave in the middle and will need taken out and put back in. Another who says the other slab needs redone and it will fix the problem. Both involve removing tiles and either the hob or the sink. I really really don't want it taken out, the kitchen has taken 7 weeks so far and I'm fed up with not having a working kitchen.

Secondly, the seams just seem really prominent and noticeable. One of them is already getting dirty.

My ideal scenario is to find someone who can find a way to polish/re=do the seams to create a more level finish between the two slabs without removing it. I don't even need it to be 100%, but better than it is at the moment. Do people like this exist? After much googling I can't find anyone. The company that fitted it said that it can't be done onsite.

Why do you have a join? Can you avoid one, it'll get dirty really quickly.

It definitely needs re-doing, surely it's the fitters to put right and any associated damage?

We have two joins. The worktop is a 'U' shape with the longest length 3.5m. They said that the longest piece would be 2.5m so not long enough, so they've done it in 3 pieces. This got fitted 2 weeks ago, they came and dug out the seam twice but its a) very noticeable and b) not level. Now they're saying they will replace one of the slabs, but they can't decide which one. I'm not sure the seam will be any less noticeable if they replace it.

I've tried approaching other companies to see if they can help fix, but no one wants to touch anyone's work it seems and I'm losing faith in my original fitters to fix this

Hi. I would expect the join to feel smooth to the touch. Try posting this on Houzz as lots of great people on there.

who fitted the silestone - silestone fitters or kitchen fitters - it should have been fitted perfect before the hob and sink were put in - its a specialist job - if the units were not level before it was put in the silestone fitters would not put it in until they were levelled up - the silestone should all be the same thickness as normally you cut the 2 or 3 bits needed from the same slab

I’ve got quartz Silestone.There’s two joins that are almost invisible & definitely can’t feel. The fitters didn’t fit the quartz, they arranged a specialist company to do it.
Silestone wouldn’t be satisfied with the fixing of your quartz. Contact their customer service.

Presuming it was a specialist company that fitted in on site? I am surprised they can't just sand it down on site, even if the ideal would be to remove the slabs and fix offsite. They should not have left it like that for the hob etc to them be fitted.

Slightly different, but when our worktops turned up with square corners, we decided that we would prefer rounded corners and they were able to grind 6 corners to shape on site.

I would bite the bullet and have the worktop taken out so that the issues can be put right - go back to the company who supplied and get them to fix it. We had an experience with a corian island top which wasn't right and they tried to fix it in situ, but that didn't work and caused other issues. In the end they refunded us and we went elsewhere. It was a pain because it meant we had no kitchen sink, but holding out for a worktop that was perfect was the right thing to do - you spend so much money on a new kitchen it really isn't worth accepting a so-so job on something like the worktop as you will always know it isn't right and it will bug you seeing the dirty seams, etc.

I totally understand your frustration. I was desperate at a similar stage last year to finish the kitchen and be shot of workmen but it will annoy you forever if you don't get this fixed now.

Firstly, it obviously should have been done right. Especially as you have paid the premium to have Silestone quartz.

Secondly, unless you are extremely unfortunate, the material would have been near perfectly flat when it arrived at your property. If there is any deviation in the slab it is most likely that is down to the fitting causing it to distort. The problem is that every time to rake out the resin joint you are likely to slightly damage the clean edge of the cut and that is why it doesn't make for a good clean joint after. This slight edge damage can be ground out after but obviously not while both sections are fitted.

Lastly what you where originally asking for is known as joint "polished in situ." Normal practice in acrylic but rarely done in granite and quartz. This obviously involves polishing the surface of the worktops to match in to the existing polished worktop finish, a whole new ball game from edge polishing and requires a meticulous and extremely skilled stone polisher going through multiple grades of abrasives to get the shine looking right. They are about but there are not many of them. Of course I can't entirely rule out without looking, that the slab from which the worktop was made was manufactured way out of tolerance as say the fitters. That's not that uncommon in granite but less so in quartz and not what you would expect from Silestone.

I am afraid there is no easy answer here but feel free to ask away if you require any more detail.