Quote:
Originally Posted by DETRoadster
Quote:
Originally Posted by RickFLM4
The person who fixed the first crack told us that when there is a small section of granite (such as 2cm cut out to fit behind the sink), installers insert metal into the granite (I have no idea how) to support it. If they don't let it dry completely when installing, or leave another crack where water can get to it, it eventually corrodes and sits (wet) against the granite, leading to cracks in the granite.
We bought the granite in 2002 (along with everyone else at the time) - it was / is our first house and one of the first things we did to it. We wanted to replace the formica counters before we moved in. (It is a great house that had some crappy builder-grade finishing details and previous owners didn't really do any upgrades.) We got it from Home Design (or something like that), which Home Depot used to own but subsequently shut down. They subcontracted it out to ???? I had no idea there was 2mm vs. 3mm or that there was any potential for something to rust and crack the granite. Learn stuff along the way...
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Oh yeah, Home Design. I remember those guys. Yeah, they did subcontract out to whomever was cheapest. I steer clear of the big box guys and whomever they round up for work. I tend to do everything myself but for something like countertops where the material investment is high and the install requires special tools or knowledge, I leave it to the pros. Same with carpet. I could probably figure it out but I dont want to be the one on the hook for telling my wife I just cut a $2,000 roll of carpet 2 inches too short.  |
This time we went direct to a local shop who is a fabricator for Cambria and does a lot of work with granite and other natural stones, went direct to the tile distributor / retailer (Padron) and ordered fixtures from Build.com after seeing what we liked at Ferguson. We acted as contractor / coordinator among the various subcontractors we hired and paid directly. Better control over the process and cut out the money pissed away on middlemen who (in our experience) don't do shit to earn any markup over people actually doing the work. We looked at doing turnkey with bath remodel contractor specialists but we would have ended up spending more to get less than exactly what we wanted. I estimate that we saved about 15% - 20% by dealing with this project this way, not to mention being in better control and getting exactly what we wanted, including custom cabinetry. There were some bumps, including the need to fire the drywall / painting company, but we got through it. Wife is the good cop and I can be a demanding asshole bad cop when circumstances require it.