FAQ's about Granite

“My granite has little cracks in it.”

What may look like cracks are where quartz crystals meet and these are perfectly natural. They are only visible when light hits the stone from a certain angle and are not a structural or design concern. Some colors are more prone to these “spots” than others, such as Gallo Veneziano. Additionally, during the formation of the stone over millions of years, natural variations such as pits and fissures may have developed. Some stones are more prone to these features such as Baltic Brown. Because these fissures, pits, etc. are an inherent quality of granite, and does not detract from the quality of the stone, DMI Tile/Design Tile will not replace your tops because of these features.

“I have an undermount sink and the granite hangs too far into the bowl.”

Overhang is done intentionally. It is beneficial that the granite hangs into the bowl so that when you sweep anything in to the bowl: it will not catch on the flange of the sink. DMI Tile/Design Tile typically leaves a 1/4”-1/8” overhang on undermount bowls.

“Why do I have to have seams in my countertop?”

It is necessary to have seams in your stone because a house, and therefore the cabinets, will settle over time; sometimes by several inches. In order to keep the stone from breaking, seams are placed in the top so that they will handle the expansion and movement rather than placing these stresses on the stone itself. Additionally, because of the size of the saws used to process stone blocks into slabs, slabs are traditionally only 105” by 62”. Therefore, the length of the top is limited…this is the same for engineered stone (typically 118”x52”). Furthermore, due to handling and safety concerns, DMI Tile/Design Tile limits the length of undermount sink pieces.

“My seam is full of little chips.”

Quartz will fragment a little bit while being cut. Epoxy will fix these tiny fragments.

“You said you would install my undermount sink, and the plumbing is not hooked up.”

Plumbing hook-up is the job of the plumber, and by Alabama State Law, DMI Tile/Design Tile is not allowed to touch the plumbing (or gas and electricity). Your plumbing should be reconnected 24 hours (or at least overnight) after DMI Tile/Design Tile has adhered the undermount sink to the stone so that enough time is allowed for the adhesive to set.

“There is a big ‘gap’ between my backsplash and the wall.”

This is caused by the wall being bowed and can be remedied by a contractor (painter, tile layer, sheet rock expert, etc.).

“My overhang in one spot is one-quarter inch different than another spot.”

Again, this is caused by a wall being bowed. Unless you measure the overhang, a +/- 5/16” difference is usually not noticeable. Overhang is used to correct wall irregularities. Because of these irregularities in the wall, we cannot guarantee that your stone will have an overhang of 1” at all points.

“My granite is ‘rough’ on the bottom.”

DMI Tile/Design Tile, like all granite companies, receives the slabs, pre-polished from the quarry or a processor. These slabs are only polished on one side. It is not standard practice to polish the back of slabs.

“My tops do not ‘match’.”

This may be caused by the “grain” of the stone being offset, which is often unavoidable. The same lot of stone will be used for your job so that the stone coloration is similar. However, despite using the same lot, every granite slab is unique and will have some color and vein variances. It is even likely to have these variations on the same slab from one side to another. Each slab of natural stone is unique, and therefore, purchasing natural stone is like adding an original piece of fine art to your home – there is not another like it in the world! Additionally, we have found similar color variations in engineered stone; again, a byproduct of being made from a natural material. Stone is a product of nature. Therefore, it is impossible to guarantee uniformity of color, veining, or other characteristics. This does not affect the product’s performance in any manner. Your countertop will not be replaced due to these variations.

“My cooktop will not fit in the hole.”

Three major reasons:

1. Appliance choice may have been changed mid job
2. We may have cut-out the minimum width according to the minimum width being given on the drawing
3. “Box cabinets” have plastic shipping braces in them that are only seated 1” below the countertop surface that may prevent the top from dropping into place. These simply have to be removed.
   

“What will hold-up production and installation of my countertops?”

Not having your sink, cooktop, facet, etc. information to DMI Tile/Design Tile by the time of templating will hold up production, and DMI Tile cannot make the appropriate cutouts in the countertop. Additionally, any changes to the cabinets or stone choice after a template has been made will slow down production.

“I’ve heard installation is very messy. Will the installers clean up?”

DMI Tile installers are top notch, and they will do everything they can to cut down on the amount of mess that is created during installation. There may be a limited amount of cutting that is necessary once the tops are set on the cabinets. Therefore, there will be some dust. We recommend that you turn off your central HVAC unit during this time and block off the room as best as you can by hanging sheets at the doorways. Please be aware that some dust may settle after a day or so because it is impossible to control the amount of dust left in the atmosphere of the room. The installers will also wipe your tops down before they leave to remove any excess silicone and epoxy (used to caulk the backsplash to the tops and to adhere seams).

Design Tile and Stone/DMI Tile and Marble strives for 100% Satisfaction on every job we do! Please call your Project Manager/sales person for more information.