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Our new quartzite kitchen worktops

Jackie Forbes
9 år sedan
I spent months deciding on worktop material & chose Quartzite because of its beauty and suitability in a kitchen. I was told "it will not mark as long as spills are wiped up & it's sealed every 6 months"! TWO WEEKS IN and there are ghastly watermarks around the sink area. I would never have bought it if I knew this would happen - £3.5k disaster. Fabricator said the stains would dry out ...... 4 weeks on and they are still there! The last pic shows the beauty of the stone - but not with watermarks. Help!
Utvalt svar
  • PRO
    Worktops.co
    9 år sedan
    Ändrades senast: 9 år sedan

    Hi Jackie,

    It just gets better and better by the sounds of it! I'd like to try and make light of the situation but not really sure how I could do that, so here's a :).

    Regarding the new pieces you may be lucky with the merchant having matching slabs of material at their yard. Failing that you'll probably have to take one of the broken pieces and visit a few other merchants/masons to see if they have a matching piece.

    There's two options for avoiding silicone bleed:

    - Ask if the merchant or fitter can or has sealed the underside of the worktop. Also with the silicone, using the 'expensive' or recommended products for stone work is a must to avoid problems like these.

    - The other option is to Akemi (a branded stone adhesive) 4 angle brackets on the underside of the worktop, then screw the sink onto those. Again the recommended silicone should be used to seal everything up but this is basically a belt-n-braces method that simply works as it should.

    Silicone bleed happens to any and all stones, but with the 2 options above you drastically decrease the chances.

    Hope this helps Jackie! Please do keep us posted and we'll try and advise as best as we can.

    Marius

    Kommentarer (27)

    • minnie101
      9 år sedan
      Hi Jackie. I know absolutely nothing about quartzite but have just read one article (and obviously bear in mind it is just one article) stating that most quartzite worktops are not 100% quartzite and are therefore water soluble. There are a number of kitchen and interior designers on here that can advise on this point but what were you advised you were buying? I think in any case you need to go back to the manufacturer. How were you advised it would not stain? Was this in writing? Was it sealed properly when installed? Do you have any form of warranty? When did they stay the stain would dry out? Hopefully this will act as a bump for the pro's!
      Jackie Forbes thanked minnie101
    • Jackie Forbes
      Författare
      9 år sedan
      This is really helpful. I chose the stone from ??, my fabricator 'bought' the stone on my behalf (profit) and he got it cut and he installed it and he sealed it (advising me to seal 6 months later). I called him to complain about the staining after 2 weeks and when he returned later to fit the upstands he said that the stone merchant had advised that the stains "...would dry out". I have no warranty, but I'm going to call the stone merchant tomorrow and see what can be done for my worktops (I am not holding out much hope tho) £3.5 K!. Thank you so much for your input. At this point I would not advise anyone to have quartzite in their kitchen as beautiful as it is. I will keep you posted. Kind regards - Jackie SE London
    • minnie101
      9 år sedan
      Did the guy who installed it give you any type of guarantee for any of the works done? I would check all of the paperwork you have from him and emails etc. Do try the stone merchant and see what they say but I'm not sure of the logic behind it drying out so you do wonder what conversation the installer had with them.
      Jackie Forbes thanked minnie101
    • Jackie Forbes
      Författare
      9 år sedan
      No paperwork. I found a fitter who recommended a reputable stone merchant, I went to the stone merchant & chose the stone, the fitter came and measured and had the stone delivered to his fabricators who cut 3 pieces, he then arrived with the stone and fitted it. All monies were paid to the fitter (he was- really nice guy) ! Maybe he didn't seal it well enough around the sink cut out. I am going to contact the stone guys tomorrow. I'm so unhappy with the stains! Arrrgh! Thanks for your advice.
    • Jackie Forbes
      Författare
      9 år sedan
      Hi minnie101, re your comment is it 100% quartzite? Are you confusing quartz with quartzite. Quartzite is a naturally mined stone, not manmade like quartz.
    • minnie101
      9 år sedan
      http://countertopinvestigator.com/quartzite-granite-comparison/ Hi Jackie. This was the article re quartzite. What did the manufacturer say?
      Jackie Forbes thanked minnie101
    • Jackie Forbes
      Författare
      9 år sedan
      Hi minnie, he said leave it for a few more days and it will dry out and then get it resealed. I told him that the fitter came in and resealed it before it had time to dry out. The manufacturer said "he shouldnt have done that, all's he's done is seal in the water, I will speak to the fitter and get back to you". That was a couple of hours ago. I told him I couldnt live with it. Personally I know it will be quite an upheaval to lift the stone and remove all the plumbing but it is really, really unsightly! I do not have any guarantee for the work. Please eep in touch if you hear anything else and I'll keep you posted. I'm going to check the website you mentioned. Thanks.
    • mrsmcee74
      9 år sedan
      It's hard to tell from the pics but it looks like a bit of staining. Have you tried diluted bleach on a small patch to see if that does the trick? I use this on my draining board grooves as they get discoloured but I have quartz not quartzite. Maybe worth doing a little test?
      Jackie Forbes thanked mrsmcee74
    • Jackie Forbes
      Författare
      9 år sedan
      Thanks mrsmcee74, I agree it looks like staining but I think its just water. I will try a small patch and let you know how I get on.
    • Jackie Forbes
      Författare
      9 år sedan
      Additionally, I have never prepared food in that area.......
    • mrsmcee74
      9 år sedan
      I don't prepare food on my draining board grooves but the water that sits there ends up leaving behind brownish stains. Don't know if it's the minerals in the water or copper piping that causes it, but I use the bleach as and when needed and it comes up like new each time. Good luck.
      Jackie Forbes thanked mrsmcee74
    • Jackie Forbes
      Författare
      9 år sedan
      Mrsmcee, I dont even put crockery directly onto the drainer/grooves, I use a dish tray which I put away once finished. I treat the grooves as style and finish only. I'm still waiting to hear from the manufacturer. Kind regards
    • minnie101
      9 år sedan
      Hi jackie. Let us know what he says. It does obviously sound like a potential issue with the installation so I'm sure there are various options to explore to get it resolved. Do also make note of the time, date and name of the person you spoke to just in case it doesn't get resolved quickly
      Jackie Forbes thanked minnie101
    • mrsmcee74
      9 år sedan
      No doubt there's a huge row going on between the manufacturer and the fitter about who should foot the bill, because it should be replaced. I think I would be chasing the manufacturer tomorrow to see where things are at. I think even without warranties etc you are covered under statutory rights.
      Jackie Forbes thanked mrsmcee74
    • PRO
      Granite Transformations Hinckley & Market H'Boro.
      9 år sedan
      Hi

      Sorry to hear about your stained quartz worktops, you must be so disappointed, I also have Quartz in my utility and I am also well aware that they stain easily.
      In my kitchen I have the Granite Transformations product which is granite, quartz or recycled glass worktops that have a polymer added to them to make them heat, scratch and stain resistant.
      These worktops are only 6.5mm thick and are designed to go over your existing worktops but believe it or not they are actually stronger than the 30mm or 40mm everyday slab granite or quartz worktops, they are far superior in every way so if you manage to get a refund go to Granite Transformations ( www.granitetransformations.co.uk ) and use there worktops and you won't be disappointed.
      Good luck.
      Jamie
    • Linda Morrell
      9 år sedan
      Probably a long shot, but if you paid for any part of the bill by credit card you should have recourse through the card provider.
      Jackie Forbes thanked Linda Morrell
    • PRO
      Granite Transformations Hinckley & Market H'Boro.
      9 år sedan
      Hi

      If the item was supplied and fitted ' not as described ' then you will more than likely be able to get your money back. I guess it will come down to what proof you have of this.
      Best regards
      Jamie
      Jackie Forbes thanked Granite Transformations Hinckley & Market H'Boro.
    • puffinrock
      9 år sedan
      A cheap product to use is carpet powder to dry out the area, I use it on carpets when there is a spill. A professional carpet cleaning firm will sell you some with no bleaching agents in. Hope thats helps...try salt in the meantime!
      Jackie Forbes thanked puffinrock
    • turquoisetree53
      9 år sedan
      Ändrades senast: 9 år sedan
      Oh, I am so sorry. What a rotten disappointment. Well, if a product like this is fitted ROUND A SINK - surely that is actual proof it is considered water-proof?? by supplier??
      I think you should just try to do a 'negotiated' settlement - where the fitter (gives work free) and the supplier replaces it (certainly just round the sink area) (Maybe just cut that particular section out??) with something, much more functional.
      (I am opting for a stainless steel sink in my next renovation, having
      seen how various ceramics, sinks with wood around them etc perform.)
      Jackie Forbes thanked turquoisetree53
    • PRO
      Worktops.co
      9 år sedan
      Hi Jackie,

      Might be a little late to help but how is it getting on? There's a couple of things that can be done to test and eliminate the problems.

      Firstly to eliminate that it's water staining you should get a hair dryer and place it onto the stains, if the marks disappear or get better but come back within a couple of days then it's water staining (stains come back as only the water close to the surface has been dried out).

      Now if the hair dryer doesn't work and the stains remain there could be 2 other issues:

      Soap stains - We've got a process that seems to work incredibly well but will require some explanation so try out the hair dryer first and let me know what happens.

      Silicon bleed - If the underside of the worktop hasn't been sealed properly then the silicon that the fitter used when fitting the sink basin will now be bleeding into the stone - unfortunately this is unfixable.

      By the way, if you've having trouble in having something done about this and we can get to the bottom of the staining of the stone we're happy to provide you with statements and verification if you wish to pursue the issue further.

      Nonetheless keep in touch with how things are getting on.


      Marius
      Jackie Forbes thanked Worktops.co
    • Jackie Forbes
      Författare
      9 år sedan
      Thank you so much Marius for your time & effort explaining what the problem could be. You are the first person to come up with these probabilities, you are obviously very knowledgeable about quartzite.. The fitter is coming in tomorrow (5th) with what he called a "high power dryer" to dry the stone out. I think the silicone bleed is the most likely cause of the staining as I have never allowed water or soap to sit on the stone. I will let you know the outcome once the fitter has been. Regards - Jackie
    • Jackie Forbes
      Författare
      9 år sedan
      My fitter has just been and put a "dryer" on one patch of the stain to try and dry it out and we heard a loud bang and now we have a crack!

      Thank you Marius/Worktops & Co - You were spot on (no pun intended - I cant even laugh!) the stains are due to a silicone bleed! My fitter has gone away very upset that this has happened and is going to speak to the stone merchant during the week to see what can be done. The only solution is to replace the stone. It will be a complete and utter upheaval to rip out 2 large pieces of stone and upstands & get a similar formation in the stone to join "L" shaped piece which is unstained - not to mention all the decorating that will go with it, but it will have to be done! I'm really fed up. I'll keep you all posted.

      (PS How could the silicone bleed be avoided? Does this happen to marble and granite?)
    • PRO
      HCC Interiors
      8 år sedan

      Hi Jackie Forbes - I was wondering how this all turned out, as I am considering Quartzite for worktop on a project I'm working on - any insight would be really appreciated.

    • Jackie Forbes
      Författare
      8 år sedan

      Hi, and thanks to all who gave me advise. The marks on the worktops were due to them not being sealed properly underneath and the silicone sealer bled through like Marius from from Worktops.Co (above) suspected - he was totally correct. The fitter came and removed the slabs and refitted with new pieces. I would highly recommend him to anyone who wants worktops fitted. It was a mammoth task to remove sink & slabs and have to have it all drawn and re-fabricated - poor man! WOW, my Quartzite worktops are absolutely fantastic! I've had loads of spills and water splashes and they wipe up like a dream. I'm sooooo glad I didn't fit marble - there is no way I could have handled the stains (I'm a messy cook) haha. Good luck with the installation Chenai Interiors and thanks for asking for an update which I should have given before now. Best wishes.

    • PRO
      HCC Interiors
      8 år sedan

      Thanks Jackie, and very happy for you that it all turned out well!

    • Jackie Forbes
      Författare
      8 år sedan

      Thank you so much Hianta Cassam from Chenai Interiors - good luck with your business.

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