Placement of seams in countertop

I've heard a variety of comments from different people as to the placement of seams. And I just read your comments about seam placement at the center of an undermount sink. I am getting a granite called Ivory Fantasy (light colored). Someone I know had the seam place at the sink center and has problems w/ that seam. Logically for me, that would not be my preferred location because of the amount of water and wiping that particular area endures. So I was adamant that I did not want the seam at the sink center and asked for alternatives. He is coming approximatly 2.5 inches off the 90 degree angle of the countertop (L-shaped). The seam will sit about 1/2" from the edge of the dishwasher support. He said that since the seam will be in close proximity to a corner, that is where the eye will go so the seam may be more visible. The seam will be over the far edge of the dishwasher and where my prep area will be. There will be a cutting board in that area. I also asked him about a mitered seam where the two pieces that create the "L" would meet but he said that would be a longer seam, be more noticeable, etc. so I asked him if the seam could be put on the other side of the 90 degree angle but he said that the piece would be too large to handle, etc. So I am now confused and concerned w/ the final placement of the seam to the left of the 90 degree turn. Your thoughts on the placement of the seam to the far right of the dishwasher?

 

Dear Laura:

You're asking the impossible of me.

There are not – and there could possibly be not – any industry standard on the placement of the seams. It all depends on the shape of the kitchen, the size of the slabs, and the type of “granite”. This is something that you have to work out with your fabricator. The only thing that I can tell you is that a 45^o mitered seam in a corner is incredibly beautiful, but also incredibly risky to execute. If you insist that your fabricator to do that – assuming that the right size slabs are available – you should take full responsibility for the risk.

By reading your report your fabricator comes across like a person that's trying to accommodate your wishes at his best, without having to lose his shirt at doing things that could turn out to be too risky. It is the most that you can expect from a decent professional.

Now remember, it's never too early to think about the proper maintenance of your stone. The issue of what you'll be doing day in and day out to your stone is – as it should be intuitive – vastly more important than its sealing (if and when possible and/or advisable) and it's all too often neglected. As you can tell by reading many of this site's postings, you're not likely to get good information about routine care from your dealer or installer. Don't become another statistic! By logging into the Helpful Hints section of our website at:   http://www.mbstone.com/HH_promo/helpful_hints.htm , you will be able to get the short version of our maintenance guidelines at no charge. The full version of it – a 7-page document considered by many as an industry benchmark – is available in pay-per-download format in our Educational Literature section at:   http://www.mbstone.com/literature/literature.htm .  

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Ciao and good luck,

Mauri z io Bertoli

 

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