crack vs fissure

we had several beautiful pieces of Brazilian granite installed last week. As the center piece (approx 8' x 3.5') was lifted to apply the glue, I heard a crack, but the installers said nothing and I didn't notice anything unusual after it was in place. However, the next day I noticed a long crack extending from the window (the back edge of the countertop) to the undercounter sink. The installer says it is a natural fissure and has offered to fill it with Akemi. Is there an industry standard that defines a fissure vs. a crack? The installer says that a crack would be one straight continuous line, and would extend all the way through the granite. To be fair, the crack does not appear to go all the way through the granite at the sink, it is not exactly straight, and there are several places that it breaks up into several hairline cracks before continuing on to the back of the countertop. To the untrained eye, however, it LOOKS like a crack, and it is not a different color or vein-like as many natural fissures are ... it just doesn't look "natural". What is your definition of a fissure, and is Akemi a decent fix for this sort of problem? Thanks in advance, Jim

 

Dear Jim:

 

“ I noticed a long crack extending from the window (the back edge of the countertop) to the undercounter sink. The installer says it is a natural fissure and has offered to fill it with Akemi. ”

 

You've heard the crack, you see the crack. It is a crack.

 

“ Is there an industry standard that defines a fissure vs. a crack? ”

 

The possible definition does not help determining the real nature of what you're looking at, does it? After all, fissures are natural cracks.

 

“The installer says that a crack would be one straight continuous line ”

 

That's bull. A crack can have any shape you can think of.

 

“ What is your definition of a fissure ”

 

My own definition of a fissure is as good anybody else's definition. It is a natural crack in the stone that is seldom any longer than a couple of inches. It may or may not go through and through, but it never the whole length of the slab or, in this cas e, the width of your countertop. The edges of a fissure are typically “rounded”, while the edges of a crack are jagged and sharp. Other than that it is impossible to explain.

 

“ is Akemi a decent fix for this sort of problem? ”

 

In the hands of the right person, yes it is. The penetrating type, that is. But I personally believe that CA glue would offer a better fix (Cyanoacrylate glue, a.k.a. superglue). But, as usual and once again, the means is just as good as to operator.

 

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