Tuesday, March 23, 2010

Apparent Heat Crack in Granite Countertop

We just had granite countertops installed for the first time ever. We love the look, but about a month after moving back in, we noticed a 6-inch crack in the granite in about the middle of the slab running to the edge. We called the installer and supplier who looked at it and they claimed they were stumped by this crack. The installer insisted that we must have been standing on the countertop, which of course we were not. He sealed it and said that it should not grow in size.

The mystery was solved when I was cooking pancakes with an electric griddle on the countertop a week or two later. The electric fry pan sits about 2 inches off the counter and was heated to 350 F. I felt and heard a crack as I was cooking and sure enough, there it was - a new 4-inch crack to the edge. This solved the mystery of the other crack, which was located where I had used my electric wok at a similar temperature. I was led to believe that heat was the least of my worries with granite, as it can quite often withstand heat from pots set directly on it, or even a blowtorch (things I would never do). But these were electric appliances at 350 F. Is this a common occurence? I spoke with the installer/supplier and told him of the discovery and he seemed pleased that we solved the mystery, but insists that there is no defect in the granite. IS this a defect? He has no intention of replacing the granite (He'd have to replace the entire countertop for color matching), but would we have a case for legal action? If this is a common problem, I guess it's our fault, or if this always happens, fine. But I am looking for peace of mind that says either there's nothing I can do, or that I should insist on replacement. I would never have chosen granite if I knew it was so fragile - everything I read said it had an amazing ability to withstand heat. Can anyone offer some advice? Answers? The truth may hurt, but it would be greatly appreciated. Thank You!

No comments: