Benchtop *Fail* Follow Up

Ensuite in the Master Bedroom

I spoke to the stone supplier yesterday and they were very good about the stuff up with the benchtops. They're not sure how it happened, but it could have something to do with the fact that the installers didn't take the measurements from the template.

I remember the builder at the time saying he thought it was odd that they didn't take the templates as they told him these days they just measured up and everything was machine cut from the measurements.

Quite possibly they did take the measurements of the cabinet and simply added a 20mm overhang as it is a common design so that any water that drips off the benchtops doesn't ruin the cabinetry. While I understand that theory it's not the look we were going for so I'll be glad to have it rectified.

The stone suppliers are going to come back and remove the two benchtops in the main bathroom and ensuite, cut them to the correct size and reinstall it. This is a fantastic outcome as I was worried that because it had already been glued in that it would be impossible to remove it. It will be a precise operation though as the cuts for the basins have already been done and so they will need to make sure they only take the excess stone from the front and sides.

The other issue we have to deal with that's arisen from this situation is that the tiling around the benchtops have already been done, but VERY luckily haven't been grouted. So there are approximately four tiles that will need to be removed, recut around the benchtops and retiled. Normally that wouldn't be a huge deal but (and there's always a but), we are running very low on tiles and only have about five left. Uh-huh, can you believe it? And flowing on from that is that the vestibule outside the toilet also had a vanity, and that also has a 20mm overhang at the front, but not at the sides as they are walled in. There are approximately eight tiles around there and we simply don't have enough tiles to redo that area. The overhang is not as obvious in this one so I'm not too worried about it.

Anyway, this will be done on Tuesday-Wednesday next week, so that has put the schedule a few days behind, but has to be done. The supply and installation of the stone has been my responsibility, it wasn't done through the builder, so the lesson for me here is that I really should have been there during measurement and installation. I would have insisted they take the template and would have picked up on overhang discrepancy before it was installed and would have saved so much hassle.