[Matt Kraft]

KarlC@BTP wrote
Not sure if this helps but, we have repaired many cracked seams running long ways at an island over hang, and I can not recall repairing a cracked seam running the short way thru a sink.

Thanks Karl. That is what I wanted to hear.

[Karl Crooks]

Any time we can help please let me know, we see alot of installs from a different view point than a Fab might see them.

[Tom M]

We go with the long seam in the peninsula, but all of our 12″ overhangs have either steel strips (1/16″ wall, 3/4″ x 1 1/2″ square stock) run straight out, or welded lattice to work around cut outs. For those that seam through a peninsula sink – would you seam through a peninsula cooktop?

Tom

[Shane Barker]

Tom M wrote

For those that seam through a peninsula sink – would you seam through a peninsula cooktop?

Tom

Yep, I do and have for over sixteen years with only one repair needed. It was a seam failure right next to the cooktop where they had a very old waffle iron that set about a ½’ off the countertop surface and got very hot. But the main problem was that they forgot to turn it off and it sat there and cooked all day. I did that repair about six or eight years ago and no problems since. We are very meticulous about our cutouts and strapping at the seams and maybe that is why we don’t really have problems seaming through sinks and cooktops. If I start having problems now after bragging I am going to be very pissed.

Shane

[Tom M]

It’s funny,
I never had too many warranty issues at all. I always figured it was because I followed the rules, even exceeded them in most instances, but now that seems silly, in a way. The rules were developed from watching us. Yeah, they had the lab tests, the theoreticals, the practicals, but we are the ones responsible for giving the hard data. We are providing the case studies, really, and our interperetation of their guidelines is what taints the results. I know a lot of good fabricators, but I know of no one who doesn’t adapt a rule to a situation that suits them better. I had as few seam failures before I beveled the build up blocks as I do now. Because of FabNet, I found out that I was the rule on this, rather than the exception.

There were so many fabricators back blocking joints before it became a requirement, I think it was the first collective “Duh!” moment in the industry. I am sure the incidence per top rate has gone down. But I’d l;ike to see those rates per fabricator. I’m willing to bet that the good fabricators had few, and the hacks had many then and now. The rules seem to be less important than the professionalism of the fabricator.

CTDC 117 could be the most important document in the industry. DuPont is to be given kudos for developing it. But I remember when that thing started expanding so fast, that I got nervous that they knew some horrible secret that I didn’t. Like every slab had a shelf life, and the expiration date was coming due. There was no other surfacing material I worked with before, that needed that much caution to fabricate. I started asking “Is this really the best material to make countertops out of?”. It made me long for the days of 3/4″ sheets.

It still comes down to us. We interperate the rules as we need to, knowing we may have to eat something that history has shown to be not our fault. I think the rules are over cautious, and I sometimes have to work around them, but I can’t recall being denied a repair that I should have gotten covered.

Except once, but I don’t sell their sinks anymore, so nyah.

Tom

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