Granite sinks. really ?

[DMY]

I read that granite/quartz sinks were the best of the sink products.

So I drank the cool aid and bought an elkay granite sink from HD.

Instructions said to tap out the faucet holes - I did AS INSTRUCTIONS
INDICATED - tapped out a hole while the sink was inserted in its
cut out - and the sink cracked in half. So I thought maybe I was going
too cheap on the sink and went back to the drawing board, thought
I found a better sink - paid 2x more for a different "granite" sink.

I ordered a three faucet hole sink via HD, and it arrives with just two
holes drilled out. I'm not interested in cracking another sink so I return
it and ask for them to deliver what I ordered.

So the new sink arrives, I open the box, and the sink is cracked in half-
no evidence of damage on the exterior box.

So maybe I got this wrong... maybe these granite/quartz sinks are bullshit ?

Should I go get another "granite" sink and try again, or is the universe
trying to tell me something I should pay attention to ?

Thanks !

 

[Terry]

Anything that's brittle is tough to ship. For instance, if I pick up from my wholesaler it's perfect. If I try to ship it out, one out of five get broken.
Is there anyway you can find a local supplier for that item? I think the local delivery to homeowners consists of kicking them out the back of their vans onto the sidewalks. My worst places to ship when I was still willing to do it were Colorado and someplace in Arizona.

 

[Sponsor]

 

[Reach4]

Granite is a natural stone that is cut into shapes. It is porous.

"Quartz" when it comes to sinks and counters, is not. Instead it is ground quartz, maybe 80%, and about 20% a plastic binder. I think it is molded into a shape, and polished. It is not porous.

Stainless steel is more practical. Granite and "quartz" have been in fashion for a while, and I suspect will be called dated after a period.

 

[DMY]

What a ridiculous consumer experience: bought 4 consecutive "granite" sinks, taking all back.
First granite sink had a scratch across it - a small crack was starting to form on the bottom
related to the scratch. Second granite sink was set in my countertop, where I was following
instructions to tap out a third faucet hole. The sink cracked in half due to tapping with a
screwdriver (per instructions). The third granite sink came and was the wrong color and only
had two faucet holes (advertised as three). Also, didn't want to repeat my experience with
sink # 2. My fourth granite sink arrived and when I opened the box, found it totally cracked
in half. I finally came to the conclusion that I should buy a different type of sink - ended up
buying a stainless steel sink - very happy with it ! The upside to this tale is that I ended up
getting a $400 stainless steel sink for about $100 (thank you, HD !). Oh, and going without
a kitchen sink through this entire scenario is another story...

 

[Plumber69]

Ive attempted the tap twice, once went good, other time it broke. I had to pay 350 for a new sink. Next time i used a diamond bit hole saw. I would only ever use a diamond bit hole saw now.

 

[JohnCT]

Going off the subject a bit, is there a more *durable* counter top material than granite that's not Formica? My mom's kitchen was remodeled a few years ago with granite countertops and right now they're junk because of staining around the stove and sink. They were sealed several times.

Is Corian a durable, stain free product?

John

 

[Reach4]

Pretty much. https://www.thebuilditbrothers.com/post/marble-granite-corian-quartz seems like a good assessment.

 

[Jadziedzic]

Corian is not as hard as granite or manufactured products like quartz; it WILL scratch, and it has more of a matte finish than stone (natural or manufactured). (We replaced Corian with quartz during our recent kitchen remodel and are very pleased with the quartz.)

 

[JohnCT]

Corian is not as hard as granite or manufactured products like quartz; it WILL scratch, and it has more of a matte finish than stone (natural or manufactured). (We replaced Corian with quartz during our recent kitchen remodel and are very pleased with the quartz.)

After reading some of the info other TL members linked, I'm inclined to agree that quartz is the way to go. I do know they make glossy Corian now. I wonder if Corian has improved since you installed yours.

John

 

[Reach4]

There is now Corian® Quartz.
http://www.corianquartz.com/