Caesar stone join on island bench :-(

It made sense to me as it is a man made product and they have a matched colour range of adhesives so how else would you get a practically invisable join except to add some of the stone bits in.

I think its the same way they would fix a small chip in it.

Wow....really informative thread. I'm actually here to ask for some help. I have a normal join on my L shaped bench and my issue is with the grout that joins it. Even before we had our handover, I wasn't happy with the join. The grout was 'rough and dimpled'. That's the best way I can describe it. It wasn't raised and bumpy....it was just really dimpled all the way through. Pointed it out to supervisor and was told that if it cracks...then they'll fix it....that I have 3 month and 1 year inspection anyway.....PD....you know the spiel. Sure enough, small cracks formed in it....it was pointed out at 3 month inspection....was told to keep an eye on it...and wait till 12 month inspection to see if it progresses. Well progress it did.......pointed it out at 12 month inspection but was told....oh if I can't stick a credit card in it...then they won't fix it. But still to keep an eye on it.

In the last 6 months...the crack has gone right throughout the joint!!! I'm very worried about it. Does grout in caesarstone crack? How would they fix this?

Thanks!!

There is nothing to worry about except how it looks.

I wouldnt except it. Its not right at all and should be fixed straight away.
I would stand your ground and tell them to fix it straight away. Its a very simple 10minute job!

We noticed it (husband actually I was too busy being blinded by the pretty colours) at the display homes. Most had a join so we asked the question and were told anything over 3 meters has a join. Sorry!

benchtop is supported and leveled so it won't create much of a problem if the join crack a little, but cracking in the join is not acceptable, if the join is not flush at the beginning you could have ask for a fix already.

try to come up with some explanation to the builder they will most likely fix it.

I'm definitly not an expert on the subject but wouldn't a crack at the grout join mean the stone wasn't actually laid level to begin with and it may be shifting?

I don't really think this should be happening, my join is virtually invisible. Dirt and moisture could get stuck in it and it will look even worse. You could call Caesarstone direct and talk to them about it, any kitchen company/stonemason can install Caesarstone but as with any service the result you get varies.

It could also be the house settleing that is causing the crack.

Either way the stone mason should come back to fix it up.

A good join shouldn't be the width of the side of a credit card to begin with.
Not good enough, get them to come back out. You need to aggressive to get these people to do anything.

Just bumping this thread. This is my new CS bench (White Shimmer). Is this join acceptable?





I didn't think it would stand out so much.

Dreamer I think that is way too noticeable IMO. We were shown the difference between choosing a dark coloured stone (joins were much more obvious) to the light colours being almost invisible. Good luck!

We have 20mm white shimmer and our join is exactly the same as yours.

I was funny on it to begin with and everybody I ask seems to think its acceptable (in and not in the industry).

We have been in our place for a month now and don't even notice or think about it.

Thanks for your two (totally opposite!) replies!

The annoying thing is that my kitchen is over 5m in length and they didn't even use a 3m slab on any of my bench?! The longest piece is 2.2m which makes that join right in the centre of my long bench. If they'd used the maximum length of CS then the join would have been close to or even just under my sink. There is a second join on the other side of my sink, near the l-shaped return.

If the length of your bench is 5 m then there should only be only one join. I would consider two joins (when there could have been 1) as a defect.

On a similar note, I designed my kitchen so that there are no joins. That is, I worked around the available size.

My kitchen is a reno (not new build) so I couldn't really design the kitchen to 3m in size just to have no joins.

The length is 5.2m (or something like that) but the end kicks around in an l-shape return. So that's where the other join is. Near the return.

Cabinet maker is going to look at it tomorrow (he organised the stonemason).

I would say it is just acceptable.

Thanks. Our cabinet maker came to look at it today (he's the one who booked it all in) and he thinks the join is acceptable but I've asked him to look into why the join is where it is. I wish it was closer to the sink.

Where is it? and how long is the bench area?

Bench is about 5.16m.

Join #1 in this image is the one I pictured above. It is 2.2m from the wall with arch door. This is where I thought a full slab would go in, making the join under the sink.

Join #2 is near the return. It is 2.2m from the other join. So I have two slabs of 2.2m each and then the small bit for the return area (76cm to the end and then the l-shape return).



There is a separate bit of stone around the cooktop (1.7m) - opposite my long bench.

Here's the deal. Some Stonemasons believe it is better to put the join for example in the middle of a sink, some think that is poor practice and that a join should be full length. I reckon if you got a dozen Stonemasons together and asked you wouldn't get a straight answer and it would probably result in a punch up. Just like asking what V8 Supercar is better, Holden or Ford.

When I had my kitchen installed I asked about a join in the sink and my Mason was clearly in the camp that in the sink was weaker and he preferred full length. Since installed I've been very happy with the work they did and don't really notice the joins. Though must admit my kitchen is similar to yours but where you have join#1 my bench turns to the right so the join is in line with that.

Looking at the wide picture of your kitchen it seems like they deliberatly tried to make the joins as evenly spread as possible avoiding the sink. So I would say your mason is in the full length join camp.

Thanks AJW.