Kitchen Makeover: Countertop & Sink Installation

Last week we picked out a sink & faucet and demoed our existing counters & backsplash.  Now it's on to more exciting stuff...installation day!  It took about two weeks from the time we ordered our quartz to installation day.  Three guys arrived to complete the install - they were very friendly & considerate.  Since they would be going in & out of the house frequently, they asked if it was OK that they come in without announcing themselves.  Of course, we didn't care or even think about that.  But it's nice they even thought to ask, right?

They brought their tools inside & began installing the counters which came in 4 different pieces:

#1:

#2:

#3:

And last but not least, #4:

Next, they began securing & leveling the countertops:

Once all the pieces were attached & level, they began fusing the 2 seams together.  To close the seams, they added an adhesive & used a device to pull the 2 sections together through extreme pressure:

FYI: the adhesive had a super strong odor - so if you're pregnant or have little ones around you should probably steer clear for awhile.  

The seams are not completely invisible, but overall they are hard to see unless you're looking for them.  Here's a closeup of ours:

They also installed our undermount sink for us - they advised to leave it sit for at least 24 hours before we started reattaching any plumbing:

After they were all finished, they wiped down the countertops & cleaned up.  Then they asked us to inspect the countertops to make sure we were happy with the final result.
As far as we could see, everything looked really good!

We were so used to our little double bowl sink, that this sink seemed HUGE!

But we loved it & couldn't wait to actually use it:

You can see the veining a little better in these shots:

Later on that evening while Mel was cooking, she noticed some faint red marks on the quartz.  It definitely looked like writing (probably done when they were marking the slabs).  We totally didn't notice it earlier that day.  The marks were super faint, but they were visible enough that they needed to go.  We didn't even bother trying to photograph them.  They were hard enough to see in person & probably wouldn't have shown on camera.

We tried to scrub them off with different gentle cleaners, but they didn't work.  The next day, Nader called our salesperson Melissa and asked her about the marks.  She confirmed our thoughts that the marks were made during fabrication & said she would send someone out to remove them for us.  

The next day, a couple of guys arrived to take care of the marks.  They took one look & pulled out a container of industrial strength acetone (also extremely smelly) & rubbed the marks with paper towels.  Bam - they disappeared!  The nice guys even left us some acetone in case we noticed any more marks.  We wanted to include this little tidbit in case it happens to you - it's no biggie.

While quartz is stain-resistant, we realize that some temporary marks or stains are inevitable (especially since we have such a light color).  We also learned that you can use a damp Magic Eraser to get off stubborn marks.  So far we have had no issues!

We are one step closer to finishing our mini kitchen makeover - but we still have a ways to go.  We need to reconfigure our plumbing/garbage disposal, hang new drywall, & install our faucet.  Oh, and of course, we need to pick out a backsplash & install it.  Whew.  More updates coming soon!

Mel & Nader
:)