Seams In Granite Countertops

What Are Seams?

A seam is where two pieces of stone join together. Seams in granite countertops and other natural stones are used for a number of reasons.

• To reduce the chance of breakage during transporting and installing.
• The stone you chose isn't long enough or wide enough for your project.
• To save you money.

Granite is usually mined from the quarry in rectangular blocks no more than 10' long and on average, 4' to 6' wide. Since granite is a natural material, these dimensions will vary.

Draw your plans for granite countertops on a sheet of paper to see if and where you might have seams. If you don't want seams, talk to your fabricator BEFORE you choose your stone AND BEFORE he starts fabricating!

A seamless design isn't always possible. This depends on a number of things including your layout and the actual stone you choose.

Why Some Seams Fail?

Most seams fail due to stress along the seam line.
Here's A Couple Of Examples:

• Insufficient support of the granite countertop when it was installed.
• Movement of the floor.
• Settling of the cabinets.
• Uneven counters.

Here's what happened to us...

This seam in our granite countertop popped after three years. We used a small piece of granite in the corner to save money.
What we didn't think about...

Our son, who is eight, climbs on this part of our granite countertops everyday. Sometimes 3 or 4 times a day to grab a glass.

He climbs onto the front of the counters and puts stress where the two pieces of granite meet.

It took three years, but the seam finally failed from stress.

How will we keep it from happening again?

First, we'll fix the seam and then I'll buy a step stool for him to use. I could move the glasses too. If we don't do either, we will be repairing this seam in our granite countertops every few years.

Repairing Seams

Seams aren't USUALLY difficult to repair. The seam can usually be opened up, cleaned, and then reseamed with epoxy.

Before having your seam repaired, make sure to identify and fix the problem so it doesn't happen again!

Ask yourself... Why did this seam fail?

If you don't know what caused it to fail, have the installer come back and evaluate the situation. If you don't fix the problem, your seam will most likely fail again.

Can You Repair The Seam Yourself?

Probably not. Stone is heavy and hard to manipulate once in place. You could break the stone. To get a tight seam, it's best to call your stone specialist.

ADD Shine

ERASE Scratches

Get Rid of Mold & Mildew

REPAIR Etch Marks

You'll find More hints & tips on:

• choosing natural stone. Make sure you have the RIGHT stone and finish for you.


• the most frequently asked questions on granite countertops AND,


• the most frequently asked questions on soapstone countertops.

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