Cutting granite at home.

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woof woof

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We have a problem with a granite top in the kitchen.

The kitchen was done over a decade ago and as a part of all that we got a new ceramic hob, all well and good. After years of service a ring went on the hob and after a bit of research I found that it was best to replace two at the same time (they're in twos apparently and if one goes the other one is likely too) so we lived with the one faulty ring as we never used all four at once and eventually the second one went as predicted at which point I found that it was cheaper to replace the whole thing than to repair the old one. That's when the problem started as when we got a new hob it wouldn't fit the hole in the granite top. Apparently hobs are more of less a standard size hence the the hole should be a standard size and ours is too small. There isn't actually a hob on the market that'll fit our hole and there are no parts available to fix the old one. Argh!

So, the answer seems to be to make the hole bigger to the standard size it should be and fit a new standard size hob. I got in touch with the kitchen fitters who are still in business and they put me in touch with the granite cutters who are also still in business and the guy came to see us. He was surprised that the hole was too small (a cock up in the workshop no doubt) but wouldn't cut the hole on site as he says it makes too much mess with dust and debris so the top will have to come out and go to the worktop and be cut there and refitted but he's worried about damaging the kitchen fittings and tiles. So, we're at a stop really. We can't fit a new hob as they're too big to fit the hole, the granite gutters wont do the job on site and taking it out to cut it could mean damage to tiles and fittings.

I had the idea of leaving the top in place and building a plinth to accommodate the new hob above the hole. that would leave the hob higher than the worktop but we're only talking a few inches so I suppose that would be liveable until we get the kitchen done again, if ever. I've also thought about contacting a different company about cutting the hole bigger just in case they say "No problem guv" but I suppose that could create too much dust debris in the kitchen.

So, I just wondered if anyone had any ideas?
 
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That is a dilemma!

AFAIK stone cutting uses high speed diamond cutting disks that are cooled/lubricated by a water & 'compound' mixture fed onto the cutting disk in continuous flow. The whole rig these days I surmise has elements of computer numerical control (CNC).

There may be a manual portable rig for onsite use, so may be worth reaching out to some other possible sources.........but if so IMO be prepared for a lot of disruption?

Best of luck finding a workable and cost effective solution.
 
There are definitely hand held tools both powered and not that'll do it but I am worried about the comments the granite guy made about dust and never being able to free the kitchen of it even if anyone will do it in such an enclosed space. Maybe non powered hand tools could be a better solution as it'll be slower but easier to damp down and remove dust.

Building some sort of plinth seems possible if definitely not aesthetically pleasing but possibly preferable to potentially damaging tiles and fittings on two walls and possible ending up having to redo half or potentially all of the kitchen to get things to match.

Just shows how things can come to light years later.

Just another example...

We had the bathroom done years ago but a few months ago Mrs WW told me there was water dripping from the fume extractor in the ceiling. Sure enough there was and it went bang. Looking into why revealed that the idiots fitting the extractor had laid the pipe flat in the loft space rather than going more or less vertical to the vent with the result that over the years the flat section filled with water from condensation which then overflowed back into the extractor fan. I assume the guy fitting the vent on the roof put it in the wrong place and the idiot fitting the pipe didn't care about the consequences of laying a section flat in the loft.

What can possibly be found to be a cowboy job next.
 
When I moved a radiator in our dining room I foolishly decided to extend the 'trench' cut in the concrete floor to run the pipes. I tried for 5 mins (max) with a bolster chisel & lump hammer before deciding the only way to do it was with a stone cutting disc in an angle grinder. I opened the patio doors & windows to ventilate the room , taped up other doors to the rest of the house & covered every available surface with dust sheets....... wearing mask & goggles after maybe 10-15 minutes the angle grinder did the job. It took us several days to get rid of the dust in the dining room & rest of the house......we had to vacuum clean every imaginable surface, I am not sure my wife would let me do it again.
 
broc said:
When I moved a radiator in our dining room I foolishly decided to extend the 'trench' cut in the concrete floor to run the pipes. I tried for 5 mins (max) with a bolster chisel & lump hammer before deciding the only way to do it was with a stone cutting disc in an angle grinder. I opened the patio doors & windows to ventilate the room , taped up other doors to the rest of the house & covered every available surface with dust sheets....... wearing mask & goggles after maybe 10-15 minutes the angle grinder did the job. It took us several days to get rid of the dust in the dining room & rest of the house......we had to vacuum clean every imaginable surface, I am not sure my wife would let me do it again.
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Yup.

This is what I thought.

Maybe some sort of plinth is the only way to go.

Damn those kitchen fitters and granite cutters.
 
A plinth might look tacky unless you can find a perfect match for the existing work top.
 
Nod said:
A plinth might look tacky unless you can find a perfect match for the existing work top.
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Looking at it I think I'll leave it until we have to do something.

Two rings are currently working and I can manage with them and the microwave, three would be nice but two is what I have. If another goes something will have to be done and I think that something will have to be removing the top, getting it cut and dealing with any damage as well we can.

It's just a simple thing, they've cut the hole too small. I don't know how it happened as even back then there was a standard size but however it happened... it happened. Maybe an apprentice measured the hob.
 
Might be worth investigating the cost of having all 4 rings replaced - almost certainly cheaper than replacing a granite work top and making good any potential damage.
 
TBH, the chances of removing the existing top, transporting it to the workshop and back then reinstalling without breaking it at the thin area is slim.
 
It might be worth getting in touch with a tiler - a good one!
More often than not, nowadays tilers use dry grinding discs for cutting porcelain tiles which are about the same hardness as granite.
True, there will be dust, but you should be able to isolate the kitchen from the rest of the house.
 
Nod said:
Might be worth investigating the cost of having all 4 rings replaced - almost certainly cheaper than replacing a granite work top and making good any potential damage.
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The parts aren't available any more otherwise that would have been the thing to do. Don't ask me why. I'd have assumed that one pair or set of rings could replace another but apparently that's not the case.
 
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Cant you use thin polythene dust sheets to create a sealed "tent" around the area to limit where the dust goes?
 
I saw one of those makeover programs (maybe Escape to the Chateau) where somebody decided to save some money by cutting their own granite worktop for a hob. They did a decent job using a big angle grinder and water to cool it. For obvious reasons they did this outside :)

Then they picked it up to carry into the house and snapped it.

Could you seal off the area where it is? A bit like a kill room on Dexter.
 
JonathanRyan said:
I saw one of those makeover programs (maybe Escape to the Chateau) where somebody decided to save some money by cutting their own granite worktop for a hob. They did a decent job using a big angle grinder and water to cool it. For obvious reasons they did this outside :)

Then they picked it up to carry into the house and snapped it.

Could you seal off the area where it is? A bit like a kill room on Dexter.
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I just don't know. brocs comment above ties in with what the granite cutter told me so I suppose if we try really hard to do a Dexter we'll still need to prepare ourselves mentally for some contamination to escape. Maybe if I got some plastic sheeting, tape and wood I could make a sort of hood for the immediate area.

The hole is maybe 10 ft from the back door so I suppose we could open that, screen off as well as we can and go for it... We only need two cuts, one down one side and the other at the back or front so the actual cutting should be down to the minimum.

I'll have to have a long think.

It's such a PITA. Who'd have thought this would have been a problem and not only a problem but a problem that causes such a problem.
 
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woof woof said:
I just don't know. brocs comment above ties in with what the granite cutter told me so I suppose if we try really hard to do a Dexter we'll still need to prepare ourselves mentally for some contamination to escape. Maybe if I got some plastic sheeting, tape and wood I could make a sort of hood for the immediate area.

The hole is maybe 10 ft from the back door so I suppose we could open that, screen off as well as we can and go for it... We only need two cuts, one down one side and the other at the back or front so the actual cutting should be down to the minimum.

I'll have to have a long think.

It's such a PITA. Who'd have thought this would have been a problem and not only a problem but a problem that causes such a problem.
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I did a similar thing in my garage so I could spray a few things without overspray going everywhere, which it does when using a compressor and spray gun, and it worked a treat.
Buy the thin dust sheets from tool station and a roll of duct tape....
 
When we had our kitchen fitted a few years back, the work top needed to be sanded to level a couple of joints. The fitter used a sander with a big vacuum cleaner attached and that worked very well. A Henry (or one of his big brothers!) sucking very close to the disc "throw off" point will help reduce (but WON'T eliminate) dust. A rechargeable disc cutter and a wet cutting disc will help too.
 
How determined are you? You could probably cut it with a hacksaw that has a carbide grit blade. Cut notches every 1/2" or so and then knock the pieces sideways (NOT vertically) to break them off; that will leave an uneven edge so you'll want the notches to be a bit deeper; the rough edge should hide under the new cook top's flange. If you want it smoother you could use a cold chisel; statues have been chiseled out of granite forever... Of course, there is a fair chance of ruining it as well and it will probably take a week to do.
 
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woof woof said:
I just don't know. brocs comment above ties in with what the granite cutter told me so I suppose if we try really hard to do a Dexter we'll still need to prepare ourselves mentally for some contamination to escape. Maybe if I got some plastic sheeting, tape and wood I could make a sort of hood for the immediate area.

The hole is maybe 10 ft from the back door so I suppose we could open that, screen off as well as we can and go for it... We only need two cuts, one down one side and the other at the back or front so the actual cutting should be down to the minimum.

I'll have to have a long think.

It's such a PITA. Who'd have thought this would have been a problem and not only a problem but a problem that causes such a problem.
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Are you sure about 2 cuts?
I would have thought 3 to keep it central, maybe 4 depending on the front and back edges.
 
It'll be 4 anyway, although 2 might be very short.
 
woof woof said:
I just don't know. brocs comment above ties in with what the granite cutter told me so I suppose if we try really hard to do a Dexter we'll still need to prepare ourselves mentally for some contamination to escape. Maybe if I got some plastic sheeting, tape and wood I could make a sort of hood for the immediate area.

The hole is maybe 10 ft from the back door so I suppose we could open that, screen off as well as we can and go for it... We only need two cuts, one down one side and the other at the back or front so the actual cutting should be down to the minimum.

I'll have to have a long think.

It's such a PITA. Who'd have thought this would have been a problem and not only a problem but a problem that causes such a problem.
Click to expand...

I think if I were doing it, I'd have several drops of plastic with space between so when the dust gets through one it drops in the space before the next.

But I'd also be pricing up a new worktop.
 
The last comment by Crispian says it all.
 
Just sheet up twice and close all doors. If you remove it you will end up replacing it.
Screwfix sell the heavy weight plastic sheets & also the lightweight. I just finished re-tiling my kitchen & the lightweight sheets meant I could protect stuff. I placed a twin sheet barrier between the kitchen & the rest of the house - 4 ft apart & it took a week for the dust to settle.. Just order out !
 
A local monumental stone mason might help. The make repair and refit tombstone and the like.
Cutting stone is what they do.
 
I had to fit new driveway gates a couple of months ago. The pillars are granite and I had to cut the pillars quite a bit to fit the new brackets and make space for when the gates are fully open. I used an angle grinder with dry diamond cutting disc. It was like cutting through butter, but, of course, there is loads of very fine dust. The dust contains silica which will damage your lungs if inhaled.
If you are going to cut it inside or outside, make sure you have the proper mask and good well sealing goggles. The dust will stay airborne for a while after you have finished if doing it indoors and don’t clean it up with a bagless vacuum cleaner, it will damage the motor. ( My Dyson repair man told me this when he fixed my Dyson after clearing up brick dust)
 
Thanks all.

It is all a bit of a nightmare.

The comment in the other thread about induction hobs being a standard size struck me as I don't think it's just the induction hobs as we contacted out local supplier/fitter and they checked all their halogen ones which they said are also the standard size. There was just one that looked like it might just fit but when he brought it it didn't.

I think that if it was just bloody minded me I'd just do it myself, or rather have a go at it, but I'm not the only one in the house and the health and safety aspect worries me now so I think the plan will be to wait until another ring goes and then bite the bullet and get the top removed, cut and replaced and just deal with any damage thereafter.

It all just goes to show... you never know what little mistakes or idiosyncrasies are going to creep out of the fabric and bite you 10 years or more after the event.
 
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woof woof said:
Thanks all.

It is all a bit of a nightmare.

The comment in the other thread about induction hobs being a standard size struck me as I don't think it's just the induction hobs as we contacted out local supplier/fitter and they checked all their halogen ones which they said are also the standard size. There was just one that looked like it might just fit but when he brought it it didn't.

I think that if it was just bloody minded me I'd just do it myself, or rather have a go at it, but I'm not the only one in the house and the health and safety aspect worries me now so I think the plan will be to wait until another ring goes and then bite the bullet and get the top removed, cut and replaced and just deal with any damage thereafter.

It all just goes to show... you never know what little mistakes or idiosyncrasies are going to creep out of the fabric and bite you 10 years or more after the event.
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its called progress.
 
Problems like this are one of the reasons we have stuck with a single "all-in-one" removable cooker - gas hob, double electric oven. Nice and easy "standard" size elements and it's from one of the name brands so parts are easily available (only needed an element in 10 years or so but looked for fans, jets and taps while I was on the spares site.)
 
Quite rightly the guy from the granite company was being cautious. I've had more than one door way cut in solid brick walls inside several houses and yes there is dust but some sheeting, a little water sprayer and a good vacuum will stop the mess going very far. If it were me I would do the job myself with a diamond blade in a 4 1/2 inch grinder, just cut 2/3 of the way through and then break off. I think hand tools in granite are a complete non-starter unless you are prepared to spend days doing it
 
Nod said:
Problems like this are one of the reasons we have stuck with a single "all-in-one" removable cooker - gas hob, double electric oven. Nice and easy "standard" size elements and it's from one of the name brands so parts are easily available (only needed an element in 10 years or so but looked for fans, jets and taps while I was on the spares site.)
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There's a lot to be said for that. Another problem in the kitchen is that we can only fit the narrowest of fridge freezers in. We'd love a bigger one.
 
sirch said:
Quite rightly the guy from the granite company was being cautious. I've had more than one door way cut in solid brick walls inside several houses and yes there is dust but some sheeting, a little water sprayer and a good vacuum will stop the mess going very far. If it were me I would do the job myself with a diamond blade in a 4 1/2 inch grinder, just cut 2/3 of the way through and then break off. I think hand tools in granite are a complete non-starter unless you are prepared to spend days doing it
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The thing is it's not just me as I have my Mrs here and I also look after someone with multiple issues so there's all that to take into account.

All in all I think that it'll be best to leave it to the professionals even though they're the ones who cocked it up in the first place as although I'd considered dust I hadn't considered silica. It may be a remote risk but all in all is it worth it? Maybe not.
 
woof woof said:
There's a lot to be said for that. Another problem in the kitchen is that we can only fit the narrowest of fridge freezers in. We'd love a bigger one.
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That's why we ended up getting a new kitchen! It's very small and the space for the old fridge freezer was short and narrow. Even for the original fridge freezer, I had to raise the cupboard above it by 9" but when we needed a replacement, there was nothing available. Now got a "proper" sized fridge freezer and it only cost low 5 figures to get it to fit!!!
 
My wife wants a new cooker and of course all the new ones are wider than the space, a new kitchen may be the answer(the current one is quite old) but I’m still exploring cheaper options before I give in.
 
Hire a wet wheel disc cutter and buy an appropriate blude such as this.
www.toolstation.com

Norton CLIPPER PRO GRANITE Diamond Blade

Laser Welded blade for both wet and dry cutting. For use on granite, engineering blocks, paviours, slate and concrete slabs.
www.toolstation.com www.toolstation.com

That will keep the worst of the dust down. Seal off the room and all the surfaces inside the kitchen, remember to have your hoover in with you before you start so you don't need to unseal the room until you have finished the clean down.

If your really concerned about the effects of dust send the missus out to go get you some well deserved celebratory beers for a job well done. (y)
 
I've had a similar problem in the past with induction hobs.
They are not all the same size.
I managed to find one (eventually) that fit. The supplier of the old one had gone bust so it had to be a different brand.
 
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