hole in wrong place in stainless counter
Greetings, all.
We have a stainless steel counter. It’s beautiful.
Sadly, the hole for the Grohe Ladylux faucet (who names these things?) is too close to the chair rail on the wall that is above the counter.
Now, the faucet will get you cold water, but when you go to turn it to hot the lever on the faucet hits the chair rail before it even gets to luke warm.
Grohe says you can’t modify the arm on faucet. You could cut a few inches off of it which would make everything work, but it’s not likely to look too good.
Could also heat the arm up, and bend it downward, such that there’s room for it to go up so the water can be hot before the arm hits the chair rail. (Grohe says you can’t do this)
Or could cut the chair rail.
Anyone have any experience on what to do with such a goof?
Counter also has been installed, so pulling it out and drilling another hole could get messy.
Grohe says I should buy another faucet (retail $500) where the mix valve is on the top.
Thanks for your thoughts.
jojo
Replies
Ooops.
Have no experience with this problem. I believe I would try bending the handle regardless of what Grohe says. Seems like you have nothing to lose and it might work.
Can you find a metalworker who can make a custom handle for under $500?? A retired machinist with a home shop might love the project and surprise you with a true thing of beauty.
How about some sort of plate to cover the goof hole in the countertop and allow the faucet to mount farther from the wall? Have done similar things on yachts to cover old holes for electronics and allow mounting of new.
Good luck,
Jim
Never underestimate the value of a sharp pencil or good light.
Why is there a chair rail right next to a faucet? Do you plan on having chairs on the counter?
who did the design? who did the specs? who did the installation? was there a GC?
Jojo-
Other people's questions on "who'se fault it is?" are good questions. Was this a design or a fabrication or an installation error. Stainless steel countertops are rarely one piece when they start life. They are typically pieced together and welded, then the welds are ground and the top is finished. Talk to the fabricator - ask if they could do a repair (fill in the old hole) in place. They probably can. Welding is welding. Finishing might be awkward in place, but do-able. Then when you get the price, consider the cost of the replacement faucet and or the custom one. Last, once you know who'se fault it is - hand them the bill.
I'm trying to understand why the chair rail is there, got any pictures?
Doug
Why can't we get an answer to the chair rail question?
drill a new hole, put a soap dispenser in the old hole.
I don't think you will be able to heat, move, and deform anything sucessfully. The faucet is probably chromed brass, and deformation of the brass will result in excessive stretching, tensile rupture,and peeling of the chrome.
Could the counter be removed, plug welded by a heli-arc weldor, and then re-sanded? That would probably cost more than a new faucet though.
We had a granite top that had a similar problem. We moved the faucet to the side and filled the hole with a soap dispenser. I let the homeowner decide what to do. She was satisfied with the choice. The fabricator came and drilled the new hole at no cost, though it was not their fault, just good customer service.
Problems like this arise all the time. Whose fault is it? If you are trying to build a prototype (and that is what most custom built jobs are), you cannot possibly put all the parts seamlessly together. Unless the design budget is as large as the actual expense of building the project, there are simply too many places where the details can conflict. It is usually easier and cheaper to tear out the mistakes and rebuild. As long as the overall design and structure are good, the mistakes are small and the decisions about what to do about them are manageable. The solutions are often what the homeowner points out to visitors when they tour the new house, the ingenious quirks that give a custome home its appeal.
That second paragraph of yours is so good I'm printing it out and hanging it on the wall by my desk. You got it just right."A completed home is a listed home."
This is a real long shot, but could you build a stainless steel "box" underneath the faucent and raise the whole thing above the chair rail?
Cut out the chair rail.
I'm sorry, I thought you wanted it done the right way.
I'm wondering if it's part of the tile work?"A completed home is a listed home."
Shoot the "designer"!
We always get it right!!!
the third time....
<!----><!---->
"Almost certain death, small chance of success.... What are we waiting for???"
Can't you rotate the valve so that it is in front instead of on the side? If not, send us a picture.
I've installed a LadyLux recently and was quite (pleasantly) suprised at how long the through-counter portion is. They probably do that to easily go through thick granite etc.. Now since you have a stainless counter most of that mount is just protruding underneath.
Will the lever clear the chair rail if the faucet was raised up, say 3"? If so, find an attractive material to make a pedestal for it.
you can't modify the arm on faucet
BS: Never met any piece of metal I could not reform, any type of alloy or plating.
When I was helping remodel restaurants we frequently saw stainless counters and shelves modified, spliced and patched. They used a TIG welder and various grinding discs. Done well by a skilled mechanic the welds were completely invisible once ground out and polished.
Trick will be to find the skilled workman with the necessary tools who will make himself available. You might try to get a line on a contractor through a kitchen equipment supply house. Even given a willing mechanic or contractor it likely won't be cheap but well done the result should be a patch and reinstallation that is both seamless and attractive.
my guess is it doesnt hit by much. move the cabinet and counter a little off the wall or remove some drywall, trim some of the framing then re-drywall and chairrail
Sounds like you will have to make a choice between Ms. LadyLux (gawd whatta name) and your trim work. So, pick one:
Dinosaur
A day may come when the courage of men fails,when we forsake our friends and break all bonds of fellowship...
But it is not this day.