While countertops are generally pretty sturdy, they are not indestructible—there is always a chance that they will chip, crack, stain or get otherwise damaged, especially when used improperly. Depending on whether you’ve damaged your engineered quartz top, KompacPlus counter or sintered surface, here’s what you should do next.

Engineered quartz

Image courtesy of Caesarstone

Engineered quartz is made of around 90% natural quartz aggregates, plus pigments and polymer resins. As quartz is one of nature’s hardest materials, this engineered combination makes for extremely durable surfaces that are yet low-maintenance and aesthetically pleasing. Here’s what you should do if you’ve damaged your quartz top.

1. Determine the cause of the damage

According to Mr Vincent Pang, the Deputy General Manager at Caesarstone, engineered quartz countertops are most likely to get damaged by “excessive force, high point loads, pressure or heat.” Make sure you understand how you damaged your countertop before you take any further steps.

2. Figure out if it’s covered by the warranty

While most kinds of superficial damage, such as chips and scratches, are covered by Caesarstone’s 10-year limited warranty, cracks in the countertop are not covered. “Cracking is generally not covered as it typically occurs due to a fabrication or installation error, or as the result of mechanical stress. If a crack does occur, refer to your interior designer or contractor who installed your countertop as they will be able to provide further assistance.”

3. Don’t attempt any repairs yourself

No matter what, one thing you definitely shouldn’t do is attempt to do any repairs yourself. “Repairs should be done by our in-house Caesarstone professionals who are trained experts and well-versed in the product.”

4. Arrange for a repair

“Homeowners should contact Caesarstone immediately if the need arises and our customer service team will arrange for a home visit.” Following this, the repair itself will be fairly straightforward. “Caesarstone can be easily repaired, usually on the spot, including filling of chips or scratches. It usually takes about an hour or less.” Repairs are free during the first year of ownership and low-cost beyond that.

In more serious cases, you may want to consider replacing the countertop with a new one, although this is rare. “The chances of having to replace a Caesarstone surface are very low unless damaged by tremendous external force or impact beyond normal circumstances.”

KompacPlus

Image courtesy of KompacPlus

KompacPlus panels consist of multiple layers of kraft paper and resin, wrapped in decorative paper with an overlay for extra strength. A meticulous manufacturing process involving high heat and pressure leads to a surface that is impressively hard-wearing despite its slim build. If you happen to damage your KompacPlus top, here’s how you should proceed.

1. Determine the cause of the damage

“Micro-scratches, cracks and bubbling are the most common kinds of damage that we see on KompacPlus countertops, often as a result of excessive force, extreme heat, prolonged water ponding and direct cutting on the surface. In some cases, the damage also occurs due to the wrong cleaning agents or methods.” So shares Edwin Tan, the Director at KompacPlus.

2. Do some damage control

“If you’ve spilt household liquids or cleaning agents on your KompacPlus surface, some serious damage can be avoided by immediately cleaning up the spills. As soon as you notice cracks or bubbling on the panel surface, avoid using the affected area and try to determine the cause of the damage before contacting our customer service or your salesperson-in-charge.”

While you can do some damage control to avoid making the situation worse, do note that “structural damage should be left to a specialised installation crew, who can determine if the surface is repairable or replaceable under warranty.”

3. Know your warranty

“All KompacPanel surfaces are entitled to a 10-year warranty,” Tan shares. “For manufacturing defects that result in panel delamination, swelling due to water exposure and warpage, the warranty offers a one-to-one replacement.”

“Certain damage from wrong and excessive use can also be irreversible and irreparable. In these cases, full replacement and reinstallation will be provided at no extra cost for panels that are still eligible for warranty.”

4. Arrange for a repair

When it comes to contacting KompacPlus for assistance with countertop damage, you can reach out via Whatsapp, call, email, Facebook or Instagram. “We would advise you to get in touch with us as soon as you discover physical change on your surface so that we can take immediate action to help you resolve the problem.”

“Generally, repairs include touching up panel aesthetics and minor sanding of panel edges. These can be done directly in the homeowner’s house and the duration is subject to the extent of the repair.”

Sintered surface

Image courtesy of Bellus Group

Sintered surfaces, also known as the Gardenia Slabs, are made of glass, porcelain and quartz, combined using a cutting-edge manufacturing process for extra durability. Should you damage your sintered surface, this is what you can do.

1. Determine the cause of the damage

“The most common kinds of damage that we see are chip-offs or minute scratches from hard knocks,” shares Lynette Sim, the General Manager at Bellus Group. This is particularly common while installation works are still being carried out and there is a lot of activity around the countertop.

2. Protect the damaged area

“Isolate and protect the area of the countertop from further damage. Remove any appliances and other objects on and near that part of the countertop. If possible, cover the damaged area with some corrugated cardboard or a similar material to protect the surface.”

However, don’t try to do any repairs yourself. “We do not recommend that homeowners attempt to repair or make any modifications to our sintered surfaces. If you believe that your Gardenia Slabs are damaged, please contact us and we will do an assessment of the damage.”

3. Get it repaired

“Contact us as soon as possible to assess the damage, either via email, call or the contact form on our website. Homeowners may also send us images and/or videos of the damaged area for a quick assessment. This will determine the next steps we need to take to conduct the repair.”

“If the damage is superficial and not structural, most repairs can be done without having to remove the countertop. The majority of cases are superficial in nature and can be done on-site within a day. Some of the most common repairs that we attend to are for dull-looking countertops, superficial scratches and damages, cracked countertops due to misuse and abuse, small chips and pinholes, stains from harsh non-household chemicals or solvents and paint and marker stains.”

While the price of the repairs varies based on the kind of damage and the work carried out to fix it, “the breakdown of the cost is made known to the homeowner before the commencement of any repair works.” If the damage was caused by manufacturing defects, the repair or replacement cost will be covered under the Gardenia Slabs’ 25-year warranty.

4. Consider replacing it

“If we have assessed that the repair costs would exceed 80% of the cost of getting a new countertop, we will be inclined to suggest a replacement instead.” But the condition of the countertop is not all that the team behind Bellus Group considers during an assessment. “We also assess the condition of the cabinets underneath. There have been times when the cabinets were damaged by water, for example, and were deemed unsuitable for a replacement countertop.”

If the damage extends beyond your sintered surface and all the way to your cabinets, the team would advise you to replace the cabinets as well. “A new countertop on damaged cabinets wouldn’t make sense for the serviceability and longevity of the whole set-up.”