Getting Invisible Seams In Your Countertops
It's an aspect of stone fabrication that distinguishes a good install from a great one. It is a feature of the job that when it is done correctly, never gets noticed; and that is a good thing. Knowing about getting invisible seams on countertop installations involves various steps of
the fabrication process. In this article, we will take a look at some of the things that you can do to ensure that your seams are as invisible as they can be.
What Makes Seams Invisible?
It may seem strange, but when it comes to countertops, the truth is great seams are the good deed that goes unnoticed. Making a countertop seam invisible involves some basic principles. Three of these are:
- Clean Cuts
- Seam Tightness
- The Right Adhesive
Each of the above factors plays a role in achieving a seam that the owner may never even recognize. In fact, There are homeowners that have had granite coutnertops installed with seams that are so well done they had the countertops for 2+ years before they ever noticed one of the seams. That's the results you are after. Great seams that are invisible. Now that we have established what makes a seam invisible, let's look at how to obtain that result.
Clean Cuts Contribute to Invisible Seams
In order for a countertop seam to be as inconspicuous as possible, it all starts with smooth edge. The smoother the edge, the better the seam can be. To get a smooth edge on a stone that will be bonded to another piece of stone to create a seam, after cutting, you can smooth the edge using the proper tools. Additionally, you can make the task even easier by using the proper blade to make the cut in the first place. For example, making a 45° miter cut that produces smooth edges can be done using a
clean cutting miter blade that has side diamonds to smooth the edge as it cuts. Getting the edges as smooth as possible is only the first aspect of getting and invisible seam.
Tight Seams Are Less Visible
Anohter part of making your seams very hard to see is to get the seam as tight as you can. This is why a clean cut is so important. the rougher the edge the harder it will be to get the seem tight. But even with a smooth edge, getting the seam tight requires the ability to fine tune the alignment and keep constant pressure on the stone as it is held together.
If you think about it, it makes perfect sense that tight seams are harder to see. After all, the narrower the gap between the pieces of stone, the finer the glue line is going to be. But how can you get the stone together as tight as possible? Many stone professionals make use of
seam setting tools to ensure that the seam is as tight as it can be. In addition to to being a tight seam, a related aspect to keep in mind is that the seam also needs to be level. Using a good seam setter properly accomplishes both of these aspects.
Matching Adhesive Conceals The Seam
Even after getting the first facets of good seaming perfect, there is still another technique that can be done. What is that? Matching the bonding adhesive to the stone's color will go a long way towards getting invisible seams. The closer the glue matches the color of the material, the more difficult the seam will be to detect. How do you match the color?
To accomplish getting invisible seams in your countertops consider using a
color matched cartridge glue. These stone adhesives are made to match various hard surface products. Simply select the color that matches the material you are gluing and bond the seam using that color. Or, if you wish, you can use a transparent cartridge glue for the job. Either way, this is the icing on the proverbial cake.
As we have seen in this article, creating invisible countertop seams doesn't need to be an insurmountable task. Making smooth, clean cuts using a high quality miter blade, making tight seams using the proper seaming tools, and finishing the job with a color matched stone cartridge glue are keys to your success. Using all of these techniques and getting better at executing them is sure to go a long way toward getting invisible seams.
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