Avoidable Damage Solutions
Our repair service is an important part of our “Yes, Guaranteed Forever”.
The following information is for The Onyx Collection distributors, customers, and especially installers. It lists the six most common types of damage, explains the causes, and suggests simple steps to prevent them.
Please read this page carefully.
The flat surface of the lavatory is an inviting place to set tools, tool boxes and other hard objects which can scratch almost any surface.
Recommendation: Leave the plastic film on until the entire bathroom is finished. (Tip: It is not necessary to completely remove the plastic to install the lavatory or the faucets and drain. Tear back the plastic just enough to install faucet and drain, and peel back the side edges of the plastic just enough to install sidesplashes.)
Almost all chipping occurs when construction or remodeling happens around an unprotected lavatory. While putting up light fixtures, mirror, wallpapering, tiling or painting, a tool can easily be dropped on the lavatory, or a workman wearing a tool belt may inadvertently knock against the front edge of the lavatory and chip it.
The plastic film alone may not prevent a hard or sharp object from chipping the lavatory.
Recommendation: Install the lavatory as the final step in finishing the bathroom. The only thing that has to be installed after the lavatory is a large wall mirror that touches the top of the backsplash. Always cover the surface of the lavatory after installation until the work in the bathroom is completed.
(Tip: Cut off the lid from the box that the lavatory came in and use it as a protective cover. The small flap in the front will even protect lavatory’s front edge.)
This is almost always caused by excessively high hot water temperatures.
Recommendation: Set the home’s hot water temperature to safe, comfortable level. When set properly, you should be able to hold your hand under the hot water tap for at least several seconds.
In almost all cracked-bowl situations, we find the home’s hot water temperature is set at maximum! Extremely hot water wastes energy and can pose a significant safety hazard in the kitchen and bathroom, as well as shortening the life of your plumbing system, including your lavatory.
Major dishwasher and laundry soap manufacturers design their products to work best between 120° – 125° F, and modern dish-washers have systems that boost their internal water temperature when necessary.
(Tip: The plumber should show the homeowner how to adjust the water heater to promote home safety, energy efficiency and save money on utility bills.)
The major cause of this is excessive heat from curling/straight irons or candles. If an iron is accidentally left on, after a while the heat from the rod may discolor the lavatory surface, and a bare metal curling iron stand can get hot enough to soften the surface and make little dents.
Sometimes candles are placed directly on the lavatory surface and allowed to burn all the way down.
Recommendation: Turn the curling iron or straight iron off after use. Place rubber tips on the curling iron stands.
(Tips: Some people avoid this situation by setting the curling iron on a nonflammable hot pad, or on a decorative tile with rubber feet on the back side. This protects the lavatory from burns, dents, and scratches all at the same time!)
Never leave candle unattended, and make sure there is a protective cup or base beneath any candle that is burning.
This is caused when fresh air cannot reach the surface of the item. New products take a few months to completely cure, and during this time they need to “breathe”. When the lavatory, shower panel, shower base, or sidesplash, etc., is left in its protective packaging for an extended time before installation, a lack of oxygen can cause the item to gradually discolor. (This is most noticeable with colors like White Onyx or Glacier.) This can also occur with a new lavatory when an item placed on it (like a glass or candle cup) is left in the same place for a long period of time, resulting in a “shadow” of the object being visible after it is moved.
Recommendation: When ordering, request a delivery date that is close to your planned installation date. If circumstances arise that will delay your installation, remove the plastic film from the Onyx surface, and open the box or other packaging periodically to allow the item to get some fresh air. Don’t leave objects in the same place all the time on the surface of a new lavatory.
This is always caused by insufficient support given to the product. As with most natural materials (even glass), Cultured Onyx is not 100% rigid. The same molecular structure that makes our products more resistant to breakage than other similar products also makes them able to bend over a period of time if not supported properly. Sagging or warping problems generally occur when a lavatory is removed from its box prematurely and allowed to sit with no support, or when the cabinet or other structure it is installed on is improperly designed so that long sections of lavatory (over 10″) extend with no support.
Recommendation: Leave your lavatory in its box until just before installation on a properly constructed cabinet. The box is designed to give it support until it is installed on its cabinet or other properly built support structure, at which time the danger of warping no longer exists.