Frederick M. Hueston, PhD  

Stone Care Consultant 

I sat at my local greasy spoon, talking to an old man (older than me) about all the new technology.        

He had never heard of social media or the likes of what today’s smartphones can do. I pulled out my iPhone (yes, the stone detective might be old-fashioned but I try to keep up with all the latest gadgets), and showed him some of the features. 

He was totally blown away and I was afraid I might have to perform CPR on him. Wonder if there is an app for CPR? He looked at me and said that computers and all those newfangled things are going to put people out of work. I didn’t want to argue with him and just agreed. 

I finished my cup of joe and my English muffin and headed out the door when my phone rang. The man on the other end said he got my name from the Marble Institute and he had a problem with his granite countertop, with the sink.  

I asked, “What seems to be the problem?” 

He said, “The sink is falling and I’m afraid it will fall completely out.” 

I asked him if he had called the fabricator and he told me he did but was getting nowhere. He was about ready to file a lawsuit but needed an expert to take a look at the problem to make sure it was the fabricator’s fault.  

I said, “I could look at it, but I’m 3,000 miles away and I don’t know anyone in your state. To fly me out to look at it would be more costly than replacing or reinstalling the sink.” 

He sounded really disappointed. I was about ready to hang up when I thought back to my conversation with the old man earlier that morning. All of sudden a light bulb went off in my head. 

I asked him if he happened to have an iPhone. It just so happened that he did. “Great, do you know how to use Facetime?” I asked. 

He said, “Yes!” 

Now, for those of you who don’t know, Facetime is an app the iPhone has that allows the video camera on the phone to be used to see whatever the caller wants you to see. I told him that I could do a Facetime inspection and the cost would be a fraction of what it would cost to fly me out there to take a look. He loved the idea!  

We connected to each other and I instructed him to get a flashlight and point his phone at the problem. He pointed his phone at the dropped sink and, sure enough, the sink was starting to fall on one side. 

I suspected that the fabricator didn’t use any clips or any sink anchors. I told him to show me under the sink. After some fumbling, he managed to move his phone under the sink.  

The video was clear and I was able to see everything. Just as I suspected, there were no anchors at all. The sink was held in only by silicone caulking. With this evidence I would be able to write a report. You have to love modern technology!

I also told the guy the sink problem could be solved for just a few bucks with a Hercules® Sink Harness – the only device I know of for fixing fall-out sinks on-site, and in place, without removing the granite and installing clips.

By the way, for those of you who don’t have an iPhone, there are other apps that will do the same thing. For example, Skype can be downloaded on almost any smartphone and will allow video conferencing. 

I wonder if this type of real-time video inspection will hold up in a court of law? Certainly will be a ground-breaker. Anyway, another case solved.

The Stone Detective is a fictional character created by Fred Hueston, written to be entertaining and educational. He has written over 33 books on stone and tile installations, fabrication and restoration and also serves as an expert for many legal cases across the world. You can send any email comments to him at fhueston@stoneforensics.com