Grinding a benchtop to fit new cooktop

[dannyrus]

Hi folks - I had a new cooktop installed by electricians this morning, but the hole is about 2mm too small.

I'm recently aware of the respiratory risks associated with cutting benchtops and creating silica dust (as were the sparkys) and they recommended getting someone into to grind the bench to fit.

Then again, some friends suggested I could hire a wet grinder, keep a vacuum handy, and cut a few grooves myself if I'm careful. Very nervous as we have little bubs in the house (3 years old and 8 months old), so any respiratory risk is magnified for them, in my view anyway.

I don't mind spending the money for someone to do it safely, but if "safely" is something I can do myself (ie, no specialised equipment required), then I'm open to all avenues.

Any advice around this?

This is the cooktop now - in working order, just not in it's hole 😩

[Jason]

Hi @dannyrus,

You might be aware Bunnings has decided to no longer sell engineered stone products. On the Bunnings Trade website there's a helpful article What you should know about silica dust.

Our strong recommendation for the safety of you and your family would be to not attempt this as a D.I.Y. project and instead seek professional advice about alternative approaches.

Thanks,

Jason

[dannyrus]

Thanks Jason - I had read some articles including the Safe Work Australia guidelines and was pretty uncomfortable with the idea of DIY, so had already started the process of looking for a professional. The Bunnings article you shared has driven it home, so definitely going in that direction.

Much appreciated 👍