We had kitchen counter tops installed today. After the installers left my wife was looking over the granite and noticed what I would call a fissure approximately 16 inches long and 1/2 inch wide. you can feel a ridge along the edge of the fissure, it also looks like it was filled with epoxy? Could this be a gouge in the slab that was repaired or just a natural problem. I left a message with the company to come out and take a look at it.

Tim

Hello Tim,

The photos you sent me show a filled groove in the granite that is not a natural seam. Natural seams are common in exotic granite and need to be accepted or rejected by the homeowner prior at the time of reviewing the slabs. See my article, The Homeowner’s Checklist. Most likely this gouge was made at the factory overseas and you should have seen it on the slabs prior to fabrication. If looks like the epoxy fill was put on before the slabs was even polished overseas.

It is a pretty good fill job but too wide for acceptance in my opinion. I really don’t think it was proper to provide this to you without you being aware of it. The fabrication company could at least dig out the epoxy and redo it with color to better match the granite. Ask them to try that.

Best Wishes,
Tom Cordova

Tom,

We have installed a light to medium granite counter top in our kitchen with Ogee edging. The Ogee edging is much lighter in contrast than the flat surface and outlines the countertop. Is this a sealing/finishing error or are Ogee edges always lighter than the flat surfaces. If it is a sealing error, Can it be corrected?

Brian

Hello Brian,

The most common reason this occurs is that the granite you chose had a penetrating resin applied at the overseas factory. This is not uncommon and is a technique used to fill the microscopic pits and holes that occur in some granite colors. Once the edging is routed at the local fabrication shop, the resin is obviously removed from edge of the granite. Even though the granite edge has been re-polished it will not match the shade of the face of the countertop which still has the resin applied. The resin on the flat surface tends to darken the stone a bit and since the edge no longer has the resin, it is lighter.

There is a product called AGER stone enhancer that works quite well for this issue. I have used it myself and it will darken the edge. I believe it is the best approach. Check with your local marble and tile store to find where it is located near you. An experience fabricator might also know where to find it. Be sure that you do a small area first and are satisfied with the results before applying everywhere.

Best wishes,
Tom Cordova

Dear Tom,

We have some of our customers complaining about a gritty feel to their granite, they have continuously wiped the countertops but the grit is still there, what causes this and what can we or our customers do to prevent this from occurring?

Thank You!
Diane

Hello Diane,

What are the similarities with the projects? Same Granite? Same country source? Consider the amount of sealer and the brand that was put on the surface. Too much sealer could have been put on and not it is disintegrating. Unfortunately it takes time to completely go away. You could try a real heavy cleaning with acetone, but only time will really help if the sealer is breaking down. Another possibility is dust in the atmosphere. It is not improbable that a cause could be from new construction debris or dust in the heating/AC ducks which lands on the granite surface.

Although this situation is rare, I heard once that a product called “Granite Magic” Cleaner seams to help this condition. I would suggest providing that product in these cases, and in time the gritty feeling should go away. I am interested to hear how this turns out so please let me know.

Best wishes,
Tom Cordova

We purchased a granite countertop, call Uba Tuba, and had the retailer install the countertop. After installation and our inspection, we found what I call cracks, 3 of the cracks are where the sink was cut out, and 2 of the cracks where in the back splash. The back splash is 4? high and approx. 8? long. The installer is telling us that those are not cracks, but “fissures”, that naturally occur in nature. We don’t know if they are being completely honest with us. We have not checked with any other dealers, as yet. Could you help explain what these cracks are.

John

Hello John,

Ubatuba Granite is from Brazil that is normally riddled with natural fissures. It is such problematic granite in regards to customer satisfaction that some granite companies actually charge more just to provide a kitchen in this color. If I saw a photo I could tell you if it is a crack or fissure but if the seam is more than 3″ long, I would say it is a crack. If the seam travels from the sink all the way to the edge of the counter, then it is a crack.

In either case, it sounds like you are unhappy with it and should amiably discuss minimal cost solutions with the installer. I hope I’ve helped.

Best wishes,
Tom Cordova

I had violetta granite countertops installed about three years ago. We sort of put the cart before the horse because we didnt replace the kitchen cabinets at the time. Now, we are replacing the cabinets a) because they are older and can’t be refinished easily and b) because the new appliances we would like won’t fit.

My question: How difficult is it to remove existing granite countertops and reinstall them on the new cabinetry? The overall footprint will remain the same with a few minor adjustments.

I am having the original installer over to look at the job but I would like to be prepared for what he might tell me.

Thank you very much for your time.

Deb

Hello Deb,

Rarely is the reuse of granite countertops successful because the granite breaks when prying it up from the cabinet. However, this is what I recommend.

If you have 2cm thick granite with a plywood subtop, then the best approach is for the granite professional to use a technique whereby many screws are inserted up from the bottom of the plywood to put equal pressure on the granite. The screws will spread the plywood from the granite as they are tightened. However, if this approached is rushed, then a screw will apply to much pressure (stress) at a single point of the granite and the granite will fracture. This is one of those techniques where the first time someone does it, they break the granite so look for experience with this technique.

Another possibility is to try to remove the plywood with the granite from the cabinet and then carefully chisel off the plywood later. In case you have 3cm solid stock granite the perimeter can be cut below the granite edge at the cabinets and the granite should pop right off.

The best news is that you said you have Violetta Granite. This is very dense and hard granite from Saudi Arabia. It is very strong and gives you the best chance of success for this project.

Best wishes,
Tom Cordova

I have Honed Black Pearl granite and for the most part I am delighted with it. It was sealed when it was installed a year ago. I have strong lights in my kitchen and at night, when I look into the kitchen from my family room, you can see the reflection of the light in the granite surface and that surface is gray and hazy. (There is a lot of “pearl” in this granite and that might be the source of the grayness.) Anyway, is there any way to treat the granite to eliminate the hazy grayness (short of cooking in the dark at night!)

Christine

Hello Christine,

You explained your situation very well. Thank you for that. Cooking in the dark is one option that would work for sure.

The Black Pearl from India is an Anthorsite, and the mineral hardness varies from about 5 to 7 on the Mohs Scale. When the stone is honed the difference areas will reflect light to different degrees. Unfortunately there is no practical way to eliminate this ‘hazy’ that you are seeing because the ‘pearl’ minerals are not the same hardness as the minerals that surround it.

This does not bother most people when the finish is polished but it is definitely more noticeable in ‘honed’ finish. Have you considered using diffused lights? You can still have a bright kitchen but if you use diffused lights, this could reduce/eliminate the haze.

Best wishes,
Tom Cordova

I noticed that you mentioned that all granite should be sealed. I have heard from experts in the granite industry that say that black “granite” is the exception to this. Since black granite is not a “true granite” and is one the densest, darkest, and least porus you should not seal it. They say all other granite should be sealed. Do you agree?

I am having major issues with the constant daily maintenance of my Absolute Black Granite counters. I am just tired of cleaning them several times a day to rid the finger prints, marks, etc. I am thinking about just spending the money to have them replaced with another granite or other surface. I have Merrilat White Cabinets, and I am afraid there will be damage to my white cabinets if I replace these. Can I have them replaced by a professional without damage to the surface of the base cabinets? Someone once told me that you are stuck with your granite countertops once you install them. I hope not – because I’m tired of the Absolute Black.

What do you suggest using on daily cleaning of my Absolute Black counters?

Jhon

Hello Jhon,

You comments make me think you surface is honed. It your granite is a hone finish, disregard everything that I say below and search “honed black granite” on this website for another article. If you have honed black granite, my recommendation is have it torn out by a professional and replace with another color.

Nonetheless, You are right that ‘Black Granite’ is a misnomer. Granite is igneous rock and therefore has certain percentages of Quartz and Feldspar. However, Black Granite as it is called does not have the quartz content to be classified as an igneous rock, therefore it can not be a granite. Hard black rocks that are commercially used for countertops are usually Antorsite, Andesite or Dolerite. Yes, they too are not all the same. You could have a porous black rock that should be sealer or a dense black rock that will not absorb much sealer. There are some ‘black granites’ from Brazil and China that should definitely be sealed. Also in contrary, there are some very dense ones from India and South Africa.

I recommend you buy premium low viscosity penetrating granite sealer and apply it to the countertop. Let it set there for approximately 20 minutes but no not let it dry on the countertop. If you need to apply more sealer to keep it moist, then do so. After 20 minutes, wipe off all the wet liquid that remains and let it sit for 24 hours. This will aid in cleaning even with the most dense black rocks. For daily cleaning, see my article on cleaning and maintenance.

Best wishes,
Tom Cordova

Tom,

Should there be a seam in a countertop with undermount kitchen sink for a 128 inch long and 25 inch deep and 3cm thick countertop working from a full slab? For a master bath vanity sinks how far should the bowls be apart on 78 inch countertop? Should there be any gap between the bartop and the backsplash on a island counter? How do you end the back splash where it meets the ogee counter edge with the bartop 5 inchs above? Are there any tricks to look for?

Thank You,
Bill Van Horn

Hello Bill,

Firstly, yes there must be a seam on a length of 128″ long. One seam at the center of the sink is common.

Secondly, for your master bath, the sink hole spread is completely up to you. I would think 36″ from center-to-center of sink is about right, but that is a personal choice and depends on your cabinet drawer layout as well.

Thirdly, for your bartop, I think you mean should there be a gap behind the bullnose to the face of the splash. Well, that could depend on other layout issues that I am not aware of with your kitchen. Usually, there should not be a gap of more than 1/4″. If it does not feel right, then it probably was not done right. Work through this issue with your installer.

Lastly, splashes should end where the edge detail starts. Transitions are the toughest part of a kitchen, especially for remodels. Consider the pros and cons of alternatives and go with the best option. That is all you can do. I hope this helps.

Best wishes,
Tom Cordova

Hi, We had granite countertops installed in our new home. They said the color is indian copper.

Our problem is that the entire surface has rough dull spots in it. When outside light is shining in it looks like water spots all over the surface but they are not water spots it is those rough spots that are dull that reflect the light that way. There are also a couple of spots that are so rough if you run your fingernails across it you can feel the rough spots. Is this acceptable or did we get really poor quality granite. Do you have any suggestions?

Jennifer

Hello Jennifer.

Did you inspect the slabs before fabrication? This granite has softer spots that do not polish evenly with the other minerals in the granite. I don’t believe you got poor quality of that particular granite; but I hope you got what you bought! I know it is too late but please refer to my Home Owner Checklist to see if the fabricator guided you properly during your buying experience.

Best wishes,
Tom Cordova

There is a follow-up to this post under “Choosing Granite“.

Hi there,
We purchased some granite and wanted it to have a ‘polished’ finish, instead, it came out with a ‘honed’ finish; but they assured us that they could seal it to give it that wet look we were looking for. So they did that and it did look better. Now, 3 weeks later, it looks dull again but they say they can reapply and that it usually takes a few coats; but will then provided lasting results for the “wet look”.
What do you think?

Thank you,
Rob

Hello Rob,

I’ve never heard of such a practice. No way would a topical seal on granite be long lasting on a countertop surface. If you provide the name of the granite and the product they are applying, then I could give you a more technical response. Bottom line, three coats will just take longer to wear away.

Best wishes,

Tom Cordova