I have read many of your questions/answers about granite being water stained because we just had granite put into our condo [Vyara Granite] in Hawaii. I brought home a sample of this granite before choosing it and put EVERYTHING we use on it lemon juice, soy sauce, wine, vinegar and oil. Nothing touched it. The slab that was installed in our kitchen discolors with water. The contractor says that the sample must have been “factory resin sealed” but he reordered the granite used in our kitchen. As this is also a rental unit, along with the humidity in Hawaii, I am absolutely sick with worry. The contractor claims the granite was sealed before installation, but he sealed it again afterwards. It was still water spotting so my husband and I sealed it again. Its still water spotting. Perhaps we did not let the sealer sink in all the way or something? Anyway, in your replies to others you mentioned 511 plus and SafeStone do you think either of these will do any good or are we stuck with granite that will never seal? HELP!!

Donna

Hello Donna,

The Vyara Granite is from India. I don’t see a major issue with this granite specifically causing the water spot problems you are describing. I think this is simply a bad combination of human errors.

Sometimes one thing we assume (like the quality of the sealer) can give us false direction to solving problems. Since your situation is so rare, I recommend starting over. First clean the countertop with Windex (this should only be done once). Then apply a good quality penetrating granite sealer. Either buy a couple 4 ounce bottles of Safestone International’s sealer from www.HomeGranite.com or use a name brand like Miracle 511 Impregnator. You want to let the liquid sealer soak into the granite for 25 minutes in humid weather. Do not let the sealer dry on the surface. Apply more sealer to keep it wet. Then, wipe up the wet liquid that did not soak in. After that, stay off the counters for about 4-6 hours. You should not have any problems with water spots. Follow the recommended maintenance guide on my website and you should be fine.

Best wishes,
Tom Cordova

Are there particular products you recommend for sealing granite countertops? I am looking at a product from DryTech that claims to last 15 years, have you heard anything about sealers like this and what recommendations do you have in selecting a sealer?

Thank you.

Kyle

Hello Kyle,

There are new products being developed everyday. There are also new marketing tactics as well so watch out! I would not believe anything about a product unless you read the warranty completely and that the product was produced by a well known company. If a company promotes that its sealer will last for 15 years, I would strongly doubt it. I did a quick search on Drytech and I see that it is a sealer-repellent but it does not specify that it is appropriate for granite. At this point, I really have not endorsed one product over another but I do like the antimicrobial technology that has recently been added to granite sealers. There are several very good brands out there. I hear that DuPont is coming out with one that is supposed to be incredible but I have not tested it.

Best wishes,
Tom Cordova

We recently purchased a home with a shower stall that has 12 x12 granite tile – Emser Bianco Catalina from Lowes. At the bottom of the tile it looks as if it is absorbing the water. There was a baseboard around the bottom of the tile, I have removed it and we have not used the shower for 3 weeks. Some of the tiles have dried and some have not. The tile had been sealed 2 years ago. What do I need to do to get the tile to dry out before sealing.

Thank you,
Erin

Hello Erin,

You need to be sure that all water behind the granite tile is gone. Then you can rent a propane heater (sometimes called a salamander because of the way it looks) from Home Depot or Lowes. Use it to dry the granite.

Note: If the tile has been wet for a long time, you may have a mold issue behind your granite This is very bad and can cause serious health issues for your whole family. I want you to do a Google search, “black mold” and see if you have in your shower looks like Black Mold. If you do, the wall board needs to be replaced by a professional with proper protective equipment. You should have a professional do this because disturbing the mold will release the spores that cause health problems. Hopefully, your substrate is cement board in which case you will not have this problem.

Best wishes,
Tom Cordova

Two years ago I installed Granite Tiles, “Amarillo Gold”, on my kitchen counters. They surface has held up well, but after 2 years should I reseal them? In preparation for resealing them I cleaned them with concentrated all purpose “Awesome” cleaner which contains no ammonia, acid, or bleach. Will Awesome hurt the granite surface? What non-toxic product should I use to reseal with. The granite is has a shiny finish.

Marica

Hello Marica,

Yes, after two years, I am sure your granite should be resealed. You can use the “Awesome” cleaner for a thorough cleaning in preparation for resealing. This is actually a great product for this intent. However, don’t use this product after you seal the granite because it could deteriorate the applied sealer. I was reading the Awesome Product MSDS Form and noticed that it has a citric smell. Citric acid will not harm your granite but will mildly deteriorate your sealer. So, clean it, let it dry, and then apply a premium penetrating granite sealer. Follow the maintenance guide in my article, “Sealing and Cleaning Your Granite“.

Best wishes,
Tom Cordova

We are considering “Nordic Black” 3cm for our replacement counter tops (replacing Formica). We have read your comments regarding Absolute Black and are wondering if we will have a maintenance concern with our choice. We have discovered the Nordic Black in Dal Tile’s yard but have not seen it listed on the internet.

Maurice

Hello Maurice,

If it really is Nordic Black, it has white feldspar veins. This rock is a Black Anorthosite, which is about 85% feldspar plagioclase.

It is not granite because it does not have at least 65% quartz. Feldspar is a 6 on the Mohs Hardness Scale so it is still pretty hard. However, it is more absorbent that granite and needs a good coat of sealer. Still use a low viscosity sealer just do a double coat about 6 hours apart. If you love this stone and it is polished finish, I’d say go for it. If it is honed, it will look like an antique/old very soon. It is a beautiful stone and just needs a little more sealer once in while if cared for normally. I hope this helps.

Best wishes,
Tom Cordova

Hi – We are considering installing honed Verde Maritaca granite for a kitchen countertop and have received conflicting advice re the possibility of staining. What is your advice?

Thanks,
Katie

Hello Katie,

Verde Maritaca granite is one of my favorite colors from Brazil. I think it is beautiful, honed or polished. It is very durable and is often used for exterior cladding of building as well. All granites should be sealed with a premium penetrating granite sealer so that contaminants do not get in to the granite and it makes the surface very easy to clean. When granite is used in a honed finish, it is more absorbent than polished because the microscopic ridges in the surface have bigger gaps between them.

Here is what I recommend. Use a high viscosity granite sealer. My specific recommendation is Miracle 511 Porous Plus Sealer. Be careful not to buy the 511 Impregnator which is a lower viscosity sealer. The Porous Plus Product wont want to sink as deep into the granite as a low viscosity sealer but it will more adequately fill the larger (yet microscopic) gaps in honed granite. Note, never allow sealer dry on the surface. Apply and let it sit for 30 minutes (in cool temperature), but do not let it dry. If it starts to dry, apply a little more sealer to keep it wet. Wipe of all excess sealer after 30 minutes. Wait about 8 hours after your wiped it clean and then apply a light coat of sealer for 15 minutes. Do not let it dry either. Wipe it clean and then stay off it for 24 hours. You should have a very low maintenance surface after this. If you have a sample, do this procedure on a sample first to confirm that you will be happy with the results.

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

Hi Tom,
I have a 15 year old home and the kitchen counter tops are a multicolored red-black granite. I’ve noticed surface of the most-used counter top has a cloudy appearance to it. I am thinking this is due to vinegar, as this has been used repeated to clean the surface recently. I’ve recently learned not to use vinegar as a cleaning agent for granite, so I will stop immediately. Do you have any suggestions on how to remove the cloudy spots from my counter?

Thank you for your kind consideration.

Sincerely,
Suzanne

Hi Suzanne,

Most Red Granites are high in quartz and corundum minerals.

Neither of these are not harmed by vinegar. There are other minerals in Red Granite in much smaller percentages, like Mica, Rhyolite, and Calcium Oxide which can be affected by the corrosive Acetic Acid in vinegar. However, you mentioned a ‘cloudy’ affect in some areas. I do not believe vinegar would create this sporadic appearance. In 15 years since your countertops were installed, there likely were other chemicals used that caused this cloudy appearance, such as Ammonia Bi-fluoride which is found in some glass cleaners. A second cause could be liquid soap being used after you your countertop sealer was stripped away by the vinegar. Some detergents mixed with ammonia can cause this hazy.

My best guess is that your granite has become permanently microscopically etched by Ammonia bi-fluoride, or hydrofluoric acid at some point. Red granite is very hard to re-polish so I don’t think it is practical to have a refinisher work on it; however, it is worth asking a local stone refinisher if you can find one.

I want you to try something and then let me know the result. Buy Acetone at the local hardware store and clean your countertops with it thoroughly. This will remove any residue on the surface. This will also remove any penetration sealer so be prepare to sealer it promptly afterwards if the haze is gone. Use Miracle Sealant 511 Impregnator Sealer everywhere after cleaning with the acetone (Let the countertop dry first before applying sealer). Let me know your results.

Best wishes,
Tom Cordova

I have just remodeled my kitchen and some parts of my granite countertop feel grainy. Should it feel grainy?

- Veronica

Hello Veronica,

It should not feel grainy. Perhaps too much sealer was applied and the excess that hardened on the surfaces is gradually coming loose. You may was to try to clean it with Acetone if it continues. Talk to your installer about this.

Best Wishes,
Tom Cordova

Tom,
Your site is fantastic! We purchased a new home 4 years ago with Uba Tuba Green tile Granite. Our installer also told us it was OK to use an express car wax on our Granite. I have only done this a couple of time (like when family is showing up and Black Granite not do glossy). I seal the Granite at least once a year (or when I notice glass rings) I also use granite Gold daily cleaner. Will the car wax harm my granite?
Thank you,
Sheri

Hello Sheri,

Oh, did you get bad advice! There are several reasons that Car Wax is not good from granite. First, if it is petroleum based, it could stain the granite. Second, if it is silicone based (most likely), it will leave a topical coasting that will wear unevenly and leave you with a blotchy sheen. It also can darken the granite unevenly because the different minerals have different degrees of porosity. I recommend that you remove the car wax in order to achieve a long lasting, low maintenance surface.

First try a home remedy – liquid dish washing soap – full strength. Let it sit on the countertop for 5 minutes, then use a green scrub pad and work the wax off it that. Let it dry and sealer it will a premium granite sealer.
Then refer to my page titled, “Granite Sealer and Maintenance” for easy care instructions.

If the wax still does not come off, you need to use Acetone (hardware store). This will rip the wax off, but not harm your granite. Apply sealer after that.

Best wishes,
Tom Cordova