I just had costa esmeralda honed granite installed in my kitchen. I have noticed that there is small rust like spots appearing throughout the granite. What could be the cause and what could correct it?

Steve

Hello Steve,

Costa Esmeralda can have enough mica and iron that would actually rust. This usually can be prevented with a good application of sealer. To remove the intensity of the rust mark, try “Iron Out” (available and home centers). Test it first in a small area because although it should reduce the mark, it may also etch the countertop surface a little; thus, removing the polished look.

I am not sure what you mean but appearing throughout the granite, so if the “Iron out” is not a practical solution, then I do not believe you have any other option but to seal the granite now to prevent further rusting.

Best wishes,
Tom Cordova

Hi Tom!

I just had a light gray granite countertop installed. I have a butter spill on it. What is the best way to clean it?

Thank you,
Joanne

Hello Joanne,

Thoroughly wash the area with warm water and Ivory Soap. Then apply a commercial degreaser (buy at the hardware store) to the area and let it soak in for a few minutes. Clean off the degreaser and wash it with clean water. Let it completely dry and try again if it the stain is not completely gone. Be sure to sealer your granite with a penetrating sealer after you have removed the stain.

Best wishes,
Tom Cordova

I have a rough surface black granite fountain in the back yard. Its been running for about 2 months and now it has white (calcium?) all over the face. How should I clean the granite? I have since purchased water additives (fountec and protec) and plan to use them going forward, but want to get the rock back to its original condition.

Thank you,
Barbara

Hello Barbara,

This should be easy to clean. First use a dry brush and scrub off the loose mineral deposits. Then, apply a weak phosphoric acid cleaner solution to the area and brush again. You can find this at the hardware store. And more solution as necessary to remove all the mineral deposits. The phosphoric acid will not harm the black stone surface but keep it away from any metal parts and away from concrete.

Best wishes,
Tom Cordova

I just had Absolut Black Granite tiles installed for my countertop. I noticed a small circular stain and a drop - I think maybe oil got onto the tile. I tried using the Method brand cleaner + polisher wipes from Target and nothing changed. Please help!

Kristin

Hello Kristin,

The Method brands are primarily surfactants which do not break down the oil. You need to use a ‘commercial degreaser’ from your local hardware store. Soak the spot for a couple minutes and then blot it up. Let it dry and try a second time. Do not let the degreaser dry on the surface This should remove the oil mark. If the spot is still there, you will need to use a poultice solution to draw the stain out but I don’t think you will have this problem with black granite. If you can not remove the stain with the degreaser method, let me know.

Best regards,
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

Hi!

We had Madurai Gold granite countertops installed in our kitchen about 10 months ago. We noticed recently that the joint/crack between two pieces of the stone (where two pieces were used to cover a long counter area) was not properly sealed and a small space or crack had developed. Before we were able to correct, I spilled some cooking grease in that area about 1 week ago. At first I did not notice a problem. The grease wiped up quickly and did not leave a stain. However, since then a dark spot is radiating from one side of the crack. I assume that the grease seeped into the crack and is being absorbed through the granite from the side. Any suggestions on fixing the problem or removing the stain?

Thanks!
Amy

Hello Amy,

Your assessment of what happened is very good. The cooking grease went into the opening and soaked in to the rough edge of the granite.

It is important to work on removing the stain as soon as possible. First, clean the area thoroughly with a good detergent or just use Ivory soap. Let it dry and then soak the area with a commercial degreaser (buy at your local hardware store). Soak it for several minutes and don’t let the degreaser dry. Reapply it to keep it wet. Remove the degreaser and rinse with clean water. You can try this a couple times over a couple days. If the stain is still present I recommend you buy ‘OPP Stain Remover’ from Stone Care International. This is good poultice from your stain problem. After the stain is gone, you need to apply epoxy to the joint to seal it up.

I recommend you contact a local granite shop to do this or ask the installer to fix it based on their warranty. An ethical good company will not charge you for this warranty work. If you can not get anyone to do it, check the hardware store for two-part epoxy that comes with an ejection applicator. Follow the instructions for mixing and apply it with a razor blade. Don’t forget to reapply a penetration granite sealer on the granite after the stain is gone.

Best wishes,
Tom Cordova

We did not seal our granite countertops in the bathrooms when we had them installed. Now two years later there is a white water mark from the calcium from the water near the faucet handle.

Our granite is a dark color (don’t remember the name). What do I clean it with to get the white haze off? I will definitely seal it, once it can be cleaned.

Thank you,
Janet LaCorte

Hello Janet,

First of all, Please be sure that you have Granite, not Marble. This advice will ruin marble, but it will not harm granite.

Remove the faucet and scrape the area clean with a razor nice. Then apply a phosphoric acid solution (Hardware store) on the surface. It will eat the mineral deposits away. (Note: Phosphoric Acid will ruin marble and also damage any metal.) After you are done, let it dry out and reply a premium granite sealer.

Bet 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

Dear Tom,

I just had colonial cream granite installed. The next morning we woke to find 50 - 60 large brown spots. It has been 5 days now and the spots have not gone away. The installers would like to send a granite restoration company out. The stains are from the adhesive used during installation. They said the restoration company has some type of chemical they can put on the spots and then use a torch on them to remove the spots. Will this damage the granite or hurt the integrity of the granite in any way. I paid for new granite not restored granite, I’m not sure what I should do?

Beth

Hello Beth,

There is a lot to say about why this happened but, suffice to say, you should let them try to remove the leach marks as they mentioned. If the torch gets too close to the surface for too long it can harm the surface but you will see/feel the difference after they are done. So, let them try and if the stain does not reappear in 30 days, then the marks will not reappear.

The Colonial Cream granite is a problematic stone for oil base adhesives, and the only way to avoid this is to waterproof the back of the stone before installation. Very few installers know this, so let them try the remedy and if is works then you have exactly what you paid for. Be nice and optimistic!

Best wishes,
Tom Cordova

Hi Tom,

I just had a new asphalt driveway installed with a granite Belgian Block apron at the front. Apparently the wheel barrows leaked the dark brown oil or tar (whatever liquid is used in asphalt) onto the new granite stones. How do I remove these stains from the rough granite surfaces of the blocks? (The driveway contractor knocked $150 off the $10,000 cost of the project as compensation — but I have do the cleaning.)

Jack

Hell Jack,

You are nice guy to accept a $150 credit for this problem. You mentioned Belgian Block, but I am going to assume you meant Belgian Black. This is beautiful granite and must have been expensive. I’d love to see a photo.

Ok, here is what you need to do. First, scrape away the excess tar with a blade. Even use a razor blade to scrape as much off as possible. Clean the remaining with Acetone (from a hardware store) and a clean white cloth. If the stain remains, use mineral spirits (paint thinner) and a poultice powder. If the stain has been there for a long time it might be stubborn. In this case, you need to use a De-Solv-It (available at hardware stores) and a poultice powder. This stuff is strong and might leave a mark on the granite. Your odds are very good with Acetone on Belgian Black. Try a small area first.

Best wishes,
Tom Cordova