Hi Tom,
I just installed Emeral pearl granite on my kitchen countertop and my vanity. I am very concern because I hired an installer using pre-fabricated granite to do the job. (Only the island used a big slab).

Not only was I dissatisfied with how the installer joint/connect each pieces, I saw lots of scratches and layers of grouts material (I am not sure what it’s called, it is the material than joint one piece of granite to the other).

Can you please help my with my questions:
1. Do you know of a brand product that could prevent scratches or make scratches go away?
2. How do I prevent future scratches or damage to the granite?
3. Is Emeral pearl granite toxic/dangerous for babies?
4. Will sealant help with scratch/damage to granite? What brand of sealang and cleaning product should I use?
5. How do I get the layers of grout material away from my granite? 6. Do you have any recommendations how I could enjoy the beauty of my granite? I am sorry if I overwhelm you with my questions. I am very sad of this matter because I had spend a lot of money to install them in my kitchen and all my bathrooms countertop. Also, at the time of installation, I saw the installer use a small piece of blade to clean the glue like grout. Is this normal?

Thank you for your time to read my email and respond to all my questions.

Sincerely,
Caroline

Hello Caroline,

Sorry to hear about your troubles. Emerald Pearl can only scratch if impacted with a harder material. Even a knife will not scratch it unless you really give it a lot of force. Your granite was scratched during mishandling during fabrication or at the quarry overseas. You don’t have to worry about scratching in again with normal use.

Be sure to apply a coat of granite sealer. I recommend a product by Safestone International. You can buy a small bottle from HomeGranite on Ebay. See my article on granite sealer and maintenance. This might make the scratches less noticeable but,most likely, it will not change it much. There is no easy way to remove the scratches from the countertop surface.

The material between the joint is polyester epoxy. It should be clean and smooth to the touch if installed properly. You will need an experienced granite installer to redo the joints. The granite is non-toxic to your children. Sorry to confirm that your troubles are real. Try the sealer first and see if that help.

Best wishes,
Tom Cordova

We just had a piece of granite installed in our new kitchen in our home. Seeing other granite counter tops I expected the finish to be like a piece of glass. The granite top I have has little rough spots on it all over that look like the granite maybe was not polished correctly or it is possible a lot of soft stone. What ever it is the top is not completely glossy it has imperfections all over on it. Is this normal and if not is there anything we can do to help solve the problem? We had the top sealed twice but still have same look. Thanks for your help we are very discouraged. – Mike

Hello Michael,

The finish on the top of granite surface was finished at a factory overseas. This involves large and expensive equipment if it was done properly. Sometimes this equipment is not used and substituted with less costly polished methods that do not completely grind down the surface prior to finishing. This can leave the rough spots you mentioned. Also, some exotic granite colors have these rough spots but they are resin filled overseas prior to polishing. If the resin step was shipped, this too can yield the results of rough spots. The best way to have avoided this problem was to inspect the slabs prior to contracting your work. See The Homeowner Checklist on the website.

I am sorry to tell you that there is nothing that can be done (no sealer or anything) that can rectify this look.

Best Wishes,
Tom Cordova

I bought a piece of granite approx 40 inches by 40 inches and 3/4 inch thick and was just going to use it as a garden table. It is unfinished (polished on top but raw edges). I can place it on a three brick columns. However, should I worry about providing better support, i.e. a sheet of plywood cut to fit within one or two inches of the edge?

Another piece is 1-3/8 inch and I may use it as an island countertop in my kitchen. It is approx. 30 inches by 40 inches. Will a “normal” cabinet base unit be able to support this weight or should I install 3 or 4 2×4 legs?

Thanks,
Don

Hello Don,

3/4″ granite is fine for exterior use but do not put a plywood substrate because the plywood will swell after exposed to normal exterior moisture. This will make the substrate uneven and do more harm then good.

If you don’t dance or pound on it, the use of 3/4″ is no problem on three brick columns as you mentioned. If you think someone might sit on it, then you need to provide more support. For this you must use stainless steel angle 3/4″ wide x 3/4″ tall x 1/8″ thick, and make a frame which is 6″ less than the perimeter of the granite table. This is costly.

Regarding your second questions about 1 3/8″ granite, you do not need additional support because granite this thick is very strong. It also weighs about 20 pounds per square foot so although your cabinet can support it, just be sure to apply some basic Newton logic and make sure that it is properly anchored to the cabinet so that the weight doesn’t logically tip the granite over.

Best wishes,
Tom Cordova

Follow up:

Thanks for the answers to my support/weight questions. I do have two small follow-up questions. I am guessing that you are specifying stainless steel angles for rust/corrosion resistance but would wrought iron be acceptable? I’m thinking of just finding a table about the right size and placing this granite on top. The second minor question has to do with anchoring the kitchen island granite piece. Would you use, say, construction adhesive on battens to keep the piece from shifting. or?
Thanks again,
Don

Hello again Don,

If you put 1/16″ neoprene shims or 1/16″ thick plastic between the rod iron and the granite, that should be adequate for your personal situation and avoid the rust and oxidation transferring to the granite. I can’t answer the second question about the bonding material adequately because I would need a lot of details. I suggest using your best judgment.

“Liquid Nails” make a very good adhesive but you need to be sure it is the brand that says, “Made for stone”. Do not use the cheap stuff.

Best wishes,
Tom Cordova

We just installed Ubituba. Our installer sealed and then put a wax on top of sealer like a car wax. My husband sat a hot pot on top of the granite and it left a ring. Is there anything you can tell us to do for this? It was our understanding hot pots could be placed on granite. Please advise. – Carolyn

Hello Carolyn,

Hot pans will not harm granite, whatsoever. I am glad you told me that a wax was put the surface. No doubt, the melting of the wax is leaving the mark. Perhaps there was a reason that the wax was applied but this is not a normal installation practice. Only a penetrating granite sealer should have been applied.

See our Granite Sealer and Maintenance page for more details.

You will need to remove the wax. If the wax is water based, you can use a commercial wax stripper sold at a janitorial supply store. If the wax is Solvent Based, you will need to use a paint stripper which contains Methylene Chloride – there are also some non-Methylene Chloride strippers that work effectively. Avoid any stripper that container Ammonia Bi-floride (this chemical with remove the polish look of the granite). Remember to apply a granite sealer after stripping.

Best Wishes,
Tom Cordova

We just had new granite countertops installed in our kitchen, and two seams were necessary because of the size and curves in the countertops. The seams are quite visible, and feel rough to the touch – how can we tell if it was poor installation or if all seams are visible like these? Do you have any suggestions? – Patrick

Hello Patrick,

Granite countertop seams should be smooth to the touch and no more than 1/16″ wide. There is no written rule about this but this is the quality standard in the industry. The joint should be filled flush with epoxy in a color that best matches the general granite color. If you are not happy with the color, ask the installer to redo it. This is not difficult. Sometimes the joint can be made smoother with the epoxy as well.

If the joint is still rough, then you will need to have the seams professionally ground down and re-polished. This is not easy to do correctly and even impossible with some homogenous colors.

Best wishes,
Tom Cordova

I work for a remodeler in Tucson Arizona and one of our Clients wants to use Black Absolute in their new kitchen. Our concern is that they want it honed. What is the porosity of honed versus polished? And how long does sealent last on honed? Does honed granite have a better chance of staining or scratching? Thanks for your help. – Michelle

Dear Michelle,

You are very wise to as this question. In my 17 years of experience, I found Honed Black Granite to be the worse customer experience. I know that it tends to be a specific request from homeowners wanting a contemporary design and usually it is combined with a white subway tile splash. However, meeting the client’s long-range expectations is very difficult because of maintenance.

First let’s look at the problems with polished Black Absolute Granite. It shows even the slightest dust marks and it doesn’t show ants! That is creates a daily cleaning and perhaps even a health issue. Now then, when this stone is honed the pores are opened slightly and everything from oily thumb prints to common kitchen liquids love to get under the surface and stay there. Because it is honed, it requires more sealer. However, even the sealer will make the granite look hazy because it is hone and flat black and absorbs at different levels throughout the counter top. Furthermore, try to remove the sealer or a stain and it is like cleaning pen out of leather. The spot will never look like the rest of the counter again.

Trust me, don’t do Honed Black Granite. I strongly believe that it will only lead to dissatisfaction for everyone.

Best wishes,
Tom Cordova

I am building a new home and am considering installing granite kitchen counter tops. I have been told that granite stains easily and attracts mold growth. Do you know anything about such problems? I do not want to invest heavily in these counters and have to remove them because of staining or mold growth. I live in Oklahoma which is very humid. What would you advise? – Betty D.

Hi Betty,

Great question! Granite is still the way to go. All you need to do is to use an anti-microbial granite sealer which fights bacterial 24/7. The brand I recommend would is made by SafeStone International. The best place to buy it in small quantities is on eBay from HomeGranite.com. A 4 ounce bottle sells for $9.95, plus shipping and will cover about 40 SF. This is the answer to enjoying beautiful granite without the maintenance issues you mentioned. For more information on this topic, please see my article “Sealing and Cleaning Your Granite“.

Best Wishes,
Tom Cordova