Hello Tom,

Looking at installing Fiorito Granite for my kitchen, where the longest dimension is 119 inches. Does Fiorito come in limited slab lengths, and if so what is the maximum length I can go before needing to have a seam?

Thanks!

Hello Carrie,

Giallo Fiorito (from Brazil) can be found in very large sizes, but 119 is about as big as it gets for this granite. The blocks do vary so you if you do not find 119″ slabs at the first place you look, keep looking. Seems are usually determined by the access to your kitchen and the handling issues during installation. Discuss this will your installer. A couple resources for you are as follows: For a granite installer go to HomeGranite.com. For a list of distributors, go to www.GraniteStock.com. Although only installers have access to GraniteStock’s detailed information on distributors, it is still it is a very good site for research.

Best wishes,
Tom Cordova

Dear Tom:

I have recently installed granite countertops in my new kitchen. These were purchased from Home Depot which uses Innovative Stone. I have prided myself on taking good care on my stone but tonight, my husband found a dent measuring 1/4 inch on the top edge of my island. Needless to say we’re upset. I’m also worried that if I have damaged it, not knowing how, I can do it again. My daughter said that she always remembers a slight dent in the stone but I guess maybe something fell on that exact spot and made it bigger. We did find a small piece of the stone but it was smalller than the dent.

Is this possible? I thought granite was indestructible???

Please let me know if anything can be done.

Thank you

Hello Nathalie,

There are only a couple reasons a ‘dent’ in your granite would happen. Either a very heavy metal object was dropped on it, like a hammer, or this is a spall at a stress point in the granite. You can decide if the first possibility is the case, and let me explain the second. First of all, the definition of ’spall’ is “A chip, fragment, or flake from a piece of stone or ore”. Your granite, “Ubatuba” is stone called a charnockite which can contain nickel-iron that oxidizes and leaves browns rings and spider veins. You may see them as a gold veins. This reaction continues very slowly but is accelerated by sunlight (ultraviolet light).

There is a good chance the spall occurred as a result of natural oxidation breaking the bond of the stone at this location. Finally, yes, it could happen again, naturally. I recommend either contacting a professional granite fabricator to fill it, or you could try two-part epoxy (use a razor blade) and fill it yourself.

Best wishes,
Tom Cordova

Home Granite installed my countertop on year ago. I used the granite sealer you provided to reseal the countertop. When you put on the original, it stayed moist for half the day. When I re-apply the sealer, it sinks in within a few minutes. I tried a second coat, but it dried quickly too. Is it still resealed properly?

Cynthia,

The application sounds ok and it should be properly sealed.

However, you never want the sealer to dry on the surface because it will leave a hazy residue. Perhaps the granite was very hot when you applied it so it dried quickly. Nonetheless, to tell if it is properly sealed, I recommend ‘the water glass test’. Leave a glass of ice water sitting on the granite for a while, then pick it up and see if there is a water ring. If yes, simply wait for it to dry and reseal the countertops. Read my article on “Sealing and Cleaning Your Granite” for more information.

Best wishes,
Tom Cordova

Hello Tom,

I just had my Granite Counters installed, (picked 3 slabs at AZ TILE, no polishing or deep scratches ). My fabricator apparently gave 1 of the slabs polishing scratches (circular and very light, very numerous on Black Maroon Cohiba granite) while making the edge. Even though the scratches are light and very fine, they are very obvious and run 3″ x 90″ on the edge of one of my kitchen counters. From reading your great web site, so informative, are these the type of scratches that can not be fixed. Once that fine ‘gray line’ is in there, is it for good?

Hello Patricia,

The scratches are permanent unless the edging is sanded down to the grit at which the scratches were made. In other words, circular scratch are removed during the finishing process, but will be visible unless each sanding step is completed. With a dark color granite (Maroon Cohiba), the appearance of any scratch is enhanced. My recommendation is to apply a Stone Enhancer to dull the visual intensity of the scratch.

First, you must remove any sealer that has been applied to area (use Acetone) or else the enhancer will not absorb into the granite. Be sure to apply the Enhancer quickly and wipe it off quickly. Note, test a small area first. You only want the Enhancer to absorb into the tiny scratches, not the polished granite. Try the Enhancer up to three times, 20 minutes apart. Reply sealer to the whole area after 48 hours. Good luck, and again, test a smaller area first and if you have any bad affects, remove the Enhancer with the Acetone as soon as possible.

Best wishes,
Tom Cordova

We just had granite put in the kitchen (countertops & backsplash) unfortunately we were putting another microwave in other than what our builder offered. Because of miscommunication they put the backsplash behind the stove and up where the microwave would be. Since we had the microwave hood already installed it just comes to the bottom of the hood. Is there a way to install the microwave now? Can holes be drilled into the granite to mount the microwave? The name of the granite is tobacco and we got it I believe from Arizona Tile. We have the new house in Queen Creek, AZ. Thanks !

Hello Sonya,

A residential granite installer or even a tile installer should have no problem drilling through granite so that you can mount the brackets for your microwave. A carpenter can also do it if he has the right tools and confidence. If you want to attempt this drilling yourself, call me and I will give you some detailed advice.

Best wishes,
Tom Cordova

Hi Tom,

I was cleaning my Ubituba granite countertop with water and a microfiber cloth, (my usual method of cleaning) and noticed some dull marks on the shiny surface. Earlier I was using Crazy Glue, and used a paper towel to protect the granite. I’m thinking that the glue was absorbed not only into the paper towel, but also into the granite. The granite is 5 years old, and was sealed last year. The dull marks are smooth to the touch, yet dull and cloudy. How can I safely remove them from the granite without harming the stone? Thank you in advance for your response.

Hi Terry,

The active ingredient in Crazy Glue is cyanoacrylics, so what you need is 100% Acetone. This will not harm the granite at all but you will want to reseal the granite after cleaning with this because it will all remove the sealer. The process should be very easy for you to do and Acetone can be found at your local hardware store.

Best wishes,
Tom Cordova