Hi Tom,

I really like the New Giallo Veneziano granite for kitchen countertops. It comes in prefab. The only problem is I can’t find a prefab slab big enough to cover an island that is 4′X6′ . This is a problem with most prefab granite places I’ve gone to. I’ve heard that you don’t normally try to seam two 26″ wide pieces together. Can you offer any solutions or places that carry larger prefab slabs? I went to one warehouse that had only 3 types of granite slabs that measured 52″X96″ but not in the colors I liked.

Thanks, Gina

Hello Gina,

I’m not a big fan of pre-fabricated granite tops as I mentioned in my article. I don’t think you would pay too much more to select a nice slab and have it made like a custom job.

Since you only need 1 slab, check with granite distributors and ask if they have any ‘Orphan slabs’ that they are discounting. This is common and you can save a lot of money. Basically, an orphan slab is one slab left from a full bundle. Since it no longer has a matching slab from the same bundle, it is usually discounted close to their cost. Also check around for a nice small fabricator to do the work for you. December is a great month to get a deal because business is the slowest. Try www.GraniteStock.com.

Best wishes,
Tom Cordova

Hi Tom,

I am getting ready to put travertine on my bathroom floor and shower wall. I have 16? square tiles. I am thinking of cutting some of them to 16 x 8 and 8 x 8 inch pieces for a more interesting look. I would rather put them tight together. Do I need to have a grout line between them, or will this create a sealing problem?

Thanks,

Mike

Hello Mike,

I think your idea sounds like a very nice idea but you need to know that you are embarking on a larger task then you think. First of all, yes, you need to leave a grout joint of 1/8″ because you need to install grout. If you do not install grout, water will seep through and create mold at joints. Also, creating a joint with a multi size pattern actually looks pretty good and give an ‘old-world’ feeling. Tight joints also make it very difficult to avoid noticeable lips between tiles because there is not grout transition.

Secondly, do the math. You want the cut tiles to line up so you must create a joint that is the same width as the blade you use to cut the tiles. For example, Cut a 16″x16″ tile in half. Now you have two tiles that are 16″x 7 15/16″. This means that you need a 1/8″ joint to align them with the 16″x16″ tile. Same goes for cutting them again to smaller sizes. This assumes that your blade is 1/8″ wide, which is typical.

Best Wishes,
Tom Cordova

We had an absolute black countertop installed a little over a year ago.The high bar was improperly installed, and we came home one afternoon and found it lying in the floor in pieces. The original installer refused to stand behind it so we tried our luck with another contractor. We are however very disappointed it looks more like a gun metal gray, it does not really look black at all. I am trying not to over pick it , but it just does not match. It is obvious even in low light. Is there a cure? What is the probable cause, is there this much variation between the two runs of granite?

Thanks for your help,
David

Hello David,

It is difficult to match black granites from two different batches. Mother Nature likes a variety. Not only does the shade vary slightly but also the grain structure will vary, causing light to reflect differently from the surface. I can not tell from your comments if you have already installed it yet. If not, keep searching and do the following.

Take a piece for the broken top to several of your local slabs yards. You might want to check www.GraniteStock.com to see if they list any near you.

You need to see several batches of black granite slabs from India, Africa and China. First, look closely at the grain structure to determine if you have a match. Then, look for the color shade match. The tricky part is that even black granite from the same country can look different so you will have to go to several suppliers to see what version they are selling. I think that if you spend more time searching and see at least 10 different batches, you will find a color that matches.

Best Wishes,
Tom Cordova

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

I am about to install 2cm granite tops in the kitchen. Do you recommend using marine plywood as a backer or would hardy board be better? And also what thickness of the backer is best.

Thanks,
Chuck

Hello Chuck,

The thickness of the plywood should be 5/8″. This allows sufficient support while still allowing the 2cm (3/4″) laminated front edge to cover the plywood completely. Secondly, Marine Grade plywood is certainly the best but regular CDX plywood is ok. Just make sure you pick out some good flat smooth sheets. 5/8″ hardy board should be strong enough but I do not know of this ever being used because of high costs. It also might be too flexible so I don’t recommend it.

Best Wishes,
Tom Cordova

Tom,

I have honed black granite countertops and they are terrible about spotting. If a drop of water sits on them for 5-10 seconds, I have a spot. It’s impossible to cook with these restrictions. I have read your thoughts on honed granite and fully agree with them it’s not the best for customer satisfaction. [My architect specified and has been no help in solving the many problems that have arisen.]

My question is it possible to change the finish from honed to polished in situ?

Molly

Hello Molly,

Honed Black Granite is the worse maintenance experience as you have come to find out. Most restoration company charge about $150 per hour to resurface granite and it would take all day to polish your countertops. In addition, since black absolute is such a homogeneous color, I don’t think it can really be done well enough throughout the surface without leaving distracting difference is sheen.

I can not offer any advice that will meet your complete satisfaction. If you don’t want to tear it out and start over, then consider researching enhancers and sealers that will darken the surface and repel all contaminants. Again you may have distracting difference in sheen when you are done. Do a google search for “Granite Sealers” or “Granite Enhancers” and see what you find. I really don’t want to recommend a specific product because you will have to substantially modify your expectations in order to become satisfied with what you have.

I am sorry for your situation and you have my very best wishes,

Tom Cordova

Tom,

I recently had New Venetian Gold installed. The very first thing I noticed was what appeared to be “dust” on the countertop. Upon cleaning with soap and water repeatedly it is still there. It is very noticeable when standing at an angle in the daytime. I called the company that installed and they came out. They said it was from a “new” kind of glue they used to seal the seams and done “something” that supposedly fixed it. Although it did seem to help some, the dust look is still there. My idea of granite is a high gloss stone look, and this is not it. It looks dirty. It either looks like water spots or “dust”. What can I do to make it look right?? Or am I being too picky??

Kelli

Hello Kelli,

I have heard this problem come up several times. Basically, it is my opinion that the granite slabs are sometimes not cleaned thoroughly at the overseas factory before they are impregnated with resin and then polished. When this happens, very small particles are loosely trapped between the rock and the resin. In time, they come lose.

I have heard of success with cleaning the surface thoroughly with Cleans All from Proctor Gamble. This loosens the resin grip on the particles and then you can wipe them off. You will need to buff the surface dry and apply a penetrating sealer after this process is done. I have heard that this works well and if you try this, please let me know your results.

Best wishes!

Tom,

I recently had a stone “granite” installed known as Shanxi Black, which is actually a type of basalt. This stone is very dense and doesn’t seem to accept any type of sealer I put on it.

The other day I had set a plastic cup with water in it on the countertop near the sink. I left the cup overnight, and in the morning, I noticed that the condensation ring had left a white ring in the stone and it looks like it actually etched the surface of the stone.

I have tried acetone, sealer, color enhancer, etc to remove the white ring. I had the installer come back out and try to remove the ring and he was unable to.

Do you have any ideas how water can damage the color and surface of such a “bullet proof” material?

Froggy

Hello Froggy,

I know the Shanxi Black very well. In my opinion it is the best black stone in the world when it is selected without the metal spots. If the finish surface is polished, then I am baffled by water leaving a mark like this. That just does not happen. If the surface is honed, then yes, water can leave a mark and could take a long time to evaporate. My other guess is that the stone is not actually Shanxi Black. I believe that Shanxi black is an Anorthosite, not a basalt. I am aware of other black stone from China that are very porous and could leave a watermark as you mentioned.

Shanxi Black is relatively expensive and the other softer blacks are cheap. Perhaps a local expert should help you further.

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

(This question is a response to a previous post called “Supporting A Large Overhang“.)

Dear Tom: With regards to a 12? overhang and embedding a 3? x 1/18 stainless bar into the plywood, How many bars would you suggest? I have a 24?x36? cabinet with a 12? overhand on three sides.

Would it help to use 2- 3/4? plywood panels glued and screwed with an additional 1/2? backerboard?
Thank you

Greg Parker

Hello Greg,

You are installing granite tile so if the overhang is not adequately supported the grout joints will crack. The granite will not crack because the weakest point is at the grout joints.

So, that is good and bad. First, the good thing is that if you fail to support the overhang sufficiently, the granite will not crack. You could just re-support it will stronger/bigger corbels and re-grout the joints. Secondly, the bad part of what you are doing is that grout is very weak. You will have to establish an extremely rigid overhang to prevent the grout from cracking over time. I don’t want to advise you on how much support is needed because I think it will eventually fail. Grout cracks, period. I hate grout.

However, I have two suggestions. First, use epoxy grout. This will prevent the grout from cracking and be extremely easy to clean. However, the probable reason you are using tile is to save money. Epoxy grout is very expensive. Secondly, type “overhang” in the search box on tomcordova.com and see more questions and replies regarding this issue.

Best wishes,
Tom Cordova