Hi, we are having trouble deciding a color for the granite in our new kitchen that’s in the middle of the house, no windows but 3 overhead skylights, cabernet stained cabinets with a dark walnut+cabernet stained island, honey wood floors, and stainless appliances.

We’ve been to many different slab yards, and have Green Peacock on hold, but now I’m thinking it’s too “black”, and I’ve heard people complain about always having to wipe down fingerprints and you can see smears…? Does this color look green or black or turquoise indoors? (We’ve only seen it outside, and nobody seems to have a sample of it!)

I’ve also taken a liking to Dakota Blue, Tan Brown, Kashmir White… and yesterday (after deciding that we need to go lighter-whiter, with a more non-busy pattern) I found a Colonial Cream I liked. And then somewhere else they had a Colonial “Dream”! Is that a typo? Does everyone just make up their own names for these stones? (and then there was also NEW Colonial Cream…) Please help! My head is spinning…

What would look best? Thanks for any advice you can give,
Marnie

Hello Marnie,

It sounds like you are getting frustrated with your search for the perfect granite, but you are wise to take your time. Your woodwork sounds beautiful so it will be best to find the right granite to compliment it. I find it hard to recommend a color because my taste may not be the same as yours. For example, a color that would go well with your cabinets is called, “Juparana Bordeaux“, which is formal and romantic. On the other hand, The Colonial Dream or Arandis is a lighter and a more Summer color that would be a nice compliment. I do think a light color with soft cabernet highlights would be best with your lighting. I think the Dakota Blue is too dark and the Peacock is too green/dull.

I suggest the following. Go to www.GraniteStock.com and browse through the hundreds of colors there. First, select a general color (e.g. green, brown) and decide which general color you like. Then, only browse the colors in that range and come up with a list of about six. After you have these colors in hand, contact an installer on www.GraniteStock.com or www.HomeGranite.com to help you see the slabs near you.

Best wishes,
Tom Cordova

Hi Tom,

What causes rust stains on a supposedly sealed granite shower base and sides or did the installer not impregnate seal it properly im guessing the later and you ?

Thanks, Rick

Hello Rick,

Lighter colored granite needs a heavy coat of sealant to prevent the water from absorbing into the stone but also consider the following. Often times after granite is properly sealed, users use harsh cleaning chemicals. Most of these cleaners will not harm the granite at all, but they will gradually dissolve the sealer and expose the granite to staining.

It sounds like you have another problem as well. Some granite colors contain mica which will rust. You can sometimes see this as a silver fleck in the granite. Even sealer will not prevent the eventual rust marks, usually in a circular pattern around the mica or iron mineral. The rust mark is deep but you could try ‘Iron Out’ found at your local home improvement store. Note, ‘Iron Out’ can etch granite a little so be sure to test it first. After you are done, apply a heavy coat of sealer.

Best wishes,
Tom Cordova

Hi Tom

We are having our bathroom tiled with Carrera marble. We have requested our builder to fit the marble as tight as possible so that it has a ’seamless’ finish rather than with visible grout lines between tiles. The marble supplier told us that this is possible and recommends cutting playing cards to act as spacers between tiles. However, our builder does not believe that you can fit marble without a wider grout line. Please could advise on how to achieve the ’seamless’ finish and what grout should be used?

Thanks and regards,
Mariam.

Hello Mariam,

You can put the tiles tight together but you will most likely have to grind down the interior floor afterward because it is almost impossible to avoid slight lippage between the tiles. Marble tile are not cut perfectly so even a normal 1/32″ variance will feel like a lip when tiles are butted together. For this reason, I strongly do not recommend butting the tiles together.

I really don’t feel that your supplier knows what he is taking about and using a playing card is just silly. You should install them with 1/16″ joints and use non-sanded grout. For white marble, I strongly recommend using epoxy grout because white ‘cement-based’ grout is impossible to keep clean.

Your white marble has veins so there is no hope for getting a ’seamless’ look. Once the joints stop and start between the tiles, it will not appear seamless. If you have a good installer, then 1/16″ grout joints will look even better them butted joints because the joint makes for a nice ‘planned’ transitional pattern in the floor or wall.

Best wishes,
Tom Cordova

Tom,

I’m planning to use natural maple Merrillat cabinets with stainless appliances in a rather large kitchen with a lot of counters and not a lot of natural light, and I’m looking for a good choice of granite, but having trouble making a choice. The floors are wood.

I like the look of more homogeneous granites, and I don’t like ones with lots of differentiation in texture. I’ve seen a black I liked a lot (not Absolute, a little softer, but I can’t recall the exact one), and today I looked at a slab of Shivakashi today, which I liked a lot (and was surprised, since I thought my taste would run to the darker colors). The person helping me also suggested Bordeaux for the counters. And I am looking for a granite that doesn’t stain easily!

I’m also trying to determine the best backsplash and like the look of a full-height backsplash. Do you think doing granite all the way up is too much (assuming the cost isn’t too much, which it might be)? I also like glass tiles a lot, but think that might be too busy with most of the granites I’ve seen.

Do you have any suggestions?

Thanks!
Meredith

Hello Meredith,

Considering all you mentioned, I would like to suggest looking at Violetta Granite and Golden Leaf. If you like green, take a look at Silver Sea Green Granite. These are all granites from the Middle East and are very low maintenance because of their high density and Quartz composition.

As far as going up the backsplash with granite, that is a truly personal choice. Granite goes all the way up the back in my kitchen, but there are some beautiful tile splash options as well. Be a little careful with glass tile because it is very trendy right now. Personally, I think it will go out of style like the avocado refrigerator someday. Also, consider your fixtures when making a decision. If stainless, I would suggest going with a darker granite color. By the way, Bordeaux is one of my favorite granites, but the veining needs to be carefully aligned during installation. This granite is also somewhat higher maintenance because the higher percentage of Orthoclase that makes it softer than the granites I mentioned above.
Remember to always seal your granite. Take a look at www.GraniteStock.com to see hundreds of colors.

Best wishes,
Tom Cordova

Tom,

We just had 3cm granite tops installed in our home. I see from the other questions that its acceptable to place these directly on countertops with no plywood underneath so that answers one question. The thing i’m worried about is my raised bar with 18″ overhang. The corbels i had purchased to support the weight were only 6 1/2 inches deep and my installers said they didn’t think it would be enough support. Is there a formula to determine how long your Corbels should be or could you recommend what you would use. I’ve found some affordable 3 x 9 x 12 ones online and might try those if you give me the ok. Another thing that concerns me is that the only thing used to hold the granite to the raised kneewall was a silicone type epoxy. Is this normal? I would think it would need some kind of support bracket or screws on the inside of the raised bar as well as the outside support of the Corbels. Let me know please so i know which direction to go.

Thank you,
Brian

Hello Brian,

This is a tough one to answer without seeing it. I don’t know a few important details. For starters, are the corbels that you are considering made of steel or wood? If steel, then 9″x12×3″wide corbels are plenty strong enough but they are only as strong as the backing they are anchored too. For 3cm granite, you need to consider that the weight is about 18 pounds per square foot so you’ve got a weighty overhang to consider. If your corbels are secured in place then a strong silicone like Dow Corning 795 would be fine to glue it down. Don’t rely on silicone to provide any dead-load support. However, it will maintain the lateral security of the top.

Basically, after your corbels are in place at about 24″ on-center for 3cm granite, just see if they will hold your body weight (or around 160 pounds).
I am sorry that I can not be more specific because there are a few variables here that once should actually inspect first hand.

Best wishes,
Tom Cordova