Hi Tom. I am enjoying your site very much. We have a large kitchen with long counters on both sides as well as a raised counter/bar at the end of one of them. Our cabinets up are 48″ white (foiled) and below white (foiled). All appliances are white and the 18″ ceramic tile on the floor is white. We have had wallpaper professionally installed with large tropical leaves (of varying varieties and shades of green) each about a foot or so in length, all on a white background. I wish I could email a picture of the space to you to see. Our problem is that should we maintain the green hues in the granite, if we sell our home, is green granite a hindrance? Currently, the counter is mica and about the closest granite color would probably be Millenium Cream, so we don’t want to go the washed-out route. Any suggestions? Oh, and one more question, does overhead flourescent lighting make granite’s color change versus that of regular bulb and natural lighting? - Scott

Hello Scott,

Let me first say that granite definitely looks different under florescent lighting. Different colors show differently, but basically the florescent lighting tends to somewhat magnify the granite color. Definitely looks at your final samples under the lighting in your kitchen. Secondly, are green countertops in style? Well, according the statistics collected from the thousands of colors searches on www.GraniteStock.com, browns are the most popular, with Golds, Blacks, Greens and Creams basically tied for second place. Out of all the green colors, the most popular by color clicks are Verde Veneciano, Seafoam Green and Verde Butterfly. I think you are pretty safe with any of these and you better match the leaves to complete your design intent!

Dear Tom;

We are having a new home built and we just had our walk-thru and I noticed that the granite countertop in one section about 1.5 ft long has a large gap (about 1/2 to 3/4 inches deep). It appears the granite installers did not properly install or properly cut the template. We have a ceramic backsplash that was also installed between the countertop and the upper cabinets and it is not covering this large gap. The builder is trying to say a strip of some sort will be placed in the edge but this defeats the purpose of the granite and tile backsplash. Is there a more cost effective way to cover this gap? We have the black and tan granite countertop and the backsplash is a tumbled ceramic in tan color. — Andrea

Hello Andrea,

What you are describing is not uncommon because of human error but it is the fault of the fabricator. It is nice of you to try to work with them and there is one suggestion that I have for your to explore.

First let me say that the strip will not look good so don’t do it.

Short of tearing the granite countertop out and starting over, you need to at least tear the tile out completely. Then, the contractor can install a 1/2″-3/4″ thick green board or cement board on the back of the wall where the tile will be installed. The tile can be installed over the board and this should cover the gap. Now then, this procedure will also require trim at all the outside splash edges. Tile can be cut to return the tile back to the wall. It can actually be a nice look when done properly because is make the tile on the splash look thicker and can give an ‘old world’ quality look. I prefer it this look, actually.

Best wishes,
Tom Cordova

Hi Tom.
Recently we had a company install granite countertops in our new kitchen. We are not happy with them. We have an island in Ubatuba with a ogee edge on it, which of course, I chose. The problem is when you look down the edges you see ripples. the stone appears wavy. On the rest of the counters we had a squared edge and it doesn’t look like this. Is this normal for the stone, that’s what I was told. - Sue

Hello Sue,

It sounds like the fabricator did not have an automatic linear edging machine to do the ogee edge detail. The undulated result that you are describing is typical when an inexperience shop worker tries to route and polish an edge detail by hand. It is not common in shops that have automatic machinery. Sorry for the bad news.

Hello,
I am a Contractor and installed a flamed absolute black granite tile floor in one of my customer’s hallway and bathroom.
Before I had the chance to seal the floors, my client stated that while taking the garbage out, something dripped on the floor and stained it.
Also, there are urine stains on the bathroom floor. I already used two types of granite products for stain removal that I purchased from my granite supplier and they did not work. Can you advise me on what to do next or what other products I can use to remove these stains.

Thank you, Joe

Hello Joe,

Flamed black granite is difficult to clean because the color is so homogeneous. For the hallway, let’s assume that it was food based liquids like tomato juice or something like that. For that you want to soak and scrub with Ivory soap. This is really all that should be needed. Scrub the whole floor and do it as soon as possible.

For Urine, it is a little trickier and before I tell you what to try, I am going to say, “Test it in a small area first”. The reason for testing, is that sometimes cleaning can affect the stone in a way that is even more noticeable than the stain in the first place. As I said above, Black Absolute is so homogeneous in color that you have to clean the whole floor sometimes to get an even look. With that said, mix 1 part vinegar, 1 part 35″ Hydrogen Peroxide, and 6 parts water. Let the solution soak into the stain for about 5 minutes, then use a wet vacuum to pick up the water. Plot up the rest with a dry cloth or rag. Let me know how it turns out!

Best wishes,
Tom Cordova

We recently install Volga Blue in our kitchen. Lately I have noticed it turning brown. Are these rust stains? I’ve been using Stone Care International products to clean it. Help!
Thanks - Rose

Hello Rose,

Volga Blue from the Ukraine, is not really granite. It is natural stone called gabbro-anorthosite and is affected by sunlight. If you have much sunlight coming into the room, it is possible that this could be fading or ‘browning’ the color. It will not deteriorate it just change it a little.

There is also one possibility that that the adhesive they used is bleeding up from the bottom of the stone, but I doubt that.

Best wishes, Tom Cordova

Hello! We are in the process of remodeling the kitchen and we have chosen Key West Gold for the granite. Our cabinets are a deep rich cherry color. Are there any “gotchas” to watch out for with this granite? I am worried about cleaning it and keeping it looking nice. Are there any regular spray cleansers you can buy at the store that will kill the germs, but not harm the granite? We are considering the ogee edge. Will this granite look lighter on the edges like you mentioned some granites would? Thank you.

I do not believe that you will have any issues with Key West granite. This is a very solid stone and the color is light enough that you will not see a change in shading at the edge detail. Still, please don’t take my word for it. Try to see an edge sample at your local fabricator or supplier.

Regarding cleaners, I recently tested a product by Stone Care International that I thought was very good. I don’t want to promote one good product over another, but check out their website for the more information about a ‘germ-fighting’ cleaner.

My new marble countertop in bathroom has some cloudy spots in it. How can this be fixed and what causes this? Please help because I don’t know if it is my fault or if Contractor(stone) did not seal properly. I have only had them for a month. - Jerelyn

Hello Jerelyn,

The elegance of the soft deep brown background and while veining of the Imperator Dark marble that you have installed is truly beautiful. However, what you really have on your countertop is a metaphoric calcium carbonate based natural stone that must be sealed with a silicone/siloxane sealer in order to prevent acid chemicals from reacting with it. Common bathroom items such as hairspray, makeup, and even toothpaste contain small degrees of acids that react with Calcium Carbonate minerals. The result is microscopic etching due to corrosion of the stone. The only way to repair it is to re-polish it. The only way to prevent it is to seal the stone so that the acids are blocked. The dark color of the marble also accentuates the etching.

There are products that claim to ‘fix’ such dull marks and some are reasonable remedies if your expectations are not that high. Search, ‘Stone Care’ on Google and you should find a do-it-yourself product that you can order.

Hi, Tom, we’re about to install granite countertops in a kitchen that is part of a large open area (LR/DR/K). We’re tempted to use two differnt types of granite, perhaps something extra special on a raised bar. The house has loads of south facing windows and will be quite light. We’re tentatively planning to have medium toned oak floors, and dark-stained (almost black) cabinets.

I wonder what thoughts you have about using a contrasting color to set up one area as a high point? If it’s worth looking into, perhaps you could suggest a couple of factors to consider as we make selections.

Thanks so much. - Bill

Hello Bill,

I really like the two-color look when it is done right. There are two important aspects to follow. You need to use contrasting colors, and you need to mix a homogeneous granite color with an exotic one. For example, in your kitchen you could use a dark version of Ubatuba for the lower counters and an exotic red or gold for the upper bar. Personally, I stay away from whites in the two-tone scheme. If you want more color in the kitchen, you could flip the colors. I would also recommend that you upgrade the edge detail on both just a little. Perhaps an OG-bullnose. Take a look at www.GraniteStock.com to see colors and edge details.

I love the look of honed natural stone such as granite. What do you know about honed stone and the up keep? Which would be best to use for a kitchen to achieve this look and be most durable - Ann

Hello Ann,

Honed granite in the kitchen can be very elegant as well as present an ‘old world’ or even very modern ambiance. However, the wrong honed granite, such as “Black Absolute” can create a nightmare maintenance situation because of its homogenous dark color and mineral structure that shows every finger print and cleaning pattern. I have written other important postings about Black Absolute so be sure to read then before choosing this color. Just search, “Black Granite” on the blog.

Polished granite is my preference but I can definitely understand the ‘honed’ presentation. It is more appropriate in some cases. It should not be for me to recommend one or the other unless maintenance is major concerned or the full design scope was explained.

Honed granite colors still need to be professionally sealer. Let me know which color you finally decide upon and I will give you my specific comments.

Best wishes,
Tom Cordova

Dear Tom,

We are in the process of remodeling our kitchen and we have just traveled 500 miles to a granite distributor to chose our granite. We picked Colonial Cream and are now working with out contractor on the details of the installation. Since deciding on the Colonial Cream, I have read on your website that this particular granite can be problematic. Now I am anxious about our choice. Have we made a mistake? Is it safe to proceed or should we reconsider our choice. I am losing sleep over this? Can you help?

Thank you, Maria

Hello Maria,

You have to remember that people write to me about their problems, not their wonderful experiences with granite. For every bad granite experience, there are thousands of joyful ones we never hear about.

Just as with any large purchase, you need to perform your due diligence. Finding my website was a step in the right direction. The ‘Home Owners Checklist‘ will guide you in a lot of the questions you should consider.

I am not surprised that you traveled so far for Colonial Cream. It is gorgeous granite and will positively be beautiful in your kitchen. It is a low maintenance granite once it is sealed with a penetrating granite sealer.

You really have made an excellent choice and just make sure that you are in good hand with your fabricator by checking some references. I want to hear back from you when the granite is installed and find out how happy you are about it, ok?

Best wishes,
Tom Cordova

An update on 22 May 2007

Hello Tom, Thank you for taking the time to reply to my concern about Colonial Cream granite. Just as you said, the granite turned out beautiful and, having picked a reputable fabricator, we are indeed happy with the results.

Thank you again,

Maria