We have a black granite top and it has this film on it. It shows real bad in the sun light and with the down lights we have in the ceiling. Will sealer take care of this problem. Thank you

Jim Slevin

Hmmmmmmm.............
Jim, I don't know. Has the film always been there? Could it be caused by a buildup of soap film? You *must* determine the source of the film before a sealer locks it into the granite.

what is the best granite and marble sealer to use and what should you use to clean the granite and marble. what should you use to seal tile and tile grout and what should I use to clean my tile floors.

The Granite is new, just put in, so it came with the film

Jim Slevin

Kimberly,
Usually the most expensive sealer is the best. Always buy a product like this from a specialty store, not a home center.

I have had my black (uba tuba) granite kitchen counter top for 5 years. Last week I set a hot frying pan on it and now there is a (burn)water mark looking circle on it. Someone told me about using plaster of paris to remove it! Do you know how it is applied and if it works. Any other ideas on how to remove this mark. Could I have burned the sealer off, which left this mark?

Linda,
Yes, it sounds as if you burned the sealer. Contact two or three granite fabricators and see if they will bid the restoration. Do NOT do amateur chemistry experiments!!!!

I have black tile granite counter tops and have never sealed them. we do have some stains from over time, which is about a year or so. we never knew to seal them. is there a way to get the stains out and then put sealer down. thanks!

I just installed black pearl granite coutertops in my kitchen. Part of my countertop looks stained, like water marks from glasses. The countertop is black pearl and now has discolored (white) rings from glasses. How do I go about taking these stains out?

Thank!

Chad,
Try my oxygen bleach Stain Solver. It is safe for the granite. You can try very warm water and soap first to see if that works. www.StainSolver.com

I have black granite countertops and moved into my place about 2 and half years ago and it was new construction. I am not sure if it was ever sealed, and I clean it constantly because I found that every time someone touches it there is a mark and when I do clean it I have a hard time keeping it from streaking. Is it time to seal it again/or for the first time and is there a cleaning solution you recommend for daily use on granite countertops?

we just had Uba tuba installed, we noticed right away that there was a crack in the sink hole,(undersink)its in the front and I think pretty noticeable. the installer says thats how stone is, also some cracks in the double bull nose. he came out and filled it with some kind of resin glue. my question is, I paid alot of money for these NEW counter, I feel upset that they have a crack in them from the start. I hired a professional so we would have the best looking counters. What can I do about this. I will say the crack looks better, but is the filler going to come out? will it grow. If I wait I may not have a recoarse.... the contractor says it would be a hassle to take the back splashes off and redo it. He said it may have cracked from the them not being level, but isn't that his job to make sure they are installed right? What should I do?

Lauren,
When you wipe the granite do you use a clean washrag with clean soapy water? Then do you immediately rinse the surface with clean water and dry it? Try that and get back. How often do the people around your home wash their hands? Perhaps natural skin oils are making the smudges.....?

Angie,
You were supposed to look at the granite slab that was used to make your tops. Did the fabricator ask you to do this so you could check the stone for cracks and imperfections?

I have black granite in my kitchen. It is dull but does not appear to have stains. I "sealed" it once before but the sealent gummed up on me. Did I use the wrong product? I would like more shine and I would like to do this myself. What product do yuo recommend? Should I seal and polish?

Pam,
I have never had a sealer gum up. Maybe you had a bad product. Your granite maybe never got the right degree of polishing at the factory. If this is the case, you have a huge challenge.

White ring on black granite - does oxygen bleach take care of white rings???
Also I read that black granite does not require a sealer because it is more dense? I notice people mentioned black pearl granite - I am afraid I do not know what sort of granite this is, but I have noticed parts of it is a opaque, dull gray, not a sparkling black. Is this due to the fact that it may be a lower quality granite? Or is it due to not being sealed.
This is not my countertop but a friend's new, five year old home. I don't believe she knows what to do with the one white ring, so she hides it with a decorative, silver tray, but it seems to me that there must be SOME solution to white rings.

Daryl,
Oxygen bleach will probably not work on that one. Use a cotton swab and some white vinegar. Let us know what happens.

I want to put sealer on my kitchen granite top. I have it installed about a year ago and want continue to keep it beautiful. Can I put new sealer directly on top of the sealer that the installer put on it or must I first a clean it . If so how do I clean it other than wiping it clean with soap and water and thenwaiting 24 hours to make it sure is dry.

Ted,
Read the directions on the label of the sealer you intend to use. If they are unclear, then call their 800#.

We have a light-shade granite countertop. I want to improve the seal. Should I use WB (water based)or SB (solvent based) sealer? Is it safe to put one on top of the other? Can I put too much on? Will it accumulate over time?
-km

Kevin,
I think this column answers all of your questions. Buy the most-expensive sealer you can find and *read* the label to answer the rest of your questions.

What are your recommendations for 1) Granite Sealer product and 2) Travertine sealer product?

Quentin,
Visit a business that fabricates the stone. These are at the center of the vortex. Buy the most expensive sealer you can find. They typically have the best ingredients.

We have new granite countertops in kitchen, installed 6 months ago. There has always been a "dust" that collects each day after I wipe with just H20 or granite cleaner....it just always comes on the island portion. The a/c duct is just above this, and I wonder if it is a problem with the sealing of that portion of the granite, or could it just be "dust" from the duct??? Have you ever heard of "dust" collecting on the surface each day?? Thanks

Laurelle,
It is just a dust problem. The sealer is fine. You might need better filters in your HVAC system.

I have a client who also has black pearl granite and has trouble with small scrathes. Our local granite shop said after we fix the scratches, we should also find this European protection products (they don't have any other info on the product - just heard about it). 1st Question - what do you recommend to repair the scratches? 2nd - do you know of this protective product or can you recommend a really good one for black pearl? Thanks!

TL,
Never heard of the product. What about an orbital polisher, buffing pad and the polishing rouge used to polish cut ends on marble?

I have an 1950-60 granite sink that is leaking water through the granite.

What should I apply to the granite to seal the sink and prevent the leaking?

Thanks

We just had new granite countertop installed,installer applied an oil based sealer.. How long do I have to wait before I wipe it down,and what do I use to wipe it. Please tell me how to clean the sealer .

I have read conflicting articles about the use of clorox based products on granite.
Can a mister clean sponge or clorox wipe ruin granite?
If either of these products was wiped on a granite countertop one time after instillation to clean it, can it be fixed if it was wrong?
Will a high quality sealer correct it?
I was told just mild soap and water to clean it or Murphys oil to clean it, is this correct?

Pete,
Maybe a clear epoxy????

Nick,
What does it say to do on the label of the sealer? You are best to ask these questions to the sealer manufacturer. After all, it is their product.

Connie,
I use regular liquid dish soap and water on my granite tops. NOTHING else.

We had Black Pearl granite counters installed on Fri. OG Edge is dull and has spots of glue like residue. Also, two spots on counter top at edge are dull looking - don't know if this is from residue on OG edge or not. What can be done. I am still waiting to hear back from installer. He was very vague but mentioned possibly buffing it. Any help would be appreciated.

Ann,
That is caused by a dull shaping bit that created the edge. Buffing will help for sure. This should have been done at the shop, not in your kitchen.

Tim, thanks for the quick response re OG edge dull. Can you tell me what the buffing process entails? Should I be concerned about the counter tops getting dust on them? Will they be able to get two spot off top with buffing, or will it damage the top. Thanks again

Ann,
I can't. There are different ways. Contact two different granite fabricators in your area and ask how they would correct the defect.

Hi Tim: Re: OG Edge build-up and dull spots on counter top. Installer buffed edge and there is a marginal improvement(hardly at all), but more importantly when he buffed the largest dull spot on counter it became bigger and actually looks lighter. They said it is because there was colour added to the Black Pearl and with buffing it took some of this colour out. What do you think our next step is? Would there be some kind of cosmetic polish to just give it a bit more shine. This one spot is in a very obvious corner - you see it right away when you enter the kitchen area. If it was in the far corner I wouldn't care, but no such luck. Thanks again for your assistance.

Ann,
They need to start over. Adding color stains to natural stone?????? That is UNACCEPTABLE. You need to get your money back and go find a fabricator that can do it right. Make sure you look at a small sample of the edge you want on a scrap piece of granite you want. In other words don't *hope* it is going to work this time.

Dear Sir,

I am looking for a sealer for protection of Granite stones and marbles,
would you please send me suitable details of sealers for the Architech's consideration.

Regards,


Albert

I have a chip on the edge of my kitchen granite countertop. A salesperson in a tile store said I should sand it with a (nail) file but I'm not sure if this is a good idea. Do you have any advise on how to smooth a chip before I use a sealer? The kitchen is not yet 2 years old but I am ready to use a sealer.
Also do you recommend any particular sealer?

Thank you

Myrna Kanter

I have a chip on the edge of my kitchen granite countertop and was told by a sales person in a tile store to smooth it with a file (nail). I wasn't sure if this was the correct thing to do and am afraid of making it worse.

The kitchen is less than 2 years old but I'm ready to use a sealer and would like to know your opinion on filing the chip before I use the sealer.

Also can you advise about which sealer to use.

Thank you.

Myrna Kanter

WHAT IS THE BEST GRANITE SEALER TO BUY
AND DO YOU HAVE TO USE STEEL WOOL WHEN
APPLYING THE SEALER AND SHOULD I LET
MY HUSBAND DO IT OR HIRE SOMEONE.

We just had our kitchen countertops installed with granite tile. Our handy man used epoxy grout and when he wiped it down, it left streaky wipe marks on the granite tiles. We have not yet sealed the tiles but we cannot get this epoxy residue off. Should we strip off this partial sealing? We have no idea what to do. Thanks in advance for any help you can give.

i just had a granite countertop put in and it has never been sealed yet, and there are little rough spots in it . will the sealer smoth out the areas?

I just bought a sink and black granite top from Home Decorator's Catalog. Here's link to product: http://www.homedecorators.com/P/Heirloom_Preston_33W_Single_Sink_Cabinet/12 0/
After a few weeks of use in half bath, water marks are appearing. In the description of product it says "hand-polished". It doesn't say "sealed" and no care instructions came. According to my internet research, black granite shouldn't/can't be sealed cuz it's too dense. But then water shouldn't be marking it, right?
1. How do I get water marks off? Yes, we have hard water.
2. Do I seal it and what brands/products do you recommend?

I just purchased new granite counter top for my bathroom from home depot. Box said it was sealed. Placed bottle of hand soap on it and now it have a dark spot. How do I remove this stain? And what sealer do you recommend?

Tim - We had granite counters installed several months ago, and they were beutifully shiny. When the construction was finished, I sealed the counters with sealer that came in a spray pump. I followed the directions, which said to spray the counter, wait 3-5 minutes, spray again, and wipe off any excess after 30 minutes. After applying the sealer, the counters were very dull. I recently polished with a cream sealer/polish which helped a little, but the counters are still nowhere near what they looked like when they were installed. Any adeas on how to get the shine back?

Granite sealers questions