| Q
5987: We
had a limestone (16 inch x 16 inch) tile floor installed in a kitchen
and the contractor was not very good. The floor was uneven to begin
with and should have been leveled before the tile installation. The
floor wasn't leveled and we used a VERY small grout line. Some tiles
adjacent to each other are slightly uneven. Can these uneven tiles
be SANDED down or can something else be done to make it appear more
level. We certainly don't expect perfection but wanted to know if
it could somehow be improved? . Dec
19, reply |
| R1:Probably.
Get ahold of a real professional stone refinisher, Jvc, Expert Panelist |
| Q
5980: We
recently had a limestone hearth installed but it still has not been
polished. The saw marks are still evident and it is installed on a
concrete base and sits 2.5 inches above a maple floor. I am looking
to finish the stone for the best wear and durability. Any suggestions
your end would be appreciated.The edges have been chipped with a chisel
to give a rough effect and I want to be sure if something further
needs to be done to finish / maintain that it is done properly. Have
you experienced any problems with this material in this application?
How should the underlying areas around where the floor meats the slab
be best addressed..Thanks and enjoyed all the articles I've read,
Brgds Bob, Dec 19, Reply |
| R1:
Hi
Bob, I am assuming that the saw marks are on the flat, top surface
of the hearth piece. They should have been sanded out by the fabricator,
or the mason installing the piece. No problem, you can do this yourself,
start with 36 or 40 grit, and work up to the desired finish. In my
shop, most limestone is finished to only 100 or 120 grit, which is
finer than a typical mill finish. As to bringing the surface up to
a polish, this will depend on the limestone you have. Many limestones
will never polish no matter how long and hard you work on them, and
those that will (very compact limestone) are often marketed as marble.
Good luck with the project, and make sure you do something to contain
the dust you are going to create. JVC, Expert Panelist |
| Q
5977: I
have a new, polished black marble vanity top in my bathroom. No one
ever told me I could not clean it with bathroom cleaners to be sure
disinfected . . . Tonight I sprayed on Comet bathroom cleaner and
have ruined my top. A friend lent me her marble cleaner and polish,
but to no avail. There are white splotches all over my top. What can
I do?! I am just sick. Stephanie, Dec 16, Reply
|
| R1:Dear
Stephanie: There is only a solution to your problem: you have to hire
a bona fide stone restoration contractor who will slightly grind (hone)
and re-polish your vanity top back to its original finish. Hey, it's
only money! And BTW, don't you forget to send a heartfelt thank-you
note to the people who sold you the countertop, for the good advice
they gave you about its maintenance requirements. Maurizio, Expert
panelist. |
| R2:
Use
a black granite restorer. It will require a polisher and stel wool
pads and abut two hours, Don |
| R3:
Comet and Ajax are two bleach products that will color spot your granite.
Some good news is that a professional restoration company can remove
those color spots most of the time. You really shouldn't use any home
cleaning products on marble or granite because most of them contain
acids that can burn the polish and eventually burn your stone. Any
local tile distributors should carry daily stone cleaners. But at
this point i wouldn't try to fix it myself and would contact your
local stone restoration company. |
| Q
5975: I
am currently redoing my kitchen. I want to use either marble or limestone
for my counters. After reviewing your site I have pretty much given
up using limestone. Are there certain marble types that are better
than others for countertops (color, honed or polished)? My favorite
is Carrara. Second favorite is Sahara Gold. Shelbey, Dec
16, Reply
|
| R1:
Dear Shelbey: If you don't mind the "change" the stone will
go through over time due to use and abuse, then Honed White Carrara
(low hone) is "your man". Maurizio, Expert panelist. |
| Q
5974: I
have recently bought and laid an untreated French Limestone floor
which I imported from Paris.Now that it has been laid, I am trying
to clean it properly before I treat it.There are blooming marks and
water marks which I have been able to remove,however there are paint
splashes(white water based) that I just cannot remove.I dont want
to damage the floor.Can you suggest anything???? Thanks, enirco,
Dec 16, Reply |
| R1:
Dear Enirco (or is it Enrico?): If you use a paint stripper based
on Methylene Chloride (available at any hardware store) it will not
damage the stone. Now, remember, it's never too early to think about
the proper maintenance of your stone. It's a subject that's all too
often neglected and, as you can tell by reading many of this site
postings, you're not likely to get good information about it from
your dealer or installer. Maurizio, Expert panelist |
| Q
5970: I
have Uba Tuba granite countertops in my kitchen. Two slabs were laminated
together on the edge to make the overhang, and the seam connecting
them is quite visible, although it is very narrow. The installer said
this was due to the crystalline structure of the stone and that nothing
could be done about it. It isn't terribly unsightly except when the
sun shines right on the edge of the granite. So, is it unfixable?
Thanks for your help. Ellen, Dec
15, Reply |
| R1:
Dear Eleen: The lamination of an edge is one of those areas where
you separate the men from the boys. Certain "granites" will
"show" more than others. Ubatuba, due to its crystalline
structure is one of those that show the least. But then again, it
is visible somehow, and the perception of "quite visible"
varies greatly from an individual to another. Now, remember, it's
never too early to think about the proper maintenance of your stone.
Maurizio, Expert panelist |
| Q
5969: I
put conglomerate marble throughout my entire house including half
way up the wall in the bathroom and my entire master shower. I wish
I had seen this web site before I did it. My problem is the tile is
turning white in the shower and not from any deposits in my water.
It also looks like it is dulling in front of my front door. It looks
good otherwise. Is there anything I can do to restore the luster?
What should I use for cleaning? It looks fine when wet. I would be
glad to pay for this information but couldn't figure out how to pay
and ask at the same time.Can you help me? Peggy, Dec 15, Reply
|
| R1:
Dear
Peggy: Well, the way it works is: first you pay and then you ask!
:-) I do believe I have the solution to your problem. Gimme a holler
at: Maurizio@findstone.com and get in touch with me. There's a little
fee involved (as you will be told), but I'll be glad to help. What's
more I will even tell you how to get all of your money back! What
more do you want from me? :-) Maurizio, Expert panelist |
| Q
5968:I am building a new house,what kind of marble flooring should
i use for the indoor entrance area as well as ther bathroom floors
and walls...polished versus the other types....giorgio, Dec 15, Reply
|
| R1:
Dear
Giorgio: Most marbles are quite suitable. Polished versus honed? Which
one do you like better? They will both require maintenance, but polished
will turn out to be easier to do. Maurizio, Expert panelist |
| Q
5967: My
question is I have two slabs of this avanza natural quartz countertop.
There is a huge scratch that is rather deep along the front of one
of them. How in the world can i fix this ? Or what type of material
would be best to use in my attempts to fix this. and then sand it
out. What is the best sealant to put on afterwards? Any help would
be great. As I have found no body in mississippi to even come look
and attempt to help me figure it out.I was thinking your products
would help me however, i just don't know that much about theses avanza
made countertop material to know what is WRONG and what is RIGHT.?
any advise you could provide would be greatly appreciated.Thanks a
million, Judi, Dec 15, Reply
|
| R1:
Dear
Judi: "Avanza" is a particular type of engineered stone
that's different from the mainstream because of the way is made and
shaped. I am not at all familiar with any possible means and procedures
to repair it. Maurizio, Expert panelist |
| Q
5966: we
purchased (have not yet received) a travertine 47' round table made
of travertine. We were told that no maintenance was required. If we
dropped mustard or red wine, etc. on the table would it stain and
how would we remove it, if it did. Does the table require a sealer
and if yes how often. Len, Dec 15, Reply
|
| R1:
Dear
Len: Your travertine table top does require a sealer all right. It's
called: glass!No impregnator/sealer or topical sealer under the sun
will ever prevent acid etching ("water stains' or "rings").
The idea of having a sheet of glass cut to size and put on top of
the travertine is the only final solution possible. A few of my customers
followed that advice and are quite happy! Maurizio, Expert panelist
|
| Q
5962: I have had Madura Gold granite countertops installed in my kitchen
recently. After installation and having paid alot of money for it,
I noticed that the stone's finish is not absolutely smooth and there
are some knicks in it. I called the installer and they told me that
this is the way Madura Gold is... that you will have knicks in it
and there is nothing they could do about it. I am very upset about
this as it looks like it is defective and I paid good money for it.
Could you tell me if this is true about this type of stone? Your advice
is appreciated. Thanks. Marilyn, Dec
15, Reply |
| R1:
Dear Marilyn: Without actually seeing the alleged
severity of the nicks you're reporting I can't make a final assessment,
but pitting is common to all true geological granites and most commercial
granites, too. Now, remember, it's never too early to think about
the proper maintenance of your stone. Maurizio, Expert panelist |
| Q
5961: We have just installed polished marble in the shower and tumbled
marble on the shower floor. Please advise if the sealer will fill
the pitted holes in the tumbled marble, or do we fill them with the
grout. Also please advise what cleaner to use in the shower, and on
the floor, and if we should we should avoid certain types of soaps.
Thankyou. Maureen, Dec 15, Reply |
| R1:
Dear Maureen: Far what I can understand you have tumbled travertine
in your shower stall floor. Terrific stone, mind you, but you must
fill the holes with unsanded grout. About the types of soap to be
avoided, as a general rule liquid soaps are better than bars. Maurizio,
Expert panelist |
| Q
5960: We
are updating our kitchen and we think we are going with Uba Tuba granite
for the counter tops. I’ve had three people warn me to stay away
from black granite because it will show water spots and looks terrible.
My kitchen has a lot of sunlight coming in too which I fear will make
it worse. Is this advice I should be concerned about? Nancy,
Dec 15,
Reply |
| R1:
Dear Nancy: First off, the last time a checked Ubatuba was green,
not black. Second, the main reason why black granite (and Ubatuba,
too) show "water stains" is because most fabricators are
convinced that black granite and Ubatuba are granite, and what they
have "learned" (by the salesmen) is that all granites need
to be sealed or else! So, they religiously seal everything in sight
that doesn't move, including their own brains! If you will not seal
your Ubatuba, you will never have to worry about "water stains",
nor any other stain, I promise!Maurizio, Expert panelist |
| Q
5959: I
recently had a rosewood counter top installed. The contractor sealed
it twice. Someone in my house left a soiled pot on it and now I have
a circular stain on the granite. How can I remove the stain when I
don't know what type of stain it is. Liz,
Dec 15, Reply |
| R1:
Dear
Liz: You're gonna have to play detective! Try to poultice it with
HP first, and if that won't work, try acetone. When it comes to stain
removal, either you buy one of those expensive "Professional
kits" Maurizio, Expert panelist |
| Q
5958: We
have bought a brand new home from Lennar and upgraded the kitchen/entry
flooring to marble. When we inspected the work, we were upset and
horrified to find many of the tiles being uneven and misaligned. Upon
our notification to the builder, they promptly replied that "This
has been checked and is in accordance to industry standards for tolerance."
We've since been scouring the internet and asking local contractors
for such "standards" but have had no luck. Can you enlighten
us by explaining what these standards are and what organization backs
them up? Thank you.Charlie, Dec 15, Reply |
| R1:
Dear Charlie: The industry standard for "lippage" on marble
tiles is 1/32" and it is sanctioned by both the National Tile
Council of America and the Marble Institute of America. If you can
tell all those "lips" by just looking at your floor, it
only means that they are way beyond standards! Demand to have the
whole thing ripped out and done anew by somebody not even remotely
related in any way to the "Michelangelo" (lowest bidder,
I'm sure!) who pretended to do the installation job at your place.
To tell you the truth, having experienced Lennar's reputation first
hand, there are good chances that the whole installation, from the
sub-floor up is faulty. Maurizio, Expert panelist |
| R2:
In
the tile industry the standards are very vague. In the 75 years of
experience my family has we've seen terrible jobs pass and good ones
not pass. In California our standard is the floor must be flat by
a 1/4" per 8 feet. Your tile lines must be straight within a
1/8" per 8 feet. Now from corner to corner your tiles may look
off but that sometimes results from the stone being out of square
itself. I've had stone come 1/4" out of square in 12X12 which
makes it hard to keep every corner perfectly lined up. But overall
when you look at it it should be straight. The other standard is there
should be no lip or edge of a tile sticking up higher then a nickel.
You can fix that by marble refinish company come grind and refinish
the floor. We have a organization called TCA which stands for Tile
Contractors Association who is supposed to enforce the standards.
|
| |
| Q
5954: Is
it necessary to seal ubatuba and tropic brown granite. The stone will
be used for counter tops. I am getting different answers. Can you
please set the record straight, Rick, Dec
15, Reply |
| R1:
Dear Rick: Nobody can set the record straight for sure, considering
that we're dealing with products of nature. Ubatuba seldom needs to
be sealed (almost never that is). With Tropic Brown there are more
chances. But there are easy ways to find out for sure! Maurizio, Expert
panelist |
| Q
5953:We have some unpolished granite in our entrance way which has
been waxed over the past 40 years. we would now like to remove the
was as it has yellowed. What is the method of removing this old wax.
Jcolbet, Dec
15, Reply |
| R1:
Dear Jcolbet: Yes, of course. You can contact a Janitor Supply Company
in your area and buy a wax stripper. They will also tell you how to
go about it. Maurizio, Expert panelist |
| |
| Q
5951: We
wanted to install Travertine throughout our downstairs. We need to
know if you can lay Trevertine over old secure tile or if we need
to pull up old tile first? Please let us know? Jennefier, Dec 15,
Reply |
| R1:
Dear
Jennifer: Too many variables to consider in order to give you a half
decent answer. Just keep in mind that travertine needs special care
and, usually, it does not need to be sealed (especially when it's
polished). Maurizio, Expert panelist |
| Q
5950: What
is the best way to care for polished dark granite countertops, particularly
for removing water spots? I was told that mineral oil was good, but
that just seems to smear. Lindia, Dec 15, Reply |
| R1:
Dear
Lindia: Mineral oil is no good, and you already found that out! If
you have "water stains" the problem is more serious that
meet the eyes. In fact, you should NOT have "water stains"
one any commercial granite. I must assume that your countertop was
sealed with an impregnator/sealer by the fabricator, while you obviously
have "granite" that did not need to be sealed. The "water
spots" you have are probably due to the presence of the stupid
impregnator that had no business being there to begin with! Have your
fabricator come out and strip the ting off your countertop and live
happily ever after. If for any chance they don't know how to do it
(it's not easy), tell them that I'll be glad to teach them for a consultation
fee. Maurizio, Expert panelist |
| Q
5949: I
am constructing a shower stall and I have a vinyl pan and Portland
floor that will have ceramic tile. I now want to install 12X12 granite
slab tiles on the walls. The walls presently have been prepared with
durarock. Question... Do I use normal thinset to adhere the granite
slabs ( 1/4 inch thick ) to the durarock? Next do I butt them to each
other? How do I seal the joint or is this necessary? Will the grey
granite holdup in a shower stall? do I have to seal the granite with
anything and if so how often? Your help is greatly appreciated. Thank
you. George, Dec
15, Reply |
| R1:
Dear
George: I will answer your question in the same order they were asked:
1) Use white thin-set. 2) NEVER butt-joint!! 1/16" grout gap
is an absolute must for proper grouting. Use sand-less grout and mix
it with latex additive even if it has the stuff in the bag already;
keep it a little bit on the thick side and make sure that you push
it as deep as possible in between the pieces of slab. Take your time:
the proper grouting of a shower stall is vital! Use color matching
caulking in the corners. 3) The question about sealing the joints
is moot after my previous answer. 4) It depends. Does your "granite"
need to be sealed? Run my little lemon juice test to find out. If
it does, I recommend you use my MB-4 Stone Impregnator. It comes with
a 10-year warranty! Maurizio, Expert panelist |
| |
Q
5947: I was trying to clean a blackberry mark from my black galaxy
counter with a sponge, and I stupidly turned the sponge over and used
the "green scrubber" side.
It did clean the berry mark, but left a dull mark with tiny scratches.
It isn't terrible, but I would like to restore this little mark to
its original lustre. I do believe the granite was sealed by the fabricator
and has always cleaned up nicely. Any suggestions??? Thanks for your
help, Barbara Matthews, Dec 15, Reply |
| R1:
Dear Barbara: The fact that the "granite" was sealed by
your fabricator has nothing to do with it. Actually, consider yourself
lucky that the sealing didn't create any problem (Black Galaxy should
NOT be sealed). That said, there is absolutely nothing that you can
do about that. Stone is polished by abrasion and friction, like gemstone,
not by applying some sort of finish onto it. Basically, you scratched
the stone surface, not a sealer of sorts. Only a proven stone restoration
professional could fix your damage. Maurizio, Expert panelist |
| Q
5946: I am having a contractor install a new Granite counter top in
my kitchen.I am helping him with some of the labor to reduce cost.
He instructed me first to remove the current tile counter top and
remove the cement under that, and install 3/4 inch plywood,immediatly
over the cabinets. which I did. But when he came by to make the template
for the counter top, he said that the plywood should be 5/8 inch and
not 3/4 inch, and he said that the plywood might show and bull nose
might not cover it all. He recommended that I should change the plywood
to 5/8"
I already
purchased the 3/4 inch and installed it, nailed and glued. Yest
I am spending a fortune on the new Granite. I would like to know
if it makes a difference to change it the surface to 5/8 inch, or
is the 3/4" OK. By the way the thickness of the Granite slab
is 3/4 inch, but the contractor says that some slabs might not be
exactly 3/4 inch. Please advise as soon as you can since we are
ready to
install the granite. I appreciate your advise and thank you so very
much for your help and valuable information, Fadwa Tarazi, Dec 15,
Reply
|
| R1:
Dear Fadwa Tarazi: Your contractor is 100% right on this one! . Maurizio,
Expert panelist |
| Q
5944: We unfortunately installed a sandy colored limestone in the
master bath.It's impossible to keep clean. Can limestone be glazed
or is there any sort of finishing product that will prevent it from
always looking dirty? The contractor left behind a sealant, which
has an appearance and texture of a clear, lightweight soapy liquid.
It's useless. Marcie, Dec 10, Reply |
| R1:
Dear Marcie: As far as I am concerned, the answer is, NO. But, hey,
you can always go back to the merchant who sold the stuff to you.
They know everything about limestone and then some! After all they
buy and sell lots of it! I am sure that they will prove me wrong!
Maurizio, Expert panelist |
| Q
5943: We
just put granite tile on our countertops. However, the grout color
lightened up by about two shaded and now looks grey instead of the
brown that matched the Tropic Brown tiles. Any suggestions? I thought
about sealing the tile and the grout with a sealant that would make
it look wet.Do I need to seal the Granite or just the grout?
Kelly,
Dec 10, Reply
|
| R1:
Dear
Kelly: There are products to stain grout that work quite well. Only
after you stained the grout to the color you want, will you seal the
whole thing with my MB-4 (of course!). Tropic Brown is a dense stone,
but it still needs to be sealed. Maurizio, Expert panelist |
| |
| Q
5941: My
installer layed "hardybacker" down first (over wood subfloors),
then used thinset to install the travertine tiles. Now I can see small
cracks running parrallel the entire length of the kitchen. The cracks
appear to follow where the hardybacker was butted to each other. Do
I have to have the floor removed? What should have been used on top
of the subfloor? Greta, Dec 10, Reply |
| R1:
Dear Greta: Any given material is as good as the operator who uses
it. There's nothing wrong with using hardy board over plywood, but
there several issues to be reckoned with to ensure an overall good
installation. For what you're telling us, yes, your floor must be
ripped out. Sorry. Maurizio, Expert panelist |
| |
| Q
5938: There
is a paucity of information regarding the interpretation of granite
specs/standards. For example, one sees hardness levels from 6 to 7
Mohs and I know that higher is better but higher means that the stone
has a higher quartz content which makes it more susceptible to water
absorption. Bottom line, which stones have good resistance to stains
and make good kitchen counter tops? Bobbie, Dec
10, Reply
|
| R1:
Dear
Bobbie: There is little relation between the hardness of commercial
granites and their quartz content. Maurizio, Expert panelist |
| Q
5935: we
just installed in our kitchen, and we noticed a lot of hairline cracks.
i've been reading that fissure are normal. is this normal for all
granite? do we need to seal it? or did we get "bad" granite?
where does it originate - (we were told it's italian)? thanks! Dec
10, Reply
|
| R1:
I assume that you're talking about a granite countertop. Airline cracks?...
Fissures are not common to all "granites", but they are
usually only a few inches log at best, and easily recognizable. Lots
of hairline cracks are only the premonition of more serious problems
to come. I sincerely hope that I am wrong on this one. Maurizio, Expert
panelist |
| Q
5933: We just ordered 4"x4" limestone tiles to place in
our foyer. After reading the questions submitted on your site, I'm
not so sure we should install this type of product in the main hallway.
I thought this product was very dense and therefore fairly resistant
to stain but many of the questions submitted were about stains. Would
you recommend limestone for a hallway and if so, what sort of treatment
would we use after installation. We will be attempting installation
ourselves, is there any tricks of the trade you could suggest to make
this less painless, and, how much grout is recommended. It doesn't
appear that you use much between the tiles, I think the idea is to
have the floor appear somewhat seamless. Is that correct? Any assistance
you could offer would be greatly appreciated. Glo,
Dec 10, Reply
|
| R1:
Dear
Glo: While most limestone will lead to a successful installation,
there are too many cases with unsolvable problems (see posting Q 5924
below) for me to advise anybody to use such material. Hone-finished
marble would be a much better choice. That said, you need to use white
thin-set and leave a 1/16" gap for proper grouting (Sandless
grout only). "Butt-joint" installation is a big NO-NO. Now,
remember, it's never too early to think about the proper maintenance
of your stone. Maurizio, Expert panelist |
Q
5932: I
had my kitchen done in granite last year. It is less than a year old.
My problem is I am noticing some small chips in certain areas of the
counter tops.
We are not miss using the granite in any way. Everything I have read
says the only thing that can cause it to chip is severe mis use.Any
comments or suggestions would greatly be apprieciated, Lisa,
Dec 10, Reply
|
| R1:
Dear
Lisa: What kind of "chips" are you exactly talking about?
Chips on the edges of the countertop, or in the middle of it? If they
are on the edges you must have hit the stone with some blunt object.
If they are in the middle … have you been using some sort or
glass cleaner or some home-brewed concoctions to clean your counter
on a daily basis for any chance? Maurizio, Expert panelist |
Q
5930: There
is a lady in my town who has what she says "is a very rare piece
of marble." I need to know it this is true or if you know where
I can obtain information about this type of marble. She called it
Rose DeMaskus (I'm not sure of the spelling).
She said it's an italian marble that she had shipped from a closed
mine in Brazil. She said she had an entire slab shipped over to Louisiana
and had her entire bathroom finished with the Rose DeMaskus. I don't
know anything about marble so I need to know if I should consider
purchasing this piece of marble from her.
She has the counter top piece which she says is approx. 1/6th of a
slab. (It looks like it's approx. 3' x 4'). It appears to be in excelllent
condition except for one end has been broken off. The other end is
smooth and polished.
Can I find this marble elsewhere or would it be in my best interest
to purchase the marble piece from her and what should I pay for the
marble piece? Also, I would need to get the raw end cut and polished
and approx. how much would I expect to pay for that service?
Any help on this subject would be greatly appreciated. Debra, Dec
10, Reply
|
| R1:
Dear
Debra: An Italian marble quarried in Brazil??? How would you call
a Brazilian marble, then?! I know that there are lots of Italian emigrants
in Brazil, but they are usually people. I never heard of a whole quarry
of marble moving to another country!! :-) That story is enough to
make me go: Mmm... Look, if you like the stuff (whatever that is)
and the price is something that you feel comfortable with (please,
don't ask me how much it should cost!), then buy it. If not, leave
it there! About the repair you should get hold of a bona fide stone
restoration contractor to find out about the charge. Maurizio, Expert
panelist |
| Q
5929: I'm
hoping you can help answer the question of how to clean flagstone
used as flooring indoors. We recently renovated a 1920 cottage using
Wiarton flagstone in the porch, bathroom, mudroom and first floor
bedroom. Sadly, shortly after completing the work we experienced a
terrible flood which brought a tremendous amount of water and topsoil
into the house saturating the flooring along with the grout. I have
tried acid washing them but with little result. Can you recommend
what else might work and what we could seal them with that wouldn't
leave them shiny or discolored. Paula, Dec 10, Reply
|
| R1:
Dear
Paula: Did you consult with the dealer who sold the stuff to you?
If they can't tell you what to do, I do believe I have the solution
to your problem. Maurizio, Expert panelist |
| Q
5926: I
purachase a granite counter top. It is called "Pepperino"
I have had problems since day 1 with staining. I am in the process
now of cleaning some stains with a poultice of Acetone and paper towels
as you recommended. Can you advise me as to what kind of stone I have
because it seems that everything that touches it stains it. I have
had the fabricator come back on two different occasions and reseal
but that was at least six months ago. Do I have reeal granite or an
imposter. It is suppose to be granite from China.Thank you Doris,
Dec 10, Reply
|
| R1:
Dear
Doris: Well, of course it is not granite! What else is new?! I jost
so happen to have seen this "Pepperino" stuff. Very absorbent
stone! You've got to know what you're doing when sealing it, and it
does not seem to be the "forte" of your installer. Maurizio,
Expert panelist |
| |
Q
5924: We have recently had limestone installed on the entire first
floor of our home. It extends from the front door, to the kitchen,
dining, living and bath areas. The problem after installation was
a spotty, hazy white finish only viewable from an angle (such as when
you walk in the front door and look at the floor). At first we were
told by our installer that the floor was dirty and just had to clean
it. Upon doing so many, many times, nothing changed. Then the installer
told us he forgot to clean the floor before sealing it. So, we fired
the installer and got another installer.
This new installer spent two days stripping the floor (SMELLY!!!)
and then putting on two coats of "enhancer" to bring out
the deep-richness of the stone; which did look better, but didn't
solve the white haze problem. Then this new installer suggested coming
back to "deep clean" the floor again and then polish it
with a polishing machine. Well again, no difference! Now he wants
to put a shiny top coat on the limestone, but can't guarantee the
outcome of our not wanting the white haze. Finally, the new installer
said "ya know, it might be bad limestone". Uugghh!! Please
give me thought on this nightmare flooring! It constantly looks dirty
no matter how much money we spend on it! Thanks and I look forward
to hearing from you. Theresa, Dec 10, Reply
|
| R1:
Dear
Theresa: I really hate to be the "I told you so" guy, but
… how many times have I advised people to stay away from limestone?
Of course I don't know exactly what happened to your limestone, but
I can promise you that your problem has no solution. Sorry. But, hey,
you can always go back to the merchant who sold the stuff to you.
They know everything about limestone and then some! After all they
buy and sell lots of it! I am sure that they will prove me wrong!
Maurizio, Expert panelist |
| Q
5923: Hi-we
are a church with a large narthex of what I think is Vermont tile.
The surface is multi-colored with uneven stones. It has dulled over
time-it has been down for 30 years. There are also a some white spots
close to the edge of the tiles near the walls. Do we need to deep
clean and reseal? What would you recommend? We would like a little
shine-but not slippery for safety reasons-can you help? Wesely,Dec
10, Reply
|
| R1:
Dear
Wesley: The only piece of advice that I feel like giving you is to
get hold of a bona fide stone restoration outfit and let them assess
your current situation and the proper course of action to rectify
it. Maurizio, Expert panelist |
| Q
5922: We are considering honed slate as a countertop in the bathroom
- it is beautiful, and fairly low maintenance (so we were told). Could
you please tell me if honed slate would be suitable for a vanity countertop?
And if not, what would your top recommendation be for a vanity countertop?
Thanks. jackie, Dec 10, Reply
|
| R1:
Dear
Jackie: You're absolutely right: "So we were told"!!! Drive
away from it fast enough to leave skid marks on the ground! The top
recommendation would be the right "granite" of course, but
there are several other stones (marble included) that would fit the
bill. Maurizio, Expert panelist |
| Q
5921: I
have ubatuba granite countertops in my kitchen. The installer did
something wrong on one rectangular corner which left a cloudy finish.
I am unable to find the installer now and am trying to find some way
to polish the countertop so that the surface appears uniform. Is such
a problem addressed in your maintenance guide ? I appreciate your
help! Janis, Dec 10, Reply
|
| R1:
Dear
Janis: No it is not. You won't find anything in a bottle that could
solve your problem. You need to hire a proven stone refinishing contractor
to do that. Needless to say, however, my maintenance guidelines wouldn't
be a waste of money, even if they don't solve that particular problem
for you. You still have to face routine maintenance of your top, don't
you? :-) Maurizio, Expert panelist |
| Q
5920: I have a soap stone shower base that I don't know how to care
for. I have used strong cleaners on it and now it is all white and
dried out looking. What do I do to fix this? Darlene, Dec 10, Reply
|
| R1:
Dear
Darlene: Try to soak it with mineral oil. Maurizio, Expert panelist
|
| |
| Q
5918: I
love your web site. It is very informative. I have a more serious
problem than a typical rust stain. We have white Carrara marble shower
and the veins are rusting deep into the marble. I have tried a few
things but can’t seem to remove it. I am able to remove the surface
rust stains using hydrogen peroxide on paper towel covered in plastic.I
have also tried poultice left on for a week. I am concerned about
dissolving the marble. Any thoughts as to how to get rid of this deeper
rusting? Thanks in advance for your suggestions. Lloyd, Dec 10, Reply
|
| R1:
Dear
Lloyd: Nope! But if the rusting keeps coming up you have a problem
of migration of moisture through the core of the stone from behind
the tiles. In layman talk: you've got water behind them marble tiles.
If that's the case, you're in a world of hurt! Where the tiles set
"butt-jointed" for any chance? Maurizio, Expert panelist |
| Q
5915: My new Gallo St. Cecilia kitchen countertops developed a dark
stain (ring) around the sink sprayer about a week after it the plumber
installed the faucet, sprayer, handle and soap dispenser. I told him
to be sure to use the adhesive for granite so it would not bleed into
the stone. He came to look at it and said there was no water leak
and assured me they used the correct adhesive. I am still skeptical
that by accident they used the wrong stuff and then realized their
mistake and used the correct stuff in the other 3 drilled holes. The
plumber says to talk to the granite guy but since the problem did
not develop until after the plumber installed the faucet and sprayer,
I don’t think the granite people will help me. Would the poultice
work on this type of stain? Thanks, Sandy, Dec
10, Reply
|
| R1:
Dear
Sandy: If the plumber had used plumber's putty you would have had
the stain in a matter of a few hours, not a week. What I think is
happening is that when you use the sprayer there is a condensation
of water in the part of the piping hidden by the stone (it's like
the condensation of water on the outside of a glass filled with cold
water). Such condensation gets absorbed by the sides of the hole and
shows up as a darkening or the surrounding area. Ask for advice to
your granite people on how to remove the stain first and then solve
the problem. Maurizio, Expert panelist |
| Q
5914: Can
you use marble slabs for keeping foods warm? In order to do so can
you heat the slabs in the oven and or the microwave? JB,Dec
10, Reply
|
| R1:
Dear
JB: It depends on the marble. Most class "A" marble are
suitable for that purpose, but, as a general rule, using granite instead
would be much better. Maurizio, Expert panelist |
| Q
5913: I just had a beige Gascogne limestone, 18 by 18, placed in my
bathroom a few days ago; I went out to look at the installation and
noticed that my limestone now looks humid and dark, When I chose these
specific tiles(which I hand picked), they were a light soft beige,
dry looking. Is this change normal???? The installer said he put on
a sealant which he wasn't supposed to do....but besides that, it just
doesn't have the same beauty anymore. Any Ideas? Also when I was out
there a few days ago the "wet" product they had on had an
"oily" feel, I don't know if that helps? Any feedback would
be greatly appreciated. Audrey,
Dec 10, Reply
|
| R1:
Dear
Audrey: Let's just hope that the dark humid spots will disappear over
time as the setting material will cure and dry. If the installer used
regular thin-set (ooposed to the white one) you may have a permanent
discoloration. Sure enough, the premature application of an impregnator/sealer
does not help. The fact itself that you chose limestone for a bathroom
environment does not help, either. Maurizio, Expert panelist |
| Q
5912: The
fellow at the stone store told us the granite was quarried in Brazil,
and available in the USA. The name of it was Emerald pearl granite.
The granite is black with pea size white flecks in it. We were told
it was a good choice for kitchen counter tops (he sells it, would
he tell us it's a bad choice)? I can't find this on your extensive
list of granites. Can you help? Also is resining done to all granite
before the slabs are sent to the market retailers, and how will I
know if it is? The builder we're dealing with has a good reputation
and supposedly so does the stone store, but I'd rather error on the
side of caution. Carguy, Dec 10, Reply
|
| R1:
Dear
Carguy: No, not all "granites" are resined: only those that
could benefit from the process. Emerald Pearl (which is in the list
of the 150 most popular granites) is a Larvikite from Norway and it's
an excellent choice for a kitchen countertop indeed! However, the
way you describe it, what you're dealing does not sound like it! In
fact, Emerald Pearl is green, not black with pea-size white flecks
in it. At this point I don't know what stone you're actually facing.
Besides, I seldom comment about any one particular stone. There may
be differences within the same stone (and I'm not talking about looks,
here!) from one bundle of slabs and the next. The slabs may have also
been either "doctored" (which is bad), or "resined"
(which is good) by the factory, which would make a big difference.
Maurizio, Expert panelist |
| |
| Q
5910: I
built my house 10 years ago. My interior designer talked me in to
using polished black marble in my master bath, including the shower.
Big mistake! 5 years ago I replaced the marble in the shower stall
with Granirex. I am wanting to get rid of the marble on the floor
and also a Jacuzzi tub deck. I came across Catalina granite and wondered
how well it would hold up in a bathroom? My house is very expensive
and I want to reflect that in the materials used. Is there some other
stone that you would recommend that is low maintenance and holds up
well around water. I don't want to make the same mistake again? Mark,
Dec 10, Reply |
| R1:
Dear Mark: I really don't know much about this "Catalina"
"granite", but there are indeed many stones that could be
enjoyable, make a statement, and be very easy to maintain. I Maurizio,
Expert panelist |
| Q
5909: Have
been reading your messages. Could you please sent me "How to
Shop for a Kitchen Countertop. and also comprehensive maintenance
guidelines on residential stone installations. We are considering
a granite counter top..ubatuba..for our remodel. HOw is this verses
Caesarstone?thank you Vickie, Dec 10, Reply |
| R1:
Dear Vickie: Ubatuba is better than engineered stone. About the two
articles you are requesting, they are available for a small fee (which
could be refundable) ("Maurizio's Dos and Don'ts"). Maurizio,
Expert panelist |
Q
5908: I have a shower with beige limestone (I don't know what kind)
walls and
floor, installed about a year ago. The floor has developed a brown
stain which is also on the walls up to about 4". I have tried
household cleaners but the stain is still there.
A local stone expert told me he thought it was water seepage through
the grout or drain. The contractor who did the work recently died
so I can't go back to him.
This is the third try at the shower. The first two attempts were marble
rectangles on the walls which leaked water and deteriorated so the
third try was solid slabs of limestone.
Do you agree that it is probably water leakage? If so, what do I do
about it? If I don't do anything, how bad is it likely to get? Thanks.
John, Nov
29, Reply |
R1:
Hi John. Wish I had some more information about this, but in general,
limestone is a fairly absorbent stone, and even though I work with
different limestones daily, I would be hesitant to recommend one for
a shower application. Questions for you, Was the stone honed or polished?,
was the stone sealed, and if so with what, and how many applications?
What "household cleaners"
have been used on the stone? (limestone is highly reactive to anything
acidic) Have you tried not using the shower for a period of time (
2 weeks or so) to see if the discoloration goes away. It may be that
the stone is saturated and the moisture is wicking up the walls, and
it will need to dry out before it can be properly sealed anyway. Or
the problem could be with the drain weepholes and the pan below the
stone floor. I'm not at all qualified to go into that other than to
say that's a major problem. and probably means a tear out and redue.
As a general discourse on limestone: limestone makes up the majority
of stone types exposed on the surface of this planet. To be classified
as a limestone it must be a sedimentary rock with at least 50% calcium
carbonate in it's composition. The other 50% can be composed of anything
that may have settled on the sea floor while the stone was being formed.
These other components have a tremendous effect on the structure,
hardness, density, appearance, and potential functionality of the
formation. There are literally thousands of limestone formations,
but only a small percentage of these are truly suitable for building
purposes or dimensioned stone. In the part of the world I live in
there is a section of stone that is thousands of feet thick, and covers
some 60 million years of sedimentary deposition. Much of this section
is composed of limestone formations, but there are maybe 4 or 5 that
are used for building stone, and less than that for dimensioned stone.
The rest, for one reason or another, are pretty much worthless for
this purpose, but are valuable in other ways such as crushed rock
for road base, agricultural lime, a component in portland cement etc.
In today's booming natural stone market there are many many stones
of different types that are being marketed for purposes they are not
suited for. That is the result of no industry regulations or standards,
and why my friend Maurizio talks about education before the sale.
Unfortunately, many of those that need the education the most are
too busy writingorders, and don't have time to learn anything about
the productsthey are selling. So we have forums of this type full
of tailsof woe, that hopefully help others make educated choices,
or eventually, the industry may shoot itself in the foot. That's my
two cents worth. JVC |
R1:Dear
john, from your question i see that the limestone cladding is not
quite old.
may be there is a water leak somewhere behind it.
my advise pull down the slabs check for any leaks, dry up the limestone
in sun. may be the water marks will go. if not go in for new slabs.
but first clear up any leak behind the slabs. if it is absorbing water
from the front side then it should soak up water all over the slab.
since you say it is only in patches it sure must be a leak behind
the slabs.Dilip |
| Q
5907: I
am looking into making indoor bathroom sinks from blocks of either
Thai sandstone or Palimanan sandstone from Indonesia. I want a honed/polished
finish and I am wondering about the suitability of these stones for
the purpose and also what kind of water and stain resistant treatments
I should give them. Your advice would be appreciated, Thank you, John,
Nov 29, Reply |
| R1:
Limestone is not advisable for your requirement try granite. Dilip |
| Q
5906: Me
again about the green marble......I looked at the pictures. The weight
veins are more pronounced on mine....Cant really tell much on internet
pictures between the diffrent green marbles. I did take a piece and
sprayed it with vinegar. Nothing happened. Muratic acid out of the
bottle made the veins bubble up and dissolve. I can drill it with
out too much trouble. I guess that means its not Vermonte Verde for
sure. Nov
29, Reply |
| Q
5905: I have just purchased/installed Marble countertops in two of
my new bathrooms (Botticino in one and occianata? in the other). I
was told by an "expert" in the field to clean them with
rubbing alcohol. He raved aboutusing alcohol and said that they wouldn't
even need to be sealed again if rubbing alcohol was used frequently.
How good is this advice and what are some cons of using rubbing alcohol?
Any info will be greatly appreciated. Flippini,
Nov 29, Reply |
| R1:
Dear Filippini: (It's "Breccia Oniciata". Terrific stone!)
Do you own a gun, or a baseball bat, or somethin'? Use it the next
time you see that genius! Nobody is going to press charges against
you!! :-) Maurizio, Expert panelist |
Q
5904: 1)How would granite with "movement" (such as "Colombo")
look in a small (60+/- feet of counter space) U-shaped kitchen counter?
2)Any advice on accentuating cabinet colors versus contrasting them,
with granite counter tops, for the same small kicthen (10'x10')?I'd
appreciate your advice.Jerry. Nov
29, Reply |
| R1:
Dear Jerry: I'm sorry, but I make a lousy interior decorator. I am
a plain blue-collar stone mechanic who's even 25% colorblind! :-)
Maurizio, Expert panelist |
| Q
5901: I
have seen honed slate tile kitchen countertops that looked pretty
but a friend of mine is discouraging me from using them. She says
they stain and do not hold up very well. What is the skinny? Pros
and Cons.Kitchen for a family of five 2 adults - 3 kids - and lots
of little friends coming over to eat. Smith, Nov 29, Reply |
| R1:
Dear
Smith: You have a REAL friend and you don't even realize it! Listen
to him (or her)! Maurizio, Expert panelist |
| Q
5900: I
have a question regarding a so called marble wall slab. I have a contractor
telling me that the wall in a bath being remodeled is 1/4 inch marble
slabs.. I did not believe they made 1/4 inch marble slabs due to the
veins in marble? do they? thanks, Scott,
Nov 29, Reply |
| R1:
Dear
Scott: They recently introduced that (5 or 6 years ago). Its kind
of veneer marble - real marble, mind you - backed with some sort of
epoxy resin. Very tough stuff! So … it could be! Maurizio, Expert
panelist |
| Q
5899: I
have placed five 3'X6' "Granite" monuments within our cemetery.
When they arrived they were beautiful. Since then (three years) the
sprinklers have left heavy water deposits on the monuments. What can
we do to remove the spots and get the monuments back to a respectable
appearance? We have used grill bricks, but no positive results, Garett,Nov
29, Reply |
| R1:
Dear Garret: I'm afraid that it could be more than mineral deposits.
Certain "granites" are sensible to outdoors elements. Get
hold of a bona fide stone restoration contractor and ask them to assess
the situation. Maurizio, Expert panelist |
| Q
5898: I
have this Maryland Rubble stone fireplace. During our remodel a bottle
of detergent was placed on the harth. Now there is a white spot on
this stone. I have tried water, minerial spirits, murick acid to remove
this spot and nothing has seemed to remove this spot. Is there any
product out there to remove this spot? Jackie,Nov 29, Reply |
| R1:
Dear Jackie: Your stone has been etched, not stained. Stains are always
darker that the original finish of the stone. It's like fabric: stains
make it darker or of a different color (still darker), while bleach
make them lighter. A bleach stain is not a stain! Considering the
rough surface of your stone it is technically impossible to repair
the etch mark. But … does it "disappear" when you wet
it with water? If that's the case, the application of a good-quality
stone color enhancer (like my MB-6), will take care of that permanently.
My consumer products are available through the link "Maurizio's
products" . All my products come with a 100% money back guarantee
if not completely satisfied! Maurizio, Expert panelist |
| Q
5897: We
recently had polished marble flooring installed in various areas of
our home (baths and entryway/hallway). Unfortunately, the installer
did not properly clean the grout in the master bath and left a haze.
On top of that, he scratched several tiles in the entryway. While
attempting to repolish the scratched tiles, he nicked the adjacent
tiles and ultimately dulled the finish to several tiles. A stone restorer
has subsequently resurfaced all floors via the crystallation method
(per the restorer) to remove the grout haze, remove the scratches,
and even out the appearance. The floors now no longer have the highly
polished appearance. It has a rather honed finish. The restorer indicates
that it would be impossible to restore the look of the floor to its
original lustre. In observing his work, he used a huge steel pad under
the polisher with a spray bottle. Thereafter, he sealed the floors
and rebuffed. Still dull. He told me to keep the floors dry for 48
hours and then follow up with a mopping using hot water mixed with
Murphy's Oil Soap diluted 20:1. Should he have used a diamond pad
with polishing paste/powders? Also, is it true that the stone can
only be brought to approximately 90% of its original lustre? From
a scale of 1-10, I would say the entryway/hallway floors are a 7,
with the master bath a 3. The restorer will be returning in about
10 days to rebuff (repolish?) the master bath to bring up the shine.
Whatever guidance you can provide would be greatly appreciated. Thank
you. Mia. Nov 29, Reply |
| R1:
Dear
Mia: You really dialed my number with this one! It looks to me like
you've got "Michelangelo" first, and then his brother!!
:-) Crystallization is the most disgraceful thing that could happen
to marble. Unfortunately, since the stone industry is totally unregulated
on this subject, nobody has the gumption to ban such make-believe
"polishing" method once and for all. The guy is obviously
a total fraud using a non-professional fraudulent (yet legally accepted,
alas) method of stone "restoration", which does NOT restore
the stone by a long shot, and can actually damage the stone itself.
The fact that he could not bring your marble back to a high gloss,
and that the guy gave you that lame statement about the "impossibility"
to reproduce a factory finish polish, further proves that he should
be polishing (oops, sorry: "crystallizing" - whatever the
heck that means!) marble floors in jail! Yes, the way to go should
have been diamond honing and powder- polishing. Can it be done now?
Yes, but it's gonna be very difficult and very expensive, because
of the crysta-crap sitting on your floor. The only way to rectify
the whole thing is to grind (and I do mean: GRIND) the whole floor,
followed by honing and polishing. If you add to that all the edging
work all along the walls, you're in for a big ticket item! (Figure
anywhere between $8 and $10 per square foot!) And all this just for
having crysta-crapped your floor once! If I were you, I would demand
that "Michelangelo" to totally remove the crystal-crap he
put on your floor, on the grounds that you just don't want it. It's
a powerful argument, because you wanted the stone restored to its
original factory finish, not coated with some sort of transparent
hard crust. And if he can't polish marble he should have told you
so, and stated that he can only do that s-t instead. The fact is,
however, that you will only tell that to him, because you don't really
want him to do something as demanding from a professional point of
view as grinding your floor!! He did enough damage already, thank
you very much! This will only deliver the message that you will be
calling a real pro to do the job right and that hew will have to pay
for the grinding part of the job, or else you will drag his butt in
court. Trust me, even if it's legally accepted, you can build a strong
winning case against crystallization. I did that already a few years
back assisting a customer in court. And it was a hands-down victory,
too, because no crysta-crapper in the world can bring any real stone
expert in court to endorse the method!. Maurizio, Expert panelist |
| Q
5894: My
family owns and operates a monument sales and installation business,
a few years ago Chinese granite became available to us but upon advice
given to us by a local granite trade association we have thus far
declined to use any Chinese granite. The association says that within
a few years of being in the weather the stone will start bleeding
rust from the higher iron content it has, they also claim a magnet
will stick to the stone due to the iron content. They say this only
about Chinese granite, no other granite from any other part of the
world is mentioned. I can understand the associations concern wanting
to protect it's members and customers from an inferior product or
mabye another motive would be that the Chinese granite can be purchased
at a far less price than a comparable granite from say Africa and
this process is hurting the local market. In all my searching I have
found nothing to say the associations claims to be correct. Thanks
for any information anyone can give. J.C. Nov
29, Reply |
| R1:
Dear J.C.: You're absolutely right. Consider one thing: the Man upstairs
did not invent geography! The reputation of a country about quality
products can be only related to technical know-how and workmanship,
never to products of nature! Are they trying to tell you that a pure
rough diamond from Paraguay is not as good as a pure rough diamond
from South Africa just because it was mined in Paraguay? :-) Whether
the particular stone you're making reference to is rich in iron mineral,
it could be (several commercial granites, from all over the world
are), but that has nothing to do with the fact that it's coming from
China. Maurizio, Expert panelist |
Q
5893: My name is Dan Williams and I am an owner/ builder. I am in
the early construction stages of a new home (we are pouring the foundation
next week). The house is in the Santa Fe style and we like browns,
taupes, golds and reds. The home is 3100 sq. ft. (interior) and has
two exterior porches with a connecting walkway. I am considering installing
slate throughout the house except for the bedrooms (carpeting instead).
I would also like to install a complementary (colorwise) granite as
a countertop in the kitchen and bathrooms (X3). So far, several granite
candidates that we are considering are Dakota Mahogany and Baltic
Brown. I would also like to use the slate as a baseboard in the rooms
that is installed in and on the shower walls. I need help in:
- Identifying a slate that meets our color criteria and is a good
maintenance choice in a house with two small children and an active
kitchen.
- When estimating the amount to order, how much over should one order.
(I am an owner/builder but I have hired a custom builder as a supervisor)
- Granite (or other countertop) recommendations (I have read many
of your responses on the website, including the lemon juice test)
My main concerns here are complementing the slate floor colors and
maintenance. Dan, Nov 29, Reply |
R1:
Dear Dan:Lots of questions! May I ask you what's in it for me
if I answer them, since you obviously don't trust the people you will
eventually be giving your money to (and I don't blame you for
that!), but also carefully avoided to pay my tiny consultation fee?
Let me tell you something real quick:
You may like slate, but you do NOT want it! If you want to know more,
as shocking as it may come to you, I want to get paid for my consultation!
About granite countertop, I would encourage you to purchase my article
on how to shop for a granite countertop (available through the link:
Maurizio's Dos and Don'ts in the side bar menu of the Expert Advice
page), which will give you all the intelligence you need to pick the
<rigth granite> and the <right> fabricator. If you can't
afford that, then take your chances!It talks a |
