KB Home \| Advanced Search \| Ask Question
Ask Your Natural Stone Questions

How do you remove counter sealant?

Article Number: 477 | Rating: Unrated | Last Updated: Sun, Sep 16, 2007 at 12:00 AM

I recently applied a counter sealant to my granite and it looks horrible! It left a film with lots of streaks. How do I remove it?

Thank you!

Dear Jamie:

Didn't you read the directions printed on the back of the bottle?... You should have removed the residue of the product from the surface of your stone before it had a chance to dry. Impregnators (a.k.a. sealers) are strictly below the surface (of the stone) products, not topical sealers.

Too late now, I'm afraid!... :-(

What to do?

There's no sure answer, because it all depends on the make of the product. Sometimes it's enough to target small areas of the counertop, sprinkle some more of the same product, and then immediately, using a clean rag and lots of elbow-grease, rub, rub, rub and rub until the old and the new are all gone. Some other times that technique does not work and you may have to resort to a potent (and allegedly highly toxic) paint stripper based on Methylene Chloride (do read every precautionary warnings printed on the container of the product if you choose that solution).

I believe that your best bet is to contact the manufacturer of the product and ask them for more precise guidance.

Now remember, it's never too early to think about the proper maintenance of your stone. The issue of what you'll be doing day in and day out to your stone is far more important than its sealing (if and when possible and/or advisable; did your granite or "granite" need to be sealed??...) and it's all too often neglected. As you can tell by reading many of this site's postings, you're not likely to get good information about it from your dealer or installer. Don't become another statistic! By logging into the Helpful Hints section of our website at: http://www.marblecleaning.org/helpful-hints.htm , you will be able to get the short version of our maintenance guidelines at no charge. The full version of it – a 7-page document considered by many as an industry benchmark – is available in pay- per-download format in our Educational Literature section at: http://www.marblecleaning.org/literature.htm .

And remember, every single penny of the cost of the literature will be used to support this site and its cause: your cause.

While you are in the “Helpful Hints” section, do spend some time reading all of the interesting FREE articles you'll find in there!

Finally, keep in mind that we need your support to help us helping you!

Will you please read and e-sign our Statement of Purpose at: http://www.marblecleaning.org/purpose.htm?

By spreading the word about this valuable site among your friend & family and the stone trades' people you've been dealing with, you will be rendering everybody a valuable service!

Thank you

Ciao and good luck,

Maurizio Bertoli

www.marblecleaning.org – The only Consumers' Portal to the Stone Industry Establishment!