sealing granite countertops

Maurizio, I've read a great deal about your product and am impressed with their quality. You are also gifted with outstanding knowledge regarding the qualities of stone. My question is this... My wife picked out Dakota Mahogany for our countertop...do I need to seal it? I'm impressed with the articles concerning your MB-4 product and find that the most highly regarded product on the market. But I have also read your articles about wasted time and $ regarding sealing. Let me know your opinion on what I should do to best protect my investment and keep the "queen" happy at home. Thanks. John

 

Dear John:

Why, thank you for your nice words, but I don't think that I am “ gifted with outstanding knowledge regarding the qualities of stone ”. There's no gift here: I studied and worked for it. J

It is impossible for one man to know about the characteristics and absorbency rates of all the stones that there are out there; not to mention their natural variations and possible popular treatments (resining) that could be done by the factory. I just so-happen to know that Dakota Mahogany (a true granite with an absorbency rate of 0.15% to 0.2%) can't be technically sealed, and therefore even MB-4 would be a waste of time and money; but there are thousands of stones out there that I don't have the information about.

And that is why some 8 years ago I came up with my little lemon juice (and oil) test to enable anybody from all walks of life to find out if a particular stone is suitable as a kitchen countertop and if it needs to (can) be sealed.

That said, to make the “queen” really happy you should re-think your approach to your stone adventure. Let me explain (and I hope you will understand the true meaning of what I'm about to say ):

It appears to me that like most other inquirers at this stage you seem mostly interested in the type of stone and/or its physical characteristics. It's human nature at work, I reckon! J

How about if I tell you that a certain stone is a good choice and then you get a low-grade slab or a doctored one? Trust me: the human factor is far more important than the stone itself and should be the only true deciding factor!

In an industry that's virtually unregulated, how good and reputable the fabricator who's is going to process the stone you'll end up choosing is far more important than the stone itself. None of the horror stories that get posted in this very site stem from the stone: they all stem from the fabricator. That is why I seldom make final statements 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 overall is good) by the factory, which would make a big difference. Even more important, what's a good stone in the hands of some “Michelangelo”?! And again: a reputable fabricator will only carry high-grade slabs, not some “special!”

We have available a very comprehensive article on “How to Shop for a Granite Kitchen Countertop” that will give you all the intelligence you need to venture yourself with confidence in the stone industry jungle, and it includes the world renowned “Lemon juice (and oil) test”, which will enable you to determine on your own the suitability of any stone you will consider! It does carry a small price tag, and you can order it by logging on the Educational Literature section at: http://www.marblecleaning.org/literature.htm. It's available in pay-per-download format and I consider it a cheap “insurance premium” to pay when there are thousands of $ involved! Not to mention the little and much needed support you'd be giving to the cause, your cause, since every single penny of the cost of the article will be used to support it.

Also, 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 friends & family and the stone trades' people you've been dealing with you will be rendering everybody a valuable service!   

Also, do take advantage of the plethora of FREE Helpful Hints available at: http://www.marblecleaning.org/helpful-hints.htm. They're on the house!

Thank you.

Ciao and good luck,

Mauri z io Bertoli

 

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