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

Dark Tropical Brown Granite - darker area?

Article Number: 1385 | Rating: Unrated | Last Updated: Thu, Apr 17, 2008 at 12:00 AM

Hi - I recently had Dark Tropical Brown granite installed. I had some things on the counter, a phone book, and when I picked them up - a part of the countertop seemed darker than the rest. I felt the bottom of the phone book and it seemed damp - possibly water. Within 24 hours, the one spot seemed to have cleared up, however the other still seems darker. Actually, this was an area next to where the phone book was, so I am unsure if anything was actually there. So, if this was in fact water, how long would it take to dry completely to be the color like the rest of the stone? It only has been a day like this, and was wondering if I should be giving it more time. Or could this been this way from when it was installed and I just didnt notice it - and it is normal? Thanks!!

Dear John:

If it were water it should have evaporated completely by now. So whether is a natural discoloration of the stone, or it is something that will require longer to evaporate (oil, for instance) it's impossible for me to tell without any visual aid.

Of course, if the stone was not sealed by your fabricator/installer you should consider applying a good-quality stone impregnating sealer like MB-4 to it, although if you leave something damp sitting on your countertop overnight you will always experience some staining.

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 – as it should be intuitive – vastly more important than its sealing (if and when possible and/or advisable) 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 routine care from your dealer or installer. Don't become another statistic! By logging into the Helpful Hints section of our website at: http://www.mbstone.com/HH_promo/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.mbstone.com/literature/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,

Mauri zio Bertoli

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