Water damage to granite countertop

We installed black Uba Tuba granite countertops about 2 years ago. Around the faucet, the countertop has become dull in color and not smooth to the touch. We have tried granite cleaners, polishers, and recently resealed the countertop - but the dullness around the faucet and surrounding area remains. What can we do??

 

Dear Brian :

 

“ We have tried granite cleaners ”

 

Could you please define “granite cleaner” for me?... Never mind, you've already seen the results!... J

 

“ and recently resealed the countertop ”

 

Trust me when I tell you that you never sealed your countertop.

To make sure, you did apply an impregnator (a.k.a. sealer) to it, but that doesn't mean that you have actually sealed it. All you did was helping the manufacturer of the impregnator and his distributor to put their kids through college. Noble scope, no doubt; but is that what you bought the impregnator for?... J

An impregnator is strictly a below-the-surface (of the stone) sealer and to go below the surface it must be absorbed by the stone. Charnockite (Ubatuba) is too dense to absorb anything and it is therefore among the many “granites” that are technically impossible to seal.

 

That said and coming to your problem, if the roughness that you see and feel is on the whitish side, you have an accumulation of mineral deposit. In such case, all you have to do is scrape the worst of it with a ra z or blade and then finish the job with a mineral deposit remover rated “for natural stone” like MB-3 (see, I didn't use the expression, “granite cleaner” whatever that means…). If it is the same color of the rest of the stone it could be more serious and only a stone restoration professional could actually repair what has to be defined as a surface damage. But give it a shot with the ra z or blade first; if you see an improvement, it means that's mineral deposit and you can most likely finish the job with the mineral deposit remover. If not… you know whom to call!

 

May I ask you now to please read and e-sign our Statement of Purpose at: http://www.marblecleaning.org/purpose.htm? J

Ciao and good luck,

Mauri z io Bertoli

 

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