Granite Shower Tile Absorbing Water

We have a new house with a nice looking pinkish tan speckled granite in the shower and on the floors. The shower was sealed by the contractor with an impregnating sealer but several of the tiles installed on top of the floor are getting really dark as if they are filling with water. We completely dry our shower after each use but the dark areas are continuing to get darker and are not drying out at all- making the shower look oil stained in spots. Our contractor seems baffled. Any suggestions? We have heard that some stone is very porous which I am assuming would make it unsuitable for use around water.

 

Dear Judy:

 

“ Our contractor seems baffled. ”

 

If he seems baffled, I am baffled!

I mean, without even seeing your shower stall I can tell you for sure that you have water under those tiles, and he can't realize that simple fact while actually looking at them?!...

Check the grout and caulk lines and you will see where the water found its way under those tiles.

Stop using the shower for a while, open all the grout and caulk lines in the floor, gently shove sheets of Bounty paper towels inside the open grout lines and, possibly under them (at least a little) and then let the whole thing be until the paper towel will be dry as a bone. (It may take up to a few weeks.) Re-grout using color-matching latex-based caulk instead of grout, and start using your shower again.

And 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 .  

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Thank you  

Ciao and good luck,

Mauri z io Bertoli

 

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