granite or... whatever!

I recently purchased and installed labradorite bianca. I noticed what looks like small size water stains all around the counter top.Thinking it was from the sealer I had the installer remove the sealer but, the small like water stains were still there. He told me the stains are from the natural granite. Hard for me to believe that. Anyway to get rid of those water marks? Help.

 

Dear Rick:

For starters, Labradorite is not a stone but a mineral.

That duly said, Labradorite Bianca is a stone that I don't know the mineralogy of. Since it does not look like granite, I have to conclude that is not granite – which is no surprise if you keep in mind that there are over 2700 (no, it's not a typo) stones traded as granite on the market (and counting), of which only approximately a couple of dozens of them are true geological granite. Another three or four do z ens could be classified as next of kin. All the remaining 2700 plus stones are related to granite and to each other like a cat to a cow. Many are as good as granite, many are even better, but some are a disgrace.

Welcome to the stone industry where everything goes!

The stone industry establishment candidly admits that the vast majority of “granites” are not granite at all, but it goes on by stating that they are all stones that perform like granite.

Well, they're wrong! Some of those stones don't perform like granite at all!

How about Labradorite Bianca (whatever it is)?... I really don't know. By your report it does not seam like it behaves like granite, because granite does not have “ small size water stains all around the counter top ”. Now whether or not such mysterious small size water spots are a natural characteristic of that particular “granite” I don't know. I've seen a few slab of that gorgeous material (I mean it: it is strikingly beautiful), but I can't certainly say that I'm familiar with it. I don't recall having seen any “water spot”, but maybe I was not paying much attention to that possibility.

Bottom line, I don't think I can help you much, but try to do this: spill a couple of drops of either white vinegar or lime juice on a piece of scrap of that material, let them sit there for 30 seconds or so, and then wipe them dry. Let me know if where the drops were sitting the surface is still unscathed or if something funny happened instead.

 

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Ciao and good luck,

Mauri z io Bertoli

 

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