Raleigh, NC on Feb 04, 2012

Granite sealing

I found a company that says they have a product that that seals granite permanently with a lifetime warranty. NO STAINS EVER. Is such a product safe and effective? could it damage the stone. Does anyone know what it is or what chemicals are used and are they safe.

35 Comments Displaying 25 of 35 comments | See Previous

BeckySue, Certified Maste... Lawrenceville, GA

Great advice guys .. Don, try not to be too upset, granite is beautiful .. but clearly nature can be unpredictable!

on Feb 05, 2012 · Like 0
KMS Woodworks Nederland, CO

Your "dullness" may be due to some "etching" this is the chemical degradation of the stone it self....a bit like how rusts make smooth shinny metal rough and dull... the application of a sealer would be like painting the rusty metal...it would merely cover the roughness, and not make it shinny again
To return to shine...the roughness needs to be mechanical "ground" away ...aka polished. When ...»
I install some granite tiles I often will polish or "bullnose" some edges. This process is a gradual increase in the "fineness" of my diamond based polishing pads. I start with 50 grit and work my way up to 3000 and then complete with a "buff" pad.
Some folks go with a "honed" finish to their granite slabs...this is just a few steps down from "polished" this type of finish is more robust for minor wear and tear, fingerprints etc. (in this case it is like the "brushed" finish of some stainless steel appliances rather that the polish mirror types

on Feb 05, 2012 · Like 0
Don J Raleigh, NC

I like the polished mirror. I have the white polishing compound you use on cars. Would the oscillating buffer I use on waxing a car work with the compound to create the shine or do I need something else? Do you use a diamond polishing pad with the compound? Where do you purchase those items?THANKS!!

on Feb 05, 2012 · Like 0
Woodbridge Environmental ... Colonia, NJ

Yes the buffer will work well. Do not expect this to change right away however. It will take some time and effort to make this work. You may need to keep applying the compound as well as some water. Simply mist it on the top as it begins to dry out from evaporation. But you should see some improvement overall. Do not use a lot of pressure also. Let the machine do the work for you. Take your time and it will begin to bring the shine back. ...»

What normally causes dull areas is the wear and tear of daily use. Pots and pans are set next to sink when washing, Cleaning compounds and chemicals spill around the sink, simply normal abuse that takes it toll after years of use.

on Feb 05, 2012 · Like 1
Don J Raleigh, NC

Thanks so much Woodbridge. I will try the car compound and my orbital buffer and let you know my results. Your advice is very much appreciated. Thanks

on Feb 05, 2012 · Like 0
AA Marble & Granite, LLC Norcross, GA

Our granite is Resin infused at the quarry. A good test for sealant is to poor 1/4 cup of water on the stone. If it pills up...sealer is good. If the water puddles and runs... you should seal. It's a wipe on, wipe off action similar to waxing your car.
I had Baltic Brown, (1st choice material) at my cooktop for 15 years and never sealed it once. It stayed beautiful until the day I sold the home.

on Feb 06, 2012 · Like 0
Don J Raleigh, NC

I used the compound and buffer with water as it dried out as you suggested. It worked pretty good . i'm going to do it once again tomorrow .I liked the results. Do I need to put sealer on the area now?

on Feb 06, 2012 · Like 0
Woodbridge Environmental ... Colonia, NJ

NO sealer until you get your desired results. Also as you do this you want to work further out from the worse area to the better. This way it blends in for you.
Once your happy then use a good quality granite sealer as recommended by those on this site.

on Feb 06, 2012 · Like 1
Don J Raleigh, NC

Will do. Thanks

on Feb 06, 2012 · Like 0
BeckySue, Certified Maste... Lawrenceville, GA

WE .. the depth and width of your expertise never seize to amaze me! I wish you were in Atlanta, I'd be honored to work on the same jobsite as you!

on Feb 07, 2012 · Like 0
Atlanta granite custom co... Marietta, GA

Myth : 15 years sealer, lifetime sealer etc
Myth : granite is high maintenance
Facts : granite is a very stain resistant material. Some of the colors doesn't even need any maintenance. And what is this "big maintenance" that everybody is afraid of : 10 minutes wiping off the counters just as you would do your usual clean up only that you use a sealer instead water and ...»
soap. The most expensive sealers are under $100 and a can will last you few years. It's recommended to seal your granite once in 6 months so 20 minutes a year is the "huge maintanence"!
Another FACT : I haven't seal my granite countertop in 2 years and I am still looking for that stain !!!
Tip : any reliable countertop company will seal your counters after install. Do not use anything else besides water and plain old soap to clean it. Using alcohol-based cleaners (as Windex) shorten the life of the sealer. If you want a specifically designed cleaner(not a sealer!) for natural stone I recommend : http://www.forstone.com/stone-care.php

on Feb 07, 2012 · Like 1
KMS Woodworks Nederland, CO

I sealed my granite about 4 years ago...haven't touched it since...hot water cleanup...

on Feb 07, 2012 · Like 1
Woodbridge Environmental ... Colonia, NJ

Atlanta, Its my understanding that the quality of the stone is what really determines how,what and when the stone needs to be sealed. The higher end stones tend to be much more dense then the cheaper lines. Is there any truth to this?

on Feb 07, 2012 · Like 0
Atlanta granite custom co... Marietta, GA

Actually it's the other way. The rule(if there is one) is : the lighter stones need to be sealed more then the darker ones. The higher end stones are the ones with more veining and color, more unique and rare to find. We call them exotics. Those are normally softer too, so more porous, more likely to stain (but..like I said - not really!! )

on Feb 07, 2012 · Like 1
Woodbridge Environmental ... Colonia, NJ

Thanks. I know I have had these questions asked to me on several occasions. And I always referred them to the installing contractor in the past. Makes sense.

on Feb 07, 2012 · Like 0
Atlanta granite custom co... Marietta, GA

My pleasure.

on Feb 07, 2012 · Like 0
Phoenix Stone Solutions Raleigh, NC

Hi Don, we are in Raleigh too and are the only area applicators for the sealer you are speaking of. Before we decided to carry this sealer, we researched it quite a bit. The warranty is rock solid. No stains, ever or your stone is replaced...no loopholes and runarounds like the warranties you will find from fabricators or big box stores. This is 100% safe for the stone and has been around since 2002. It is NOT crystallization...that is bad for your stone. There is a less than 1% ...»
failure rate, which really speaks to the quality of the seal. We know it is contraversial like KMS said...also agree with KMS that most sealers are hype. Again, this warranty speaks for itself. It is so good that the warranty applies even in commercial use or outdoors entertainment areas...no required maintanence either...sounds too good to be true, huh? It's not. We love it and our clients are really loving it. As far as the shine..we do have a polishing system that we have used pretty successfully. Correct not to seal until you have desired shine...be careful not to scratch the stone. Thanks for asking and you can call us or email if you have any questions. Would encourage other questions here too! Love to talk about this stuff as it is so unique.
on Mar 19, 2012 · Like 0
Atlanta granite custom co... Marietta, GA

There are better sealers than others, but let's run some tests not on granite,.. pick some calcatta gold marble. Lifetime warranty.. who's lifetime ? :)

on Mar 21, 2012 · Like 0
Phoenix Stone Solutions Raleigh, NC

As long as you have the stone...marble will seal against stains 100%, for full lifetime as well......the etching will be deterred about 80% on marble, though, not 100%...etching on granite is covered 100%.... not like Artisan or other "lifetime" sealers that promise lifetime and mean 15 years. Hope this helps. Again, the warranty is just different...understand skepticism...we felt the same way until we researched it further and have been using it.

on Mar 22, 2012 · Like 0
Posh Patios Villa Rica, GA

Phoenix what's the name of the sealer you are referring to?

on Mar 23, 2012 · Like 0
Phoenix Stone Solutions Raleigh, NC

The sealer is called Granite Shield. When you look them up, be sure to look up the warranty...it is available online. Hope you are having a great week! It is going to be 82 in Raleigh today in March! Beautiful!

on Mar 23, 2012 · Like 2
Don J Raleigh, NC

Has anyone used Granite Shield other than Phoenix? How does it work on Baltic Brown. Is that a very Dense stone? I assume that if it is a dense stone it doesn't require as much sealing as a lighter stone. You all are a wealth of info. Thanks for all the input. I'm getting an education.

on Mar 25, 2012 · Like 0
Phoenix Stone Solutions Raleigh, NC

Hi Don, I see that no one else has responded, but I would be happy to drop off a 12x12 half sealed sample of Baltic brown....that way you could see it and pour stuff on it for a while... It is considered a medium density stone. Other sealers are usually a one step seal. Granite Shield uses different steps specifically for different densities of stone... Baltic Brown is a 5 step process with us. Let us know what you decide! Good luck!

on Mar 26, 2012 · Like 1
Don J Raleigh, NC

Thanks !!! What would an application of Granite Shield cost per square foot applied by you on the Baltic Brown.

on Mar 26, 2012 · Like 0
Phoenix Stone Solutions Raleigh, NC

7.50 per square foot...10% off for Hometalk members...homeshow special is free application of sealer for stainless steel sink...keeps the sink looking nice for quite some time.

on Mar 26, 2012 · Like 0

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