http://www.countertopspecialty.com/countertop-blog.html The Countertop Specialty Blog keeps you up-to-date with the latest kitchen counter top news and new information available at the countertopspecialty.com Web site. Subscribe here. en-us countertop Fri, 20 Nov 2009 19:30:05 GMT Fri, 20 Nov 2009 19:30:05 GMT countertopspecialty.com http://www.countertopspecialty.com/polishing-a-honed-marble-vanity-top.html QUESTION: I wanted a polished marble top and picked one out, but was given a honed surface instead. The counter top is already installed. Is it Fri, 20 Nov 2009 17:29:43 GMT http://www.countertopspecialty.com/dull-white-haze-around-seams-of-new-black-galaxy-countertop.html QUESTION: I just installed black galaxy granite on my kitchen countertops. It looks nice, shiny and glossy. However, area around 2 out of the 3 Thu, 19 Nov 2009 19:32:24 GMT http://www.countertopspecialty.com/sealing-travertine-shower.html QUESTION: I have travertine floors and showers. Should I put a sealer on all of those? ANSWER: Many travertines are dense enough that they don't Thu, 19 Nov 2009 18:53:46 GMT http://www.countertopspecialty.com/how-to-repair-etched-marble.html QUESTION: How do you repair marble once it has been etched or looks like a water mark on the marble? My daughter is in the military and renting a Wed, 18 Nov 2009 21:35:21 GMT http://www.countertopspecialty.com/preparing-for-sealing-marble-floors.html QUESTION: Can I wipe marble floors before putting on sealer? ANSWER: Yes, of course you should sweep, damp mop and dry several times prior to sealing Tue, 17 Nov 2009 22:52:22 GMT http://www.countertopspecialty.com/cleaning-marble-finish-on-bathroom-vanity.html QUESTION: I have a marble finish countertop in my bathroom...what is the best method for cleaning it? I heard that car wax works great, but what about Tue, 17 Nov 2009 22:47:20 GMT http://www.countertopspecialty.com/marble-fireplace-cleaning1.html QUESTION: I have a white marble fireplace and after years of smoke etc. I wish to clean it but how can I do this without costing tons of money? Thank Tue, 17 Nov 2009 22:26:58 GMT http://www.countertopspecialty.com/black-streaks-on-onyx-shower-panels.html QUESTION: Our beautiful white marble looking onyx shower panels of 10 years are starting to show black streaks near the bottom 1/3 of each panel that Tue, 17 Nov 2009 21:39:29 GMT http://www.countertopspecialty.com/urine-stain-on-marble-around-toilet.html QUESTION: Hi, I have noticed that over the last two years my boys have destroyed the marble around their toilet. The entire bottom has a yellowish two Tue, 17 Nov 2009 21:18:51 GMT http://www.countertopspecialty.com/restoring-old-marble-vanity-chemical-damage.html QUESTION: Marble vanity top white with gray marble has dirty look, stains and etching. In some areas is stained orange. It is rough to the touch. Tue, 17 Nov 2009 21:02:49 GMT http://www.countertopspecialty.com/water-turns-marble-countertop-dark-yellow.html QUESTION: I have a new bathroom vanity (double sink) with a marble counter top. It seems to turn darker just from water that gets on the counter from Tue, 17 Nov 2009 17:17:28 GMT http://www.countertopspecialty.com/sealing-carrara-marble.html QUESTION: What is the best sealant for Carrara marble in a bathroom--walls and countertop? Thanks ANSWER: The top two sealers I recommend are Tue, 17 Nov 2009 16:57:25 GMT http://www.countertopspecialty.com/why-isnt-my-granite-super-high-gloss-shiny.html QUESTION: We had a granite countertop installed two years ago. I have noticed a few pits in it and it does not appear like it has a thick coating of Tue, 17 Nov 2009 16:38:50 GMT http://www.countertopspecialty.com/sealing-slate-for-cheeseboard.html QUESTION: I am making presents of cheeseboards from slate and have used impregnator. I am interested in making them shiny. Is there something I can Tue, 17 Nov 2009 16:24:13 GMT http://www.countertopspecialty.com/doityourself-sealing-marble-table.html QUESTION: We have a marble coffee table that has been stripped of its seal. How can we reseal it? We would like to do the job ourselves. ANSWER: Fri, 13 Nov 2009 17:43:47 GMT http://www.countertopspecialty.com/removing-grout-haze-on-new-marble-tile-installation.html QUESTION: I just had my bathroom remodeled with white Carrara Marble with the grey veins running through. We accented it with the opposite, black tile Fri, 13 Nov 2009 17:34:40 GMT http://www.countertopspecialty.com/hair-gel-stain-on-limestone-vanity.html QUESTION: Hi i have a newish limestone, cream coloured vanity top and I left some hair gel over night on it and it has made a dark brown ring stain. Fri, 13 Nov 2009 16:52:31 GMT http://www.countertopspecialty.com/polyurethane-stained-marble-entryway.html We have a beautiful white with black and gray speckled marble entryway surrounded by our newly redone hardwood floors on three sides. Fri, 13 Nov 2009 16:47:12 GMT http://www.countertopspecialty.com/plywood-under-granite-outdoor-kitchen-countertop.html QUESTION: Can you put plywood under granite counter top for an outdoor kitchen? ANSWER Yes you can, but there isn't necessarily a need to so long as Fri, 13 Nov 2009 16:41:47 GMT http://www.countertopspecialty.com/remove-hard-water-stains-on-granite.html QUESTION: The Uba Tuba granite in my kitchen looks great, except for around the kitchen sink faucet. As the base of the faucet(chrome) hard water / Fri, 13 Nov 2009 16:32:34 GMT http://www.countertopspecialty.com/marble-polishing-cream.html QUESTION: My mom has a coffee table with polished marble top and a couple of water rings on it. Where/what brand of polishing cream should we try on Wed, 11 Nov 2009 18:16:02 GMT http://www.countertopspecialty.com/sealing-travertine-floor.html QUESTION: I am planning to lay filled and honed classical travertine tiles in my hall, kitchen and bathroom. I will be sealing the floor myself and I Wed, 11 Nov 2009 18:08:43 GMT http://www.countertopspecialty.com/cleaning-hard-water-stains-on-marble-and-granite.html QUESTION: Please advise tips to remove hard water stains on marble and granite as I am facing a severe problem. I am unable to use any chemicals and Wed, 11 Nov 2009 18:05:15 GMT http://www.countertopspecialty.com/how-to-clean-and-seal-granite-and-travertine.html QUESTION: Antiqued golden flame granite (tan color) and semi-polished rustic (brown color) travertine were installed as countertops. Both were sealed Wed, 11 Nov 2009 18:02:24 GMT http://www.countertopspecialty.com/sealing-tumbled-marble-backsplash.html QUESTION: I just put in a tumbled marble backsplash (whitish color) with a bone colored grout. Do I need to seal it... especially the area behind the Wed, 11 Nov 2009 17:45:54 GMT http://www.countertopspecialty.com/which-granite-looks-like-white-carrara-marble.html QUESTION: I'm aware that White Carrara Marble is frowned upon for kitchen counter use. If you really like the look of the White Carrara Marble but Wed, 11 Nov 2009 17:42:59 GMT http://www.countertopspecialty.com/marble-vanity-top-water-spots.html QUESTION: I have a marble vanity top in my guest bath and marble on my bedroom furniture. My guest bath seems to get the most use. I have a lot water Wed, 11 Nov 2009 17:41:16 GMT http://www.countertopspecialty.com/honed-marble-countertop-cleaning.html QUESTION: The countertops in my kitchen are honed marble. So, first, does this mean I do or don't seal them? Second- do I use an abrasive pad on Wed, 11 Nov 2009 17:35:11 GMT http://www.countertopspecialty.com/which-granite-sealer-to-use.html QUESTION: I just purchased granite counter-tops (crystal yellow) and I want to seal them. However, there many different sealers out there and I was Wed, 11 Nov 2009 17:21:50 GMT http://www.countertopspecialty.com/water-spots-on-marble-bathroom-floors-and-countertops.html QUESTION: Is there any cleaning method besides polishing that can remove water spots from the surface? ANSWER: If you are talking about spots that Wed, 11 Nov 2009 16:54:59 GMT http://www.countertopspecialty.com/are-these-etch-marks.html QUESTION: Hello, I ordered some etch remover from www.mystonecare.com and I'm very disappointed because it didn't work. Please see the attached pics Wed, 11 Nov 2009 16:46:26 GMT http://www.countertopspecialty.com/granite-sealer.html Applying granite sealer stirs up a lot of confusion among consumers. Always. Never. It depends? What's the real story? Here's your answer.... Tue, 10 Nov 2009 19:06:42 GMT http://www.countertopspecialty.com/marble-table-top-film.html QUESTION: I do not know the name of the marble - it is multi-color brown and was purchased from a furniture store that knows nothing about their Mon, 09 Nov 2009 16:41:44 GMT http://www.countertopspecialty.com/vinegar-on-marble-and-granite.html QUESTION My question is my cleaning lady insists she can clean my marble bathroom countertops (and kitchen granite) with water and vinegar. I have Fri, 06 Nov 2009 17:34:50 GMT http://www.countertopspecialty.com/pink-granite-to-match-marble-rosalia.html QUESTION: Hi, could you please let me know which pink granite is the closest to pink Rosalia marble? I have the pink Rosalia marble on the kitchen Fri, 06 Nov 2009 17:14:57 GMT http://www.countertopspecialty.com/sealing-travertine-shower-frequency.html QUESTION: How often should you seal travertine tile installed in a shower and what type of sealer would be best for water and soap scum? ANSWER: Fri, 06 Nov 2009 16:46:10 GMT http://www.countertopspecialty.com/cleaning-gentian-violet-stain-on-marble-top.html QUESTION: Recently I had a bottle of gentian violet which is purple on the top of my white bathroom marble sink counter and some spilled and left a Fri, 06 Nov 2009 16:17:26 GMT http://www.countertopspecialty.com/bleach-damaged-marble-floor.html QUESTION: I bleached my black marble floors and it damaged them. Also, my black granite counters look very dull and have a small spot that needs Fri, 06 Nov 2009 16:10:46 GMT http://www.countertopspecialty.com/is-high-quality-sealer-worth-it-for-high-quality-granite.html QUESTION: Does this chocolate bordeaux granite need a sealer?? If so, is this worth (also let me know if it will penetrate/be effective to apply) the Fri, 06 Nov 2009 01:43:19 GMT http://www.countertopspecialty.com/blue-stain-on-marble-vanity-top.html QUESTION: Hi, I discovered a pale blue stain on the marble vanity top in my kids bathroom. My girls like cosmetics but I am wondering if it has been Tue, 03 Nov 2009 16:48:11 GMT http://www.countertopspecialty.com/warped-outdoor-kitchen-countertop.html QUESTION: I have an outdoor kitchen with 3/4 granite countertops. It is about 7-years old. The grout from the seams wasn't installed properly and the Tue, 03 Nov 2009 15:53:36 GMT http://www.countertopspecialty.com/problem-sealing-honed-absolute-black-granite-floor.html QUESTION: Our installer sealed our honed absolute black granite floor with 511 by Miracle. The sealant left a residue that appears uneven and smeared. Mon, 02 Nov 2009 17:50:05 GMT http://www.countertopspecialty.com/treating-cambrian-black-antiqued-granite-with-a-sealer-mineral-oil-or-nothing.html QUESTION: I purchased cambrian black (antique finish) tops for my kitchen. My internet research returns various results--yes, seal it; yes, seal it Sat, 31 Oct 2009 00:49:52 GMT http://www.countertopspecialty.com/which-type-of-sealer-applicator.html QUESTION: I want to seal my granite myself but don't know what kind of applicator to use to get the smoothest application that won't bubble or streak. Sat, 31 Oct 2009 00:32:05 GMT http://www.countertopspecialty.com/sealing-peacock-green-granite.html QUESTION: I have peacock green granite that is a black with green and gold highlights in the background that was installed a year ago. Do I need to Sat, 31 Oct 2009 00:19:34 GMT http://www.countertopspecialty.com/metallicus-granite-mica-flecks-coming-off.html QUESTION: I work for a granite fabrication facility, and recently we installed a kitchen for a customer, using Metallicus for the Island. The Sat, 31 Oct 2009 00:10:40 GMT http://www.countertopspecialty.com/dull-cup-ring-forms-with-5second-exposure-to-acid.html QUESTION: I left a cup of diluted tile cleaner (Heavy Duty Acidic Cleaner from Home Depot, hydrocholoric acid based) on the vanity top for about 5 Sat, 31 Oct 2009 00:10:08 GMT http://www.countertopspecialty.com/outdoor-kitchen-plan.html Have an outdoor kitchen plan in mind? Summertime has always meant barbeques and pool parties, but now more than ever homeowners are expanding and upgrading their outdoor living space for entertaining Thu, 29 Oct 2009 01:14:32 GMT http://www.countertopspecialty.com/corian-outdoor-kitchen-countertop.html QUESTION: Can I use Corian outside without it turning boiling hot? I would love dark granite but since it will be in the sun most of the time probably Thu, 29 Oct 2009 01:11:37 GMT http://www.countertopspecialty.com/marble-floor-plastic-coating.html QUESTION: My marble floor in my entry way looks as if it has a plastic coating with little bubbles all over it. What is it and how can I fix it? Thu, 29 Oct 2009 00:52:03 GMT