Doctored Black Granite Countertop Etching

Doctored Black Granite Glass Ring Etch Mark

Doctored Black Granite Glass Ring Etch Mark

QUESTION:

I have a bathroom vanity with what was advertised as a black granite countertop.


We now realize that the stone top was doctored to make it appear blacker, as sometimes you get a black residue on the rag when cleaning it.

It has cloudy white spots from water that I cannot seem to remove. The largest one appears to have etched the surface a bit.

At one point my husband applied a couple of coats of granite sealer on the surface (we can't remember for certain if there were white spots before the sealer application) but new spots continue to form.

I know that doctored stone is hard to figure out, but I'd really like to...

(1) Remove the white spots and...
(2) Prevent white spots from forming again.

Ideally, I'd like to keep it as black as possible or even have a way to re-doctor it periodically over time. But the white spots are really a problem!

ANSWER:

If the granite countertop has been doctored, then the dye used to doctor it is what is etching.

That's the main reason doctored granite is such an issue. Frankly if a doctored granite slab performed just like a typical granite countertop no one would care that much except for the frustration of paying more for a somewhat in-authentic product.

To eliminate the etching problem you'll have to remove whatever is on the surface that is etching leading to the
white discolorations.

water is not causing the spots by the way. Something acidic (some bath products) or something too alkaline (like nearly all common house cleaners) is doing the damage.

The typical way to fix a doctored countertop is to strip the dye off with a powerful solvent. Nasty job, but when done you'll have a true granite countertop that should not etch.

Of course, it won't be black or as black anymore.

Although, there are stones coming out of India and China sold as various black granites that are actually some type of mixed-breed stone that contains calcite and etches without any doctoring.

Most often these are sold as Absolute Black granite, which is just the worst fraud since AB traditionally is one of the very best most bullet-proof stones you can buy. True black absolute comes only from South Africa though.

Applying a granite sealer won't do a thing for this issue. Granite sealers protect against staining only. Staining and etching are two completely different issues. And etch marks due to doctoring are in their own category.

Nothing absorbs during etching. It's a chemical reaction that eats away or uses up the reactants. So, on stone it eats away the stone. If doctored, any acid will corrode and destroy the dye exposing the lighter-colored actual granite surface beneath.

You'll find complete information about granite sealers and stripping any surface substance from granite countertops in the All About Sealing e-book.

Comments for Doctored Black Granite Countertop Etching

Click here to add your own comments

Honed black granite
by: Tina Johnson

I have a honed black granite table. Bad choice. I’ve sealed it but someone spilled an alcoholic beverage (cranberry vodka) on it. I wiped it up immediately but it still left a stain or etched it. I don’t know which. How can this be corrected?

==== Countertop Specialty comment:

If it is well-sealed then staining shouldn't be an issue unless something is left on the surface for a long time.

Etching is usually only a problem with doctored black granite and only polished black granite gets dyed or doctored.

It could be that it's the sealer residue that is reacting and not the granite.

Such cases are better handled in person, so I'd suggest hunting around your local area for a stone restoration pro.

Dye mismatched countertop slabs after install?
by: John

Tan brown granite island doesn't match the straight runs. Can I put a epoxy dye on the counter to deepen the color?

==== Countertop Specialty Comment:

Applying a dye to match different colored slabs can sometimes work, but you never know exactly what shade you will get so still may not match.

Tenax makes an "Ager" product that can be used on a polished granite countertops (vs. typical color-enhancer made for honed surfaces) to darken the color.

Typically this product is used to match un-resined edges to the color of the resined countertop surface.

This method can also work in some cases to color in or hide etch marks that have occurred on a doctored black granite countertop.

Click here to add your own comments

Return to Granite & Marble Sealer Questions.



Protected by Copyscape

CountertopSpecialty.com is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program. As an Amazon Associate we may earn a small commission from qualifying purchases made through links on our site.