Gas Cap Stain On Venetian Gold Granite
by L. Trent
QUESTION:I have venetian gold granite counter tops. My husband laid a gas top from a mower on the counter in two areas. It took the shine away from the granite. It did not discolor it but if you look at the counter from a sideways view you can see two dull circles. Will a sealant add the shine back? If not is there anything I can do?ANSWER:Ooooops! Is he out of the dog house yet? I must say, this is a first. I've never had a question about a gasoline on a countertop.Anyway, a sealer will not add the shine. The only thing a sealer does is dramatically slow down the rate of absorption to help resist staining. Have you previously applied a granite sealer? If not, you need to... after you solve this problem. Venetian Gold is fairly absorbent and in almost every case should be well sealed. I recommend STONE SENTRY or SenGuard Sealers. You say there is no discoloration just dullness. This should not be a matter of etching and usually a stain will make the area at least a little darker. I'm betting that the gasoline and/or oils in the gas absorbed and you should treat it as a stain. To get the stains out you'll need to follow a multi-step procedure. You'll find complete step-by-step instructions in the Removing Stains Manual. The dullness is a bit puzzling, but most likely will be restored after the stain is removed. If the procedures in the manual do not work, then you'll need the help of a professional possibly to re-polish the area if indeed the gas damaged or etched the surface. Now that I think about it... there is one other possibility... the gas etched the sealer and/or the resin that is on your granite. If this is the case, then you'll need to remove the sealer/resin in that area using methylene chloride (powerful stripper/solvent). Here's what I'd do: 1. Buy methylene chloride. Pour a puddle of the MC on the spots and let sit for a few minutes. Agitate with a scrubber and wipe clean. If you get shiny granite, then it was the sealer/resin that etched. Those spots should be re-sealed. 2. If the methylene doesn't work, treat it as a stain and follow the steps in the manual. 3. Still no good, call a pro. About sealing... As I said, this granite should be sealed, unless it is resined. If it is resined, then it should already be fairly stain-resistant. I suggest you perform a water test to determine if it needs sealing. You may also consider testing with the FORENSICS Granite Test Kit to determine if your granite is resined, can be etched and how porous. That's a lot of info, so get started trying to solve this problem and use the "comments" link below to follow up or ask more question. Good Luck, Ryan
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