Removing Black Granite Sealer
by Mikal Krauss
QUESTION:We just installed miles of beautiful countertop: Blue in the Night granite...very dark dark grey black ...with small flecks of deep blue!! The installers cleaned the granite....and then applied two coats of a penetrating sealer....they told me to leave in be for a day....and then I could 'wipe' off any residue and just clean and live with the granite normally......I think the granite didn't absorb the sealer at all......and I can't get it off the counter now!!They said it could take a while....but I'm worried that since it should never have been applied, the sealer will be a huge headache.... and could damage my granite.......how difficult is it to remove that sealer....will I need to "refinish" the granite....how toxic is the chemical that could remove this sealer (which they said was the latest greatest super expensive type of sealer).... I'm pretty upset because it was VERY expensive granite....and the fabricator comes so well recommended....but should have known if this granite wouldn't "take" the sealing. Thanks for any advice....i liked your website and forum... Mikal Krauss ANSWER:WOW! I'm sorry to tell you that your installers may be excellent craftsmen, but they don't know their stone or anything about sealing granite.Highly unlikely that this stone needed or could even absorb a sealer. But the most moronic, clueless advice was to let the sealer sit for a day. The most important step in sealing is to wipe off all excess BEFORE it dries. Now, as I said... probably wasn't necessary in the first place and even if they wiped off excess you'd still have some left on the surface creating a streaky residue. This is their fault all the way and they must correct it. I'd raise hell and I wouldn't back off or let them tell you any bogus story. It's a shame, but it will need to be stripped with methylene chloride. The chemical itself won't damage the surface, but yes... it is nasty, toxic and will damage cabinets, paint, etc. so everything must be well protected. I wouldn't want the same installers to do it since they are obviously inept regarding the matter, but it's unlikely they'd agree to pay for another more experienced stone restoration pro to do it. It is sometimes possible to re-apply a coat of the same sealer, work it with a soft bristle brush to get the fresh sealer to dissolve the dried sealer and then wipe off all excess, dry the countertop and clean with acetone. What a bummer, but it is correctable... it'll just be a hassle. Good Luck, Ryan
|
