Granite tales: myths, urban legends and fabrications (of the other kind)

The following snippets of commercial granite folklore have been drawn directly from customer comments and questions, articles circulating the web, and discussions with hundreds of homeowners who honored me with the opportunity to repair their commercial granite. Just for fun, I’ll give you a little background on each one, where they came from, and how they started. In case you haven’t heard some of these before, you’ll be prepared when they finally get to you!

Please note that I use the term “commercial granite” throughout this article. This is because we are referring to stones that are sold commercially as granite, rather than the (very) narrow subset of stones that meet the scientific definition.

1.) My granite contractor / vendor / internet guru (choose your favorite perpetrator) said my granite does not require sealing – Those of you who have read my previous work are probably sick of me insisting on this, but (unfortunately) I hear this one more often than everyone else. It is the most damaging of all the bad granite maintenance practices you can commit if you trust this unsound advice.

Interestingly, there are a couple of internet “experts” who semi-affirm this fallacy (but they will sell you their impregnating agent if you ABSOLUTELY, REALLY insist on having one, and theirs lasts FOREVER … fun!) One even goes as far as to state that the physical properties of granite dictate that it never needs to be sealed (funny, they also have a “for life” sealer for sale two paragraphs later).

I was recently in Los Angeles, visiting a property manager who had stains on about 1/3 of the 305 commercial granite countertops they recently installed in their newly renovated luxury apartments. I wish I could have brought the naysayers with me so they could convince the distraught maintenance folks that those oil and wine stains were just a figment of their imagination …

From a contractor’s perspective, in the old days, impregnators were primarily based on silicone derivatives. While they are great against water, they were (and are) poor against oil-based stains. Furthermore, if applied in excess, the impregnation residues on the stone surface would also absorb oil. Double hit. Here’s the rationale: If it is a fact that oil stains are the worst to remove, and if the impregnator won’t stop them anyway, why bother? That was in the late 80’s, this is 2007, and we have technology that will stop oil stains dry. Like all misinformation, it actually has a bit of roots and slowly dies.

People on the Internet have different motivations. Or are:

A: Trying to sell you granite slabs by disavowing any flaws the commercial granite has, or

B: Using reverse psychology sales techniques (wrong, I must add) to sell you their impregnating agent.

2.) My neighbor told me that my granite is not safe because it harbors and produces large amounts of bacteria – This is still circulating even though it has been proven false on numerous occasions by both government organizations and industry. Allow me the opportunity to set the record straight in this case, once and for all: it is utter nonsense. In fact, properly maintained commercial granite surfaces are some of the most hygienic you can buy. Like all other food preparation surfaces, commercial granite must be properly cleaned.

It is widely held that manufacturers of man-made countertop materials started these rumors, although there is no strong evidence. In short, the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health has given commercial granite a good health status, as has the Centers for Disease Control (CDC).

3.) Someone told me that my granite emits radon gas and is radioactive – A little crooked science goes a long way … Almost any type of stone found where uranium is present emits miniscule amounts of radon gas, and traces of uranium can be found almost anywhere stone is found. Bottom line? There are no health or safety risks associated with the release of radon gas or radioactivity from commercial granite.

Notably, concrete, cement, and plaster release as much or more radon gas than commercial granite, and there are also no health risks associated with them. A manufacturer of artificial countertop materials is also believed to have started this rumor.

4.) They told me to clean my granite with soap and water only – This one has a couple of variants floating around, specifically including using dish detergent (and a special brand, I might add) or plain water. Will doing this damage your commercial granite? No, he will not. Will it impact your appearance? Yes, he will do it.

If you were to wash your windows with “soap and water” (or dish soap, or plain water) and a sponge, I guarantee that you will not be satisfied with their appearance.

With this in mind, it is best to routinely clean your commercial granite with a product that is specifically designed for use on natural stone. Using soap, dish soap, or non-stone cleaners will leave your commercial granite looking dull and lifeless.

5.) Someone told me that shine will wear down my granite and require re-polishing – Unless you are playing roller hockey on your commercial granite surfaces, it is highly unlikely that you will need to re-polish them. I have seen very isolated cases (all of them in very dark “granite”) where the surface actually deteriorated with normal use and required a new polish. These stones were actually suspect to begin with, as they were unlikely to reach a rating of 5.5 (the minimum allowable hardness) on the Mohs hardness scale. Good quality commercial granite, properly maintained, will not permanently lose its shine for long, even with heavy (but considerate) use.

If your granite has been waxed then the “shine” will disappear and you will need to re-wax it. Waxing commercial granite is generally NOT RECOMMENDED, so do so only if your surfaces were previously waxed to provide their final shine.

Most of the loss of gloss and reflectivity is due to the use of improper cleaning chemicals, improper cleaning methods, or both. As I mentioned earlier, if you need a demonstration of what soap and water do to the look of your commercial granite, simply wash your windows with (add your favorite “soap” here), water, and a sponge. “Soap and water” leave a residue on the stone that will eventually dull the finish.

The good news is that surface residue opacity is not permanent. It can be removed with a high alkaline cleaner designed for natural stone. In some cases, calcification (mineral deposits from evaporated water) will dull surface areas, especially around faucets and fixtures. These deposits can also be removed quickly, easily and safely.

I also recommend using weekly (or whenever you like) “toilet” products to increase shine and enhance the overall appearance of your commercial granite. These products provide the added benefits of reducing water stains and fingerprints on polished surfaces.

6.) Practices and Products

At the end of the day, it all comes down to this:

– Keep your commercial granite properly impregnated (sealed).

– Clean up spills and contamination in a timely manner.

– Do not use sharp implements on your commercial granite.

– Do not place extremely hot items on your granite.

– Use quality products specifically designed for commercial granite.