It's my understanding that on properly sealed granite, water beads up. So I'd say it isn't sealed, or it isn't sealed enough.

Oldryder and other stone pros, please feel free to correct me if I'm mistaken!

I agree with you Ginny. There are some granites( the light ones) that are more porous.
Reseal. As Ginny says, water should bead up and there should not be a dark stain.
I have my kitchen fours years now and have only resealed once since the initial sealing.

This is why I went with porcelain floor tiles! I lived with granite for 10 years. Done with it!

Suzi

thanks for this information. After my stain is out and they return to repolish that section, i am going to ask them to reseal. It's only been a week and I left a wet glass on the counter and 2 hours later there was a mark. I don't think that is acceptable. I'll see what they say...
as I said, first and last time builder!! :)

I would have them just remove the granite altogether. I do not think this is a good choice of material for you. Maybe you prefer the care of a laminate.

Oh when you do that, would you please send it to me?

Jody.... can I ask what are they using to remove the green stain (called green bloom)?

Eve - why should she have them remove the granite? Sealing isn't *that* difficult, is it? I've had laminate all of my life (shudder) - although it's gotten better since my mother got it 50+ years ago, I don't think I would recommend it to someone if they could afford granite or some other material.

We have some "Wise Crackers" in here, that "apparently" did not "Go fully off" during our recent 4th of July!

There are many different types of granites, with different porosity levels. Ours was sealed, (Arandis Gold) when it was installed 7 years ago, and has never needed resealing since!

It gets tomatoes spilled on it, coffee, You name it and it doesn't have a single spot or stain, None, Nunca etc!

To condemn all granites because one is "apparently" not properly sealed is absolutely *^_+^, (Well I'll be Nice), but You get the idea.

Will the "Guilty parties here" please go outside GW and relight your fuses?, or save the fireworks till the next 4th of July!

Gary

I am a fabricator.

Sealed granite is NOT waterproof. Water left on the surface will soak in a bit and make a dark area that disappears when it dries out. Not a big deal and not a problem. There are some sealers that are more like a clearcoat on a cars paint that actually do waterproof the granite but they are expensive ($10 - $12 per sq. ft.) and IMHO not necessary.

A green bloom can be usually be removed by a poultice of Ajax cleanser. (lots of other concoctions are used, Ajax is the easiest I know of.)

Make a wet paste of Ajax and cover it with plastic; tape the plastic down on 3 sides to slow the drying process. Has worked for us on several occasions.

So if a sealed stone allows things to soak in a bit, how does it stay sanitary? When I was looking, the guy said you can cut fish, meat, anything on it. Wash with a drop of antibacterial soap (which wouldn't do much if anything).

You don't want to cut on it because it will ruin your knives. Also much easier to clean up a cutting board. Just like any type of counter you probably don't want raw meat on it directly.

We are just finishing our kitchen and have Giallo Ornamental which is very similar to Saint Cecilia and we get those water marks as well. The first time I noticed it from a glass I started to panic but then a few hours later noticed the spot had disappeared. Now I am confused if I should be worried or not.

I would worry and get it sealed better. Oil (or something less obvious) will not be benign and just evaporate like the water will.

snookums2 - Seriously? Someone actually said it was okay to cut on granite and that it was sanitary? Wow, that guy was clueless.
There is a reason that you don't see natural stone (including granite) in commercial kitchens. Yes, sealing helps, but it's not impervious nor does it last forever. Every cut on the surface just increases your exposure, not to mention what that will do to your knives!

I guess it shouldn't surprise me after what a salesman was making up to try to get me to buy a dishwasher.

Santa Cecilia is porous and should be sealed properly.
Several applications applied correctly will do the trick.
Test it using the water test. Puddle up a palm sized puddle of water and let it sit for 5-10 minutes than wipe it away.
If you get a dark mark it is still absorbing.
My opinion on sealing-while you may consider sealing a professional task the fact is most of the time a better sealing job can be done by the homeowner.
Here's why-most sealers take 24 hours or longer to cure.
So the first application which can be multiple coats is in my opinion really only one coat.The idea is to fill the pores with resin then let the product cure and do the water test. If it is still porous then a second application may do the trick.
This is where the homeowner will do better-I mean lets face facts.
Contractors will be hard pressed to come back multiple times to seal the stone.
But always do the water test 24 hours after you apply product.
Also it is paramount to make sure each time you apply product after the dwell time you remove entirely any product left on the surface.
If not you will have an epic adventure on your hands. Remember sealers for stone are impregnating.
It doesn't have to be waterproofed but a good sealing if you require it doesn't hurt.
If you maintain your sealer by using Ph neutral cleaners they can last for years.
As far as blooms I agree with Old Ryder. If that doesn't work there are other products or poultices that may.

"snookums2 - Seriously? Someone actually said it was okay to cut on granite and that it was sanitary? Wow, that guy was clueless. "

Yes that is what he told me. And yes, he was an idiot. He did a clueless tile job that failed, in spite of various credentials. You just never know!

I have a new granite counter top. Today I noticed a circular mark when the sun shown on the counter. I do not know the cause or what to do? Please help!