Threeapples, that is a good question. I have some grease spatters too. Hopefully someone will know what to do. Peke

Have you tried a poultice to remove the greasy stains? Acetone (fingernail polish remover) and cornstarch is one I've seen work.

Perhaps not enough sealer was applied. Or a better sealer like 511 is needed?

Have you tried a poultice to remove the greasy stains? Acetone (fingernail polish remover) and cornstarch is one I've seen work.

Perhaps not enough sealer was applied. Or a better sealer like 511 is needed?

After eight years of cooking with abandon on my Thassos counter, I have no stains, so I am a bit mystified by your stains. (Tons of etches, though.) However, I do have granite, also, and once used a poultice of acetone (pure, not nail polish remover, which may have dyes and adulterants) and diatomaceous earth, mixed to a paste consistency, and covered with white paper towels and plastic wrap overnight. This removed an olive oil stain. Later, I ignored an olive oil stain, and after a few days it disappeared on its own. My sealer is not Bulletproof. The fabricator used an SCI product, and seven years later, I used three coats of another one. I will cast about for the name.
* Edited to add name of my most recent sealer: Tenax Hydrex:
http://www.amazon.com/TENAX-IMPREGNATOR-AND-SEALER-LITER/dp/B000VM4OFE/ref=pd_sim_sbs_hi_2

I would recommend going to this site where there are stone pros with experience with your particular marble and sealer:

http://www.stoneadvice.com/forum/

Also, the link below may offer some help.

Here is a link that might be useful: This may help

This post was edited by kitchendetective on Sun, Sep 1, 13 at 15:26

I'm not sure there's much evidence that 511 is a better sealer than Bulletproof. There are a number of reviews which point to Bulletproof providing better stain resistance than 511.

Having said that, sealers don't prevent stains - they slow the absorption rate so you have more time to clean up spills.

One suggestion is to test the sealing quality after it's applied. You can add a second application per the manufacturer's instructions if you need more sealant.

When we put marble in our apartment kitchen it was sealed with Bulletproof. It was not at all to my liking. Liquid soap stained the counter.

Granted, it wasn't a marble as hard as Danby. A stone guy I found recommended Akemi Nano and it did an excellent job repelling most liquids. However, we had a Chinese food spill and did get a stain from the oil in the sauce.

Many of the stains are colorless and only can be seen in certain light. I don't mind them. No way to eliminate any stain. I used the flexi mats from Crate & Barrel for most everything and ended up resealing with the Akemi every 6 months. It's expensive and very stinky when it goes on but dries very fast and the odor dissipates completely and quickly. It's not for use on floors.

Here is a link that might be useful: Akemi Nano

So do I have to use the same sealer that my fabricator used? When I asked what they used, he just said "the usual". Then he said I could get it at Lowe's.

I have Sea Pearl quartzite that is brushed. What would be the best sealer to use? When should I plan on putting on the next coat?

I watched him put the sealer on. They didn't clean the slab and there was powdery residue on it. Then he rubbed the sealer in with a cloth.
Peke

"So do I have to use the same sealer that my fabricator used? When I asked what they used, he just said "the usual" "

Not a very helpful answer and as far as I know the sealers at Lowe's and other big box stores are for flooring. Countertop ssealers are "food grade" such that you could roll cookie dough on the countertop and not contaminate your food.

"Granite City Tool" and GranQuartz" are two suppliers to the fabrication industry where you could buy fabricator quality sealer on-line. Either 511 or "Bulletproof" are excellent sealers. In my experience the VOC* based sealers work best but there are water based sealers if you object to the solvent base.

In either case an application of acetone (which is kind of stinky while you are using it) will strip whatever sealer is already on the stone.

VOC - volatile organic compound

Just got a ring stain from my son's cereal bowl, which I presume is from the milk spilled over the edge. What a pain. This sealer seems pointless. Can I put the Akemi on top of the Stone Tech? If I use an a stone poultice it will remove any sealer so I probably shouldn't until I'm ready to reseal, right?

Oldryder, I looked and looked for a "food grade" sealer and couldn't find any credible evidence that such a thing exists. On install day I asked to see the bottle of sealer the guy was about to apply to my counters, it was labeled for outdoor paver use and I declined.

I would be oh so happy to see any sealer which has been labeled as safe by the FDA, or any evidence of safety of the ingredients.

"Countertop ssealers are "food grade" such that you could roll cookie dough on the countertop and not contaminate your food."

kk, was you fabricator through another person, like KD, GC, big box, or was it just a shop you chose independently? That sounds ridiculous. A lot of contractors do not pay attention to product specs.

I got the ring out with a water and baking soda poultice, covered the area in plastic wrap for an hour and washed it off. Now the ring is gone, but I have a huge dark blotch from the poultice. Ugh.

I hope you find something that works, but you will be a slave to your counters trying to fight normal usage. Marble is about patina, especially for something like a kitchen counter. Trying not to use them will drive everyone insane and does not make a whole lot of sense.

Here is what the Akemi will do. It doesn't prevent everything, as I said, but it helped a lot. I put it over the not-Bulletproof which also was smeary. It does on very easily with a disposable small rubber roller -- just follow directions on the can. They are very specific. I found I could see slight wear off after 6 months and resealed.

This is coffee.

This is water or vinegar (can't recall).

Also, to preserve your sanity these can be very useful. I bought two sets and put them on the counter for most everything. Flexible Mats

Snookums2, I think it is probably common and not unique to my fabricator.
I have spent hours searching for evidence to support the reassuring statements made by fabricators and sealant manufacturers:
"once cured the sealer is inert and won't transfer to food"
"it penetrates into the pores of the material and isn't on the surface"
I haven't found any evidence, and am skeptical.

Old Ryder, are Bulletproof and 511 both VOC?

What about Akemi?

I agree, kk. I would definitely opt for one that at least claims to be food safe versus one used for drives and walkways. You're not supposed to use exterior products indoors anyway, due to the heavier duty chemicals.

This post was edited by snookums2 on Mon, Sep 2, 13 at 12:28

Bulletproof is water-based. 511 is VOC.

Here's a writeup that NATCO did on stone sealers last year. They didn't have good results with 511, but recommended something caled Drytreat as a VOC sealer (along with Bulletproof). There are some individual writeups on the left side.

North American Tile Cleaning Organization Review of Sealers

There is only one function of an impregnating sealer for stone .
“To temporarily inhibit the intrusion of staining agents into the surface of the stone”
As far as stonetech bulletproof goes I think it is a water based sealer that uses a flouropolymer which provides oleophobic and hydrophobic resistance. Look at the MSDS sheet to see the contents.
This sealer only contains from 1-5% resins. Pretty standard, not bad but will require multipl applications on a porous surface.
Three apples-Do a water test by placing a palm sized puddle of water(or 2) on the surface of your stone. Let it sit there for 10-15 minutes. Then wipe away with a paper towel and see if a dark mark is there. If there is a dark mark
observe how long it takes to evaporate. Just as a baseline to gauge how porous the stone is. Use the stonetech bulletproof to do another application. Do your top in sections one at a time,apply the sealer onto the surface and keep it wet for 10-15 minutes.
Don't let it dry on the surface. AFTER THE PRESCRIBED TIME REMOVE ALL TRACES OF THE SEALER THAT IS ON THE SURFACE. This is very important as you want the sealer to penetrate the surface not stay on top. When you are sure you have properly applied and removed the sealer from the first section then repeat the process on entire surface.
Wait 24 -36 hours and do the water test again. You should see better resistance now. If it is still absorbing do another application and test again.
While I agree with old ryder that one should consider a sealer as a temporary protection from staining using quality sealers and proper applications will provide better results.
I think even though this is a professional task a homeowner is more suited to do a better job.
The fact is a contractor would have a tough time coming back multiple times to seal porous stones for many reasons.
As far as that test that Natco did I wonder about the credibility.
They never mentioned what stones they sealed and how porous they were. They never clarified which types such as granite marble, limestone etc.
They state all natural stones should be sealed.
Never heard of roofing quality slate being sealed.
The average life of a slate roof is over 100 years with out any sealer.
There are many stones that are quite dense and may not require sealers. Just like the many folks on this forum who have never had a true stain on their stone.
They also never stated what their application process was.
There is no cookie cutter application as each stone will have its own character.
Natco suggests that a good sealer can delay the etching of an acid sensitive stone giving you enough time to wipe it up. That may be incorrect as sealers live below the surface and can etch themselves when they are left on the surface.The surface is exposed to acid attack and depending on the stone or acidic substance etching can happen quickly. Anyone who has marble or its cousins in their kitchen will agree.
While I agree a quality brand name is probably better to use than a generic sealer.
I always say it isn't so much about the sealer as it is about the application process.

I don't know much about this sealer stuff but I do have new marble treated with Dry Treat.

Its first test came when my teen son put a plate of Thai food (curcumin) with residue on it overnight. I fully expected a yellow stain penetration when I found the plate ring the next morning. Instead the residue had beaded up into a congealed mass of some sort and to my amazement, a simple wipe took it up, off and left no stain. I'm not wanting to repeat the test though. Obviously just one person but it seemed to do it's job. It must have been eight hours before I found it. GL.

Sorry to hear about your marble, threeapples. I hope you find a resolution. Did I miss your kitchen reveal?