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tuxedord2

Help Please! Granite Install Splotches

tuxedord2
9 years ago

Hi Everyone,

I had leathered absolute black installed this morning. I approved the slabs prior to install and tested two separate samples. But some things have gone wrong.

Around the sink area, there are some dark blotches that look like water and fingerprints. When I put fresh water or fingerprints on the stone they fade away. But these blotches left by the installers are not fading. I think perhaps it's epoxy? There are also some streaky areas and some dull spots - mostly around the sink/peninsula area.

The perimeter counters looked perfectly fine until my son put a plastic bag with a potato roll on it. A dullness and darkening appeared in that spot and now it's not going away.

I smell a bunch of acetone. Is it reacting to something?

Also the caulking job is globbed in many places.

Advice for when the fabricator arrives here tomorrow?

I am posting multiple posts with separate pics.

Comments (27)

  • tuxedord2
    Original Author
    9 years ago

    Picture number two

  • tuxedord2
    Original Author
    9 years ago

    Another glob and streak

  • tuxedord2
    Original Author
    9 years ago

    Here is the seam. It's all faded and dull on the stone along the sides of the seam.

  • tuxedord2
    Original Author
    9 years ago

    Another mess

  • tuxedord2
    Original Author
    9 years ago

    Last one

  • Bunny
    9 years ago

    Holy crap! That doesn't look good.

  • Swentastic Swenson
    9 years ago

    I think acetone is used to prep the surface - they used it on my counters before applying the seams and I doubt its reacting to your stone. Trebuchet might have some insight - maybe you could use acetone (nail polish remover) to get those big dark spots off?

    I've heard using the Method brand cleaner works well on honed granite. It's got oils in it or something that help keep the finish dark.

  • PRO
    Joseph Corlett, LLC
    9 years ago

    "Advice for when the fabricator arrives here tomorrow?"

    Tell him:

    "You'll get final payment when you get those spots off my tops."

    Looks like silicone to me.

  • tuxedord2
    Original Author
    9 years ago

    Thanks everyone. I can't tell you how disappointed I am. This fabricator came highly recommended and I saw their work. So to have a job this sloppy really infuriates me. I went back and forth with the choice of counters for a year and I knew the risks of absolute black and leathered finish. I thought I was prepared for higher maintenance counters. I was not prepared for a mess beginning on installation day!

    Do you think this is salvageable? Are these spots and streaks just in need of cleaning? I tried soap and water as I've read about-- but nothing worked. There is also a larger dull area that looks like machine marks. Doesn't photograph well. There was no such mark on the slabs I approved.

  • PRO
    Joseph Corlett, LLC
    9 years ago

    lesmobo:

    Please put a level on your tops and take and post pictures. Go every direction and span seams.

  • tuxedord2
    Original Author
    9 years ago

    Thanks Trebruchet. Here are some more if that helps any. This one is of the splotch near the stove.
    I've used the level and have a few more pics to follow as well. I have one seam in the entire kitchen. This is a peninsula design.
    I am not sure why my pictures are coming out sideways.

  • tuxedord2
    Original Author
    9 years ago

    Across from the seam

  • tuxedord2
    Original Author
    9 years ago

    Looking straight on toward the seam

  • tuxedord2
    Original Author
    9 years ago

    Shows the duller edge

  • cluelessincolorado
    9 years ago

    This may not help with your issues, but after I had my Absolute Black installed, I was terrified I had made a VERY expensive mistake. It is also leathered and every time we put down a glass, oil, you name it, we had splotches, stains, and water marks. I scrubbed it well with the backside of a blue sponge a few times and now 6 weeks in no more problems.

  • romy718
    9 years ago

    I wonder if those splotches might be from too much sealer. I had some marks on my stone that looked like wipes from a dish cloth that weren't dry. It was the sealer. Sometimes they can remove the excess sealer by resealing & during that process are able to remove it. Sometimes the sealer has to be stripped & then the countertop is resealed. I believe they also use Acetone to remove the excess during the sealing process. Maybe that's why you smelled the acetone.
    Did your fabricator come back today?

    This post was edited by romy718 on Tue, Sep 23, 14 at 23:18

  • tuxedord2
    Original Author
    9 years ago

    Hi,

    Thanks for your replies. A fabricator came yesterday but it was not the man I was expecting. He attempted to clean the areas. Some of the shiny spots faded but one is still prominent. The streaks and duller areas (and two machine mark areas) are still visible. Overall it looks better, but it is still not acceptable.

    I asked many questions about sealer. This counter stone is acting very differently from my sample which cleaned easily with soap and water. And I think many of the smudges and streaks were from the installers. So yes, I think the sealer may be problematic and may have to be stripped off. Though, this man denied that this had anything to do with sealer. The marks however were not present when I approved the slabs. The dull edge was present -- but I specifically asked that they not be included on the template.

    Today they are sending three more people. The original salesperson, their "product specialist," and another fabricator who will address the machine mark areas.

    All these areas are very visible on the peninsula. I could live with them if they were simply perimeter. As it stands, I will have to keep playing hardball as right now- it's unacceptable.

    @clueless - thank you that is good to know!!!! Yes, I am seeing lots of oil marks and unlike my sample they do not come off with simple soap and water. On another site, i was advised to use windex and voila at least something cleans it up. That was at least a relief!!! I don't mind higher maintenance in general. But the installation marks don't come off at all and that's where I am right now. Ugh!!!

  • tuxedord2
    Original Author
    9 years ago

    Today the owner, the original salesperson and the original fabricator visited. They acknowledged it looked bad. But, they will not replace the stone as they say this is what I wanted. LOL! I said, "The slabs I personally approved were NOT splotchy and streaked. The slabs I approved did not have machine marks. This is most certainly not what I wanted."
    I did acknowledge that on the day of approval I saw a small portion near the end of the slab that was duller - as if the leathering did not take. I specifically told the fabricator to not use that portion and he agreed.

    They said I probably didn't see the splotches and streaks because the slabs were vertical and outside. I said then that is their fault not mine as they are the experts. And they still used the area I said not to use as well.

    After much back and forth, the owner and fabricator questioned whether or not my counter was sealed. Of course the guy said yesterday that it was.

    After they left without solution (and promising to get back to me), their secretary called. They are sending some "specialist" tomorrow to try to remove these areas AGAIN. The secretary told me they thought it might be grease marks absorbed into the stone. ???

    I do know that when the stone is dry these areas are DARKER. When the stone is wet, these areas are LIGHTER.
    Stone? Sealer? Grease?

  • jerzeegirl
    9 years ago

    Absolute granite does not need to be sealed. It is a very hard stone and the sealer will sit on the surface and not get absorbed. I wonder if it might be the black tint-epoxy that they used to do the seams.

    This post was edited by jerzeegirl on Wed, Sep 24, 14 at 22:26

  • sjhockeyfan325
    9 years ago

    It might just be the sealer (which shouldn't have been used on absolute black). It should be removed, and then I think wiped down with dish soap and water.

  • romy718
    9 years ago

    Any solutions today?

  • susanlynn2012
    9 years ago

    I am so sorry your gorgeous counters are having this problem. Please keep us updated.

  • PRO
    Joseph Corlett, LLC
    9 years ago

    Use the link to find where you can purchase Dow silicone remover:

    Here is a link that might be useful: 2025

  • tuxedord2
    Original Author
    9 years ago

    The specialist was the original fabricator. He was very nice and understanding. He applied some spray on and stay on treatment but it did not work.

    Next they offered an enhancer but of course I didn't want a darker counter. I agreed to try it only if I had the option to replace the counter upon dissatisfaction.

    He called the owner and they agreed!

    The enhancer darkened the sections and hides the imperfections well. However there is now a streaking effect that I do not like and the machine marks are still visible. Plus the surface now is very black and not my soft gray. I am letting it settle for a day or so but as of now I will probably have them replace this countertop. I am thankful that they are now willing to do this.

    Thanks for all the support and suggestions! This is such a learning experience!

  • friedajune
    9 years ago

    As others have said, Absolute Black should not have sealer on it. That was the mistake. Absolute Black is the most dense countertop granite. Consequently, it should not be sealed because the sealer cannot penetrate the granite, and then just sits on top of the stone creating a haze, and showing water marks and stains. I can't find the thread, but I saved the advice from Stonegirl: "Not all stones need sealer. Stones like Blue Pearl, Ubatuba, Black Galaxy, Verde Peacock, Verde Butterfly, Platinum Pearl and many others are too dense to absorb any liquids - sealers included. Sealers only protect stone from staining through absorption, so in stones with low absorption co-efficients, sealing would be superfluous. Sealing dense stones could lead to nasty results, such as streaking and ghost etching, so DO NOT go by the motto of "seal it anyway, it could not hurt". Rather test your stone for absorption by dripping water on it to see if it darkens any. If the water has no effect on the stone, sealing it is unnecessary."

    Thread about getting sealer off Absolute Black

    One Poster's Solution

  • tuxedord2
    Original Author
    9 years ago

    Thanks akchicago. Yes I had read the same and assumed the sealer was the problem too. Though the other two sections are fine. Some threads say that the leather ing process does make Ab more likely to take a sealer. We will do tests with the new slab but will supervisetheapplicatipn on the samples -

  • PRO
    Granite City Services
    9 years ago

    I am a fabricator.

    A few years back we had a similar problem that was streaking on honed abs. black. Customer had picked the slabs. Nothing we did had an impact and I finally had the idea of checking a remnant from the job. The remnant piece also had streaking which confirmed that the irregular look was inherent to the stone. In that case it turned out the stone had been dyed to get a "blacker" look. In summer we probably would have noticed the blotches; in winter the slabs immediately get wet or frosted over when brought into the shop and the variability is not visible on the wet stone.

    We replaced the job with stone purchased from our usual supplier that specifically never buys dyed stone.

    The oral of the story is to make sure your black absolute is not dyed.

    Glad you have a fabricator that is willing to bear the expense (which is considerable) of a complete replacement.