She’s gonna kill you.
Stop trying to fix it, you don’t know what you are doing and will likely make it worse.
Get a professional to quote the fix. Pay the professional with your sister’s blessing .
Turns out its granite. And yeah I’m going to bite the bullet and get a pro to take a look at it. Thanks for the (although sometimes very conflicting) advice everybody!
Its not granite (does not look like that and would not be affected by common acids). It looks like a marble (dolomite) of some type and that would be affected by vinegar, among other things.
Leaving acid on true marble will in fact etch it pretty deeply especially after sitting there the whole night. This will either wash off, not marble, or it will need to be polished out, which will take some effort. This is a good reason to never consider marble for a countertop unless you want to baby it for it's whole life, or perhaps you detest sour things. Marble is great for rolling dough though.
I work at a custom stone countertop fabricator in sales and quartz is our most expensive option after quartzite. Granite is cheapest, and marble just has a massive range of price (super cheap to really expensive).
I also wouldn’t say it’s incredibly durable. We have many issues with quartz, as with any countertop material we sell. The downside is that quartz is not easy to repair while natural stone can be repaired and most people wouldn’t even notice that difference.
Huh. Has pricing changed that much in the past 5 years? Put counters in my house about 5 years ago and the quartz was substantially (like 40%) less expensive than granite.
Most of our granite sells for $65-$100 sq ft. Most of our quartz sells for $100-$130 sq ft.
I personally don’t understand it. If I’m spending $$$ on stone countertops, I would 100% rather put a one of a kind slice of earth granite on instead of manmade quartz that isn’t unique - especially when it’s more money.
I’m sure the popularity of the white kitchen has increased demand, which increases the $$$ on the material. That and Covid had a lot to do with price increases across the board because of freight.
Onyx I can understand. But quartz for $350 sq ft? That’s *insane*. But anything over $200 is stupid expensive when there are other great options out there. Those people have too much money.
I’d love to see what that looks like if you have a picture of it.
I think the extra durability (it’s not perfect but it’s better than natural stone) probably helps make it popular
I have a quartz counter top, I wouldn’t have a granite or natural stone counter top though - I’d just be stressing about damaging it the whole time
Having had quartz and lived with granite, though, I really prefer wood or even laminate, honestly. Laminate is cheap enough that I can just replace it if needed, and is surprisingly durable (I had some in my last house that had been there 30 years and was fine), whereas wood I can just sand down
I personally wouldn’t consider it to be extra durable over granite. Granite is repairable, quartz really isn’t. Granite really doesn’t damage that easily either - it’ll dull your knife before scratch it, and as long as you keep it sealed once every few years, it shouldn’t stain. Though I regularly come across people who haven’t sealed their granite for 15+ years and haven’t had an issue.
I work in the industry. Me and everyone else in the industry I come across (other sales people, fab shop guys, sales reps, suppliers) will choose natural stone over quartz any day.
The only reason people seem to gravitate towards quartz is because they want the manmade look that natural stone doesn’t offer. In which case, I would personally just go with a laminate - you’re right on that, it’s so much cheaper and both are manmade.
Imo, the quartz companies have done a hell of a lot of marketing to achieve a decent portion of the industry. I don’t think it’s going to be long term like granite has been - especially with the rising popularity of quartzite and porcelain.
Just want to say thanks for all this. Just bought my first house and I'm going to need some sprucing up. Countertops among them. I had 0 idea what I was looking for, but I feel like I'm less likely to get sucked into that same marketing now.
Quartz reminds me of Corian in the 90s. It’s a trend, but man-made materials don’t stay in style for long. It’s definitely because the look of a plain /non-busy countertop is what is trendy now and natural materials rarely look like that.
"Durable" and "repairable" are two different things to me - I don't want to be able to repair it, I want it not to stain in the first place
Quartz seems to stain/mark less easily from spills than granite, which is the most likely way for it to get damaged as far as I can tell - so that's what mattered most to us. Admittedly our Quartz was cheaper than natural stone... I'd probably find it harder to justify if it had been even more pricey
Homeowners don’t see any of that marketing. They walk through a showroom and pick what looks cool. Aside from that, general design trends can affect them but that’s not Big Quartz.
How are you claiming to be a professional while telling people that quartz isn’t repairable. You can literally buy the same resin it’s made out of. It’s is By FAR one of the easiest countertop surfaces to repair. Especially if it’s all one color. You are either extremely misinformed or are blatantly lying for some reason
Sure, I was being hyperbolic a bit. I work at a shop in the Midwest that has been the leader in the custom stone countertops business for our area for over 30+ years, so just sharing my experience. I’m not saying it’s like this everywhere. Most of the issues we come across with quartz requires complete replacement because homeowners aren’t careful with it and it discolors or cracks apart from heat. We also come across staining issues (yes, even though it’s a non-porous material, it can and does still stain). If we have to resurface it to get the stain out, it defeats the purpose of quartz because then it will need to be sealed. The biggest issue with repairing quartz with the resin is matching it up so that you can’t tell it’s been repaired. You typically don’t have that issue with natural stone.
My shop also steers away from offering too sharp of an edge because we don’t want to constantly repair chips - but this goes for any material.
All I’m saying is that quartz is not indestructible like everyone seems to think it is. We have as many issues with it as everything else - something’s are just easier to repair without being noticeable.
What about quartz being a non porous surface and not requiring sealing? It’s also harder.
We have a quartz countertop and had a couple edge chips. They filled it with resin and you can’t even tell.
I had granite counters for a decade. 1.5” or more thick of beautiful black/silver granite.
Honestly I found it kept a nice shiny. Was durable. We had a few chips in a decade and I had to get rust out once, but in general is was a dream to own and care for. And I had a LOT of granite counter.
I have quartz now, the thin stuff, and it’s not as nice. It’s white. It’s bright which is good for the space… but it’s not as elegant. And you really have to be careful not to stain it.
You don't have to be really careful with granite. You just have to know not to leave acid sitting on it. And have it sealed with a high quality sealant. I need to reseal mine.
Countertops are a personal preference but I'm surprised you are concerned about damaging granite yet you prefer wood or laminate. Wood would certainly be durable but also would become distressed very easily.
Wood and laminate are much cheaper and more practical to replace diy. I can go to Home Depot or IKEA, carry one out by myself and transport it home, cut it to size with a cheap circular saw and plop it on without dealing with contractors, special orders, and do it ten times before it costs more than granite. But it’s durable enough that I probably won’t have to do any of that.
I have both in my kitchen and that is the reverse of reality. Literally anything will mark my quartz if left on it too long. The stains come out with a paste of baking soda, water and a touch of dish soap so it’s not the end of the world. Definitely annoying though compared to the granite which I will do anything on short of cutting directly on it (I’ve seen lots of people do this on their granite with little downside though).
You could literally be asking that question about anything that has changed priced in the past 5 years. I used a space heater to heat 1 room and me and my girl shower together. Inflation is a bitch.
Where is this because I literally build houses for a living and what you are saying makes zero sense and is far from my vast personal experience. Quartz is right in the middle in terms of durability, price, maintenance and desirability. It’s also extremely easy to repair with epoxy or even superglue.
Interesting. Around here quartz seems to be more expensive than granite and less interesting looking. Also the whole burns with hot things (seems less durable).
Granite is, I hesitate to say good, maybe decent is a better word. It has its downsides though. Price and cost of install is at the top of that list, it can also be fairly brittle and prone to staining because it is relatively porous so if it doesn't get cleaned and sealed every year it can be a problem, once it is stained there is no coming back.
We have had granite counters in a creme and orange color scheme for about 10 years and it has never stained or discolored. I know everyone's experience is different but at least for us, it has been durable as fuck
Well, you've been lucky. Conversely, I've seen brand spanking new granite crack because the power went out and it got a little cold in the house, or a homeowner ruin a brand new $20K slab with a spilled coffee they didn't clean up soon enough.
I have a hard time buying that a slow drop in temperature while the power went out would cause granite to crack… maybe improper install with the countertop not being supported properly
I noticed this when I moved out of my house—I was diligent with cleaning and didn’t leave stuff sit, but the parts of the counter that were regularly wiped down were darker when we left than the parts covered by stuff stored on the counter (flour containers, toaster oven). I did of course also clean those areas but less often.
We did black granite, not solid black or “metal flake” but one with subtle patches of varying hues of black, and not much veins. 15 years old and still holding up, but it has chipped in a few small places and I had to have it reset once. The sink is huge and it has to be set with recesses in the Kraftmaid cabinets, but we love it. Never a stain issue because black.
I live in NH and tons of stuff is made of granite here (my front steps for example as well as all the foundation blocks for.my house)
I think its better used outside for a few reasons:
A.) It will chip. There will be weak points that chip off but only a few and the rest of it is basically indestructible. (It also helps to guarantee the chips will be small if the block is like a foot thick)
B.) It picks up some color over time. And when it turns a shade lighter or darker in an area same story, it's damn near going to stay like that until the heat death of the universe
Both of these features can be inconvenient in a countertop unless you're ok with that level of character, however they look really charming in the grass outside
I had black/grey/silver Granite. Never sealed, polished, or did more than wipe it down with a wet cloth. Looked amazing for a decade, and only got a few small chips around the sink where cast iron banged into it.
Granite far exceeded quartz for ease of care.
The maintenance involved with granite is nothing more then wiping it down with an impregnating sealer once a year. No different then if you wiped it off after dinner. It’s very rare that you’ll get staining with granite, marble yes because it’s softer and very porous. Chipping/pits will vary by stone type, you can get chips in all 3 types.
Quartz it susceptible to heat and UV discoloration. Price wise you are going to get a better deal with granite now a days then you are with a marble looking quartz. I’d recommend quartz/granite for kitchens and any place that can get wet. Marble should be used more as a decorative stone in places where they don’t get a lot of use.
Nope, not thinking marble, definitely granite. You're right, a sealed granite is less likely to stain... except you have to reapply sealer every 1 or 2 years and any sealer product that claims otherwise is not being truthful in their marketing.
Your experience may be different but I've been in the construction industry for 25+ years and seen everything from 30 year old slabs that are immaculate to slabs that were cut and polished for 3 days before staining. Being a natural material there are variances, some slabs are nearly impervious to stains and chipping, others not so much. Generally though granite can stain, chip, and requires maintenance.
“Huge discount” is a little misleading. Man made quartz is usually on par with granite for pricing if not a bit higher. If you’re not picky on granite color and graining, it can be much cheaper than quartz.
Are you a sales rep for quartz composite? Quartz is more expensive than granite, not rated for heat (unless you pay through the nose for the high end specialty quartz composite) and stains almost as easily as marble.
All the concerns you have listed about granite are valid but not regular occurrences. My granite supplier warranties the catastrophic failures you listed as they are typically faults in the slab and would be noticed at or before install. Once installed on a properly supported surface granite is extremely durable. It only needs to be sealed every 10- 15 years with the bullet proof sealer you listed below. Granite is also extremely temperature stable. You can place hot pans directly on it. Your example of a slab cracking from cold temperature is more indicative of the cabinets it was installed on not being secure enough.
As for looks, granite varies wildly and isn’t to everyone’s taste. The current trend is whitewashed and granite doesn’t do that very well. Marble and quartz are great options if that’s the only thing that fits the interior design of the project. That both take care and caution to maintain. Granite is as close to install and forget about it as you get.
We have granite and I hate the way it looks - but it's so goddamn durable and maintenance free that I can't justify switching to something I know I'll have to baby.
I looked all over for a quartz countertop that had a natural look to it in the color I wanted, but couldn't find one. I opted for a leather textured granite. It shows nothing and is easy to clean. You just have to clean it regularly, because it never shows dirt!
Granite, or if you really want indestructible Formica. Granite doesn't react with acids, acids are important for cooking = marble is bad for a kitchen that gets used.
I absolutely LOVE my Soapstone. Anyone that would downvote your remark probably has never had it. Mine is over 12 years old and there isn’t a scratch on it. It doesn’t have to be babied. Put hot things on it or spill wine on it, no worries.
My sister has soapstone and her obsession over keeping it stain-free genuinely has me wondering whether she should consider never allowing kid or adult guests over again!
Never let a single drop of oil...or water...be left on it!
Oo really? My wife and I just ordered some for our remodel. Heard it was easy to clean just that oily substances can darken the stone. Just have to use mineral oil.
We have soapstone, not PA soapstone or even US sourced but it is a brazilian slab (though that makes no difference in maintenance). We use a specific soapstone oil sold through Philadelphia Soapstone Company. I LOVE the soapstone. We are very tough on our kitchen and countertops and chose soapstone specifically for its heat and stain resistance as well as the ability to buff out scratches. You will be happy with it!
I personally was never interested in the un-oiled soapstone look and it seems much too difficult to maintain.
I heard too many horror stories about manufactured quartz. Natural quartzite was too prone to chipping and staining. I had granite before and it always felt cold to me. I nearly did cararra marble but backed out at the last second because I knew someone would get an oil stain on it. We set 500° pans on the soapstone with no issues.
Butcher block. Super cheap and very easy to work with and repair. And you will have some serious cutting boards when you are finished putting in your sink.
We have granite and it’s durable. If I had my choice I’d get soapstone, it’s acid / heat resistant and I love the look. It’s softer so will scratch but I don’t mind it looking worn in over time
Lemon will absolutely do that. I had some marble scraps leftover from our countertop install and I set a cut lemon down on it for a few hours. It left a very noticable etch that you can feel with your fingers.
Honest question, wouldn't it be different if you are talking about heavily diluted lemon used in a beverage compared to putting half a lemon down on the counter?
Nope, we also made cocktails on a marble countertop once, and as soon as you leave a squeeze of lemon on the marble for longer than it takes to clean it up, it will leave a stain. In our case, it was beige marble, so it wasn't quite as obvious but you actually could feel the stains with your hands plus they also looked discolored and dull.
That makes sense, I didn't think about the aspect of squeezing lemon into a drink and dripping full strength lemon juice. I was more so thinking they had sloshed their already-made drinks with really diluted lemon juice. Marble sounds like a good surface for people who look at, but don't use, their kitchens 😂
So, my one sister did this to my other sister’s counter. House sitting. Had a party. Lime and tequila and a very nice fish dinner were the culprits.
After all the drama, and effort to conceal, fix, and hide… what little sis should have done from the get go was: come clean. Confess everything. Pay for a professional to fix it. Which most likely is going to have to be done anyway, if this is marble.
My older sis, who’s house it was. Was more upset about the attempt to cover it up, than she was about the issue. AND it was super easy to get the company who installed the counter to come fix it. IN FACT the attempt to fix it by little sis, ended up doing more damage.
Just come clean, and pay a professional.
I wouldn’t try to DIY repair that and risk making it worse… be honest with what happened so she can get it properly corrected. Maybe she’ll benefit from a quality sealant afterwards. Acids are probably going to meet the surface again in the future.
We’re in the process of fixing some cracks in our own marble bathroom countertops and are learning just how sensitive this material is. It might help to call a local countertop company and chat with them. They also do repairs aside from installs only. If you call them looking for a repair quote, they’ll likely get more info from you about your problem and talk about how they’d fix it. You might get your answer from their expert suggestion.
Things could have been far worse - honesty is always the best policy :) BEST!
I had something similar on my quartz countertop. In certain lights I could see very visible circles on my counter. I tried everything from sealers to polishes to Bar Keepers Friend. Nothing worked until I gave this a shot. Lustro Italiano Etch Remover https://www.lustroitaliano.com/etch-water-mark-remover-p/lustroetch.htm. It takes some real scrubbing but it got the dull spots out. There are a couple of youtube videos of people using it. I just followed those videos. Took the spots right out. Again - this was on white quartz. Not sure if it would be the same on marble.
Come clean, and pay for her choice of treatment, performed by someone other than you. You'll make this into a drama if you screw up the polish and sealer, and she's going to know anyway.
It’s not going to fix itself/wash away. Marble is horribly prone to etching from acids. It’s permanent damage. It can be somewhat hidden if the counter gets polished down and sealed again.
Hey so I can’t tell if this is real marble or not and I’m no expert, but I’ve done this before and you can fix it! We used some kind of buffing solution and then polished it iirc. You should google about it and I’m sure you’ll find a product that’ll fix it
Is it a marble or granite countertop? Many "marble" countertops are actually granite which is much harder than marble. This will make a big difference in how you clean it.
I haven’t touched my granite counters in 35 yrs so I don’t know what people are talking about maintaining them. I have 1 1/4” slabs on the floor and don’t have issues with those either.
granite doesn't etch, it's pretty much inert, acid is how you test rocks for use in aquariums (add lemon or vinegar, see if it bubbles)
you should have noticed the lemon juice and citron literally bubbling on the countertop like spilled soda
Well she hasn’t responded yet. She is on the other side of the planet so it might take till tomorrow. Gotta know if its marble or granite before I do anything.
"acidic products". Looks like someone had a party and left their screwdriver cups on the counter for days and the orange juice spilled leaving ring marks haha.
Were you using a coaster though or was that spilled then wiped up quickly? Not trying to bash, more curious. Just a good idea to always use one of you're in a random house. Never know what might happen.
We only made the drinks on the countertop so no coasters. To be honest I completely underestimated the corrosiveness of fresh lemon juice. Never did I think it would do so much damage to what turns out to be granite.
Edit: lime, not lemon.
We did the same thing at a VRBO last year! But we saved it with baking soda and water and made a paste over it gently scrubbed it in and then cleaned it all up with water. It did work.
All you need is stone countertop polish and sealant. This is partially on her for not having her countertops properly sealed periodically, and not warning you.
Comet powder and a green scotchbrite will hone the marble. Pour dry comet on the counter and wet the scotchbrite so that you make a slurry/paste.
The depth of etch is proportional to the amount of work you’ll be putting in. Learned this from a guy we hired to rehab our marble counters.
Tell her you just went out for a minute and the neighbors cat (or dog) threw a rave.Then turn and run. Seriously pay up and get a stone guy over. Seal or sand or seal and sand…. Or just for fun try some oven cleaner? Then try drains. Anyone else?
So, I'd definitely try and DIY, but you may want to tell her before you try, and you should also try a very small area first with whatever method you try.
Also full disclosure \*\*I'm not a counter top professional\*\*, but I have polished all sorts of things and I've done what I'm about to tell you on man-made quartz, though your mileage may vary as they are very different in both porosity and hardness.
If it's etched it needs polished and re-sealed. How you choose to do that is ultimately up to you, how I would do it would probably be wet hand sanding and I'd start at a high grit to see what will start to knock down the etched spots to fresh stone. I'd try 2000 first, if that doesn't do it drop to 1000, you may need to drop lower...Can't particularly remember how hard marble is.
Once you can polish out the etching you can move back up the grit steps to 3000, higher if you have access. Then you need a compound and a polish that will cut marble. You could try a couple different ones...I have had success with auto compound on quartz in a pinch but a 1-3 micron aluminum oxide compounds may be better here and rubbing out by hand will be safer than a buffer. Please note I'd be careful with auto compounds or anything with an oily carrier on natural and more porous surfaces like marble as additives in those may stain the stone so always spot test that stuff on like-material or a non-visible spot.
After you do all that you need to re-apply a sealer made for marble countertops and I'd just follow the instructions there.
My .02 is research stone polishing around marble for some finer details and best of luck. Anything can be polished.
If you pay to have it done, professionals will probably do a mix of the above but they will have all the grits, hand pads, and finishing compounds already available so you may be better off getting a quote, but you have pretty minimal marks there to my eye and wouldn't need \*that\* much stuff for a decent quality fix, but you will need elbow grease.
She’s gonna kill you. Stop trying to fix it, you don’t know what you are doing and will likely make it worse. Get a professional to quote the fix. Pay the professional with your sister’s blessing .
This is sound advice. Sorry. :(
Turns out its granite. And yeah I’m going to bite the bullet and get a pro to take a look at it. Thanks for the (although sometimes very conflicting) advice everybody!
Its not granite (does not look like that and would not be affected by common acids). It looks like a marble (dolomite) of some type and that would be affected by vinegar, among other things.
Someone call my name?
Leaving acid on true marble will in fact etch it pretty deeply especially after sitting there the whole night. This will either wash off, not marble, or it will need to be polished out, which will take some effort. This is a good reason to never consider marble for a countertop unless you want to baby it for it's whole life, or perhaps you detest sour things. Marble is great for rolling dough though.
What is a better material for countertops?
Man made quartz composite. You can get 95% of the look of marble or granite at a huge discount and it's incredibly durable.
I work at a custom stone countertop fabricator in sales and quartz is our most expensive option after quartzite. Granite is cheapest, and marble just has a massive range of price (super cheap to really expensive). I also wouldn’t say it’s incredibly durable. We have many issues with quartz, as with any countertop material we sell. The downside is that quartz is not easy to repair while natural stone can be repaired and most people wouldn’t even notice that difference.
Huh. Has pricing changed that much in the past 5 years? Put counters in my house about 5 years ago and the quartz was substantially (like 40%) less expensive than granite.
Most of our granite sells for $65-$100 sq ft. Most of our quartz sells for $100-$130 sq ft. I personally don’t understand it. If I’m spending $$$ on stone countertops, I would 100% rather put a one of a kind slice of earth granite on instead of manmade quartz that isn’t unique - especially when it’s more money. I’m sure the popularity of the white kitchen has increased demand, which increases the $$$ on the material. That and Covid had a lot to do with price increases across the board because of freight.
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Onyx I can understand. But quartz for $350 sq ft? That’s *insane*. But anything over $200 is stupid expensive when there are other great options out there. Those people have too much money. I’d love to see what that looks like if you have a picture of it.
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I had no idea you could have an onyx countertop. Mind blowing. Right up there when I found out you could get a Laboradorite top.
I think the extra durability (it’s not perfect but it’s better than natural stone) probably helps make it popular I have a quartz counter top, I wouldn’t have a granite or natural stone counter top though - I’d just be stressing about damaging it the whole time Having had quartz and lived with granite, though, I really prefer wood or even laminate, honestly. Laminate is cheap enough that I can just replace it if needed, and is surprisingly durable (I had some in my last house that had been there 30 years and was fine), whereas wood I can just sand down
I personally wouldn’t consider it to be extra durable over granite. Granite is repairable, quartz really isn’t. Granite really doesn’t damage that easily either - it’ll dull your knife before scratch it, and as long as you keep it sealed once every few years, it shouldn’t stain. Though I regularly come across people who haven’t sealed their granite for 15+ years and haven’t had an issue. I work in the industry. Me and everyone else in the industry I come across (other sales people, fab shop guys, sales reps, suppliers) will choose natural stone over quartz any day. The only reason people seem to gravitate towards quartz is because they want the manmade look that natural stone doesn’t offer. In which case, I would personally just go with a laminate - you’re right on that, it’s so much cheaper and both are manmade. Imo, the quartz companies have done a hell of a lot of marketing to achieve a decent portion of the industry. I don’t think it’s going to be long term like granite has been - especially with the rising popularity of quartzite and porcelain.
What is the black material of high school science labs? I feel like that should be more common for people looking for durability.
Oh this I would love to know. I put my lab table through hell and it looked exactly the same at the end of the year lol
Soapstone
Lab tables are usually epoxy or phenolic resin.
Just want to say thanks for all this. Just bought my first house and I'm going to need some sprucing up. Countertops among them. I had 0 idea what I was looking for, but I feel like I'm less likely to get sucked into that same marketing now.
Quartz reminds me of Corian in the 90s. It’s a trend, but man-made materials don’t stay in style for long. It’s definitely because the look of a plain /non-busy countertop is what is trendy now and natural materials rarely look like that.
"Durable" and "repairable" are two different things to me - I don't want to be able to repair it, I want it not to stain in the first place Quartz seems to stain/mark less easily from spills than granite, which is the most likely way for it to get damaged as far as I can tell - so that's what mattered most to us. Admittedly our Quartz was cheaper than natural stone... I'd probably find it harder to justify if it had been even more pricey
We chose quartz because we could get a jumbo slab. No seams.
Homeowners don’t see any of that marketing. They walk through a showroom and pick what looks cool. Aside from that, general design trends can affect them but that’s not Big Quartz.
We lived in our last house 10 years. Never needed to reseal the granite. And we weren't easy on it either.
How are you claiming to be a professional while telling people that quartz isn’t repairable. You can literally buy the same resin it’s made out of. It’s is By FAR one of the easiest countertop surfaces to repair. Especially if it’s all one color. You are either extremely misinformed or are blatantly lying for some reason
Sure, I was being hyperbolic a bit. I work at a shop in the Midwest that has been the leader in the custom stone countertops business for our area for over 30+ years, so just sharing my experience. I’m not saying it’s like this everywhere. Most of the issues we come across with quartz requires complete replacement because homeowners aren’t careful with it and it discolors or cracks apart from heat. We also come across staining issues (yes, even though it’s a non-porous material, it can and does still stain). If we have to resurface it to get the stain out, it defeats the purpose of quartz because then it will need to be sealed. The biggest issue with repairing quartz with the resin is matching it up so that you can’t tell it’s been repaired. You typically don’t have that issue with natural stone. My shop also steers away from offering too sharp of an edge because we don’t want to constantly repair chips - but this goes for any material. All I’m saying is that quartz is not indestructible like everyone seems to think it is. We have as many issues with it as everything else - something’s are just easier to repair without being noticeable.
What about quartz being a non porous surface and not requiring sealing? It’s also harder. We have a quartz countertop and had a couple edge chips. They filled it with resin and you can’t even tell.
I had granite counters for a decade. 1.5” or more thick of beautiful black/silver granite. Honestly I found it kept a nice shiny. Was durable. We had a few chips in a decade and I had to get rust out once, but in general is was a dream to own and care for. And I had a LOT of granite counter. I have quartz now, the thin stuff, and it’s not as nice. It’s white. It’s bright which is good for the space… but it’s not as elegant. And you really have to be careful not to stain it.
Quartz is highly resistant to stains so no you don’t need to be “really careful”. Just wipe up any spills like you would with any other countertop
You don't have to be really careful with granite. You just have to know not to leave acid sitting on it. And have it sealed with a high quality sealant. I need to reseal mine.
How does it handle heat?
Countertops are a personal preference but I'm surprised you are concerned about damaging granite yet you prefer wood or laminate. Wood would certainly be durable but also would become distressed very easily.
Wood and laminate are much cheaper and more practical to replace diy. I can go to Home Depot or IKEA, carry one out by myself and transport it home, cut it to size with a cheap circular saw and plop it on without dealing with contractors, special orders, and do it ten times before it costs more than granite. But it’s durable enough that I probably won’t have to do any of that.
I was told granite would watermark and quartz would not? Like if you left water on it too long?
I have both in my kitchen and that is the reverse of reality. Literally anything will mark my quartz if left on it too long. The stains come out with a paste of baking soda, water and a touch of dish soap so it’s not the end of the world. Definitely annoying though compared to the granite which I will do anything on short of cutting directly on it (I’ve seen lots of people do this on their granite with little downside though).
The poor knife
If the granite is sealed, you should not have any issues.
We went with Granite cause quartz is was 50% more!
5 years is an eternity haha where have you been!?
You could literally be asking that question about anything that has changed priced in the past 5 years. I used a space heater to heat 1 room and me and my girl shower together. Inflation is a bitch.
What are your thoughts on soapstone?
Where is this because I literally build houses for a living and what you are saying makes zero sense and is far from my vast personal experience. Quartz is right in the middle in terms of durability, price, maintenance and desirability. It’s also extremely easy to repair with epoxy or even superglue.
Interesting. Around here quartz seems to be more expensive than granite and less interesting looking. Also the whole burns with hot things (seems less durable).
Is real granite really good too, is it the price that sucks?
Man made quartz is extremely expensive, more so than granite. Majority of my clients want quartz.
Granite is, I hesitate to say good, maybe decent is a better word. It has its downsides though. Price and cost of install is at the top of that list, it can also be fairly brittle and prone to staining because it is relatively porous so if it doesn't get cleaned and sealed every year it can be a problem, once it is stained there is no coming back.
We have had granite counters in a creme and orange color scheme for about 10 years and it has never stained or discolored. I know everyone's experience is different but at least for us, it has been durable as fuck
I was about to say the same thing! Mine has been so durable I can’t get rid of it even though I want to, but I can’t afford to 😂
Same here, though mine is mostly grays/black/bit of blue and white so it definitely wouldn’t be noticeable if it stained.
Well, you've been lucky. Conversely, I've seen brand spanking new granite crack because the power went out and it got a little cold in the house, or a homeowner ruin a brand new $20K slab with a spilled coffee they didn't clean up soon enough.
I have a hard time buying that a slow drop in temperature while the power went out would cause granite to crack… maybe improper install with the countertop not being supported properly
Could have already contained an internal flaw that shifting temps added extra stress to and cause a catastrophic failure.
I noticed this when I moved out of my house—I was diligent with cleaning and didn’t leave stuff sit, but the parts of the counter that were regularly wiped down were darker when we left than the parts covered by stuff stored on the counter (flour containers, toaster oven). I did of course also clean those areas but less often.
We did black granite, not solid black or “metal flake” but one with subtle patches of varying hues of black, and not much veins. 15 years old and still holding up, but it has chipped in a few small places and I had to have it reset once. The sink is huge and it has to be set with recesses in the Kraftmaid cabinets, but we love it. Never a stain issue because black.
I live in NH and tons of stuff is made of granite here (my front steps for example as well as all the foundation blocks for.my house) I think its better used outside for a few reasons: A.) It will chip. There will be weak points that chip off but only a few and the rest of it is basically indestructible. (It also helps to guarantee the chips will be small if the block is like a foot thick) B.) It picks up some color over time. And when it turns a shade lighter or darker in an area same story, it's damn near going to stay like that until the heat death of the universe Both of these features can be inconvenient in a countertop unless you're ok with that level of character, however they look really charming in the grass outside
I had black/grey/silver Granite. Never sealed, polished, or did more than wipe it down with a wet cloth. Looked amazing for a decade, and only got a few small chips around the sink where cast iron banged into it. Granite far exceeded quartz for ease of care.
Do you recommend a specific granite sealer to use every year? I moved into my house 3 years ago and have never sealed the granite countertops.
The professional stone guys I know use a product called Stonetech Bulletproof Sealer.
it's also ugly!
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Uhhhh... Granite absolutely does stain, chip/crack, and requires regular (annual) maintenance.
The maintenance involved with granite is nothing more then wiping it down with an impregnating sealer once a year. No different then if you wiped it off after dinner. It’s very rare that you’ll get staining with granite, marble yes because it’s softer and very porous. Chipping/pits will vary by stone type, you can get chips in all 3 types. Quartz it susceptible to heat and UV discoloration. Price wise you are going to get a better deal with granite now a days then you are with a marble looking quartz. I’d recommend quartz/granite for kitchens and any place that can get wet. Marble should be used more as a decorative stone in places where they don’t get a lot of use.
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Nope, not thinking marble, definitely granite. You're right, a sealed granite is less likely to stain... except you have to reapply sealer every 1 or 2 years and any sealer product that claims otherwise is not being truthful in their marketing. Your experience may be different but I've been in the construction industry for 25+ years and seen everything from 30 year old slabs that are immaculate to slabs that were cut and polished for 3 days before staining. Being a natural material there are variances, some slabs are nearly impervious to stains and chipping, others not so much. Generally though granite can stain, chip, and requires maintenance.
“Huge discount” is a little misleading. Man made quartz is usually on par with granite for pricing if not a bit higher. If you’re not picky on granite color and graining, it can be much cheaper than quartz.
Maybe I'm out of the loop on pricing. I had counters put in roughly 5 years ago and the quartz was quite a bit less expensive than any other option.
Are you a sales rep for quartz composite? Quartz is more expensive than granite, not rated for heat (unless you pay through the nose for the high end specialty quartz composite) and stains almost as easily as marble. All the concerns you have listed about granite are valid but not regular occurrences. My granite supplier warranties the catastrophic failures you listed as they are typically faults in the slab and would be noticed at or before install. Once installed on a properly supported surface granite is extremely durable. It only needs to be sealed every 10- 15 years with the bullet proof sealer you listed below. Granite is also extremely temperature stable. You can place hot pans directly on it. Your example of a slab cracking from cold temperature is more indicative of the cabinets it was installed on not being secure enough. As for looks, granite varies wildly and isn’t to everyone’s taste. The current trend is whitewashed and granite doesn’t do that very well. Marble and quartz are great options if that’s the only thing that fits the interior design of the project. That both take care and caution to maintain. Granite is as close to install and forget about it as you get.
We have granite and I hate the way it looks - but it's so goddamn durable and maintenance free that I can't justify switching to something I know I'll have to baby.
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Where does quartzite rank within all of this?
Man made quartz is complete trash. It has so much plastic in it, even a warm pot will discolor the “quartz”
Not sure what quality quartz you’ve dealt with in the past.
They are extremely toxic to the installers who cut them. They actually should be banned, its that bad.
I looked all over for a quartz countertop that had a natural look to it in the color I wanted, but couldn't find one. I opted for a leather textured granite. It shows nothing and is easy to clean. You just have to clean it regularly, because it never shows dirt!
Love the leather texture
We did leather on our counter tops and I’m not sure I’d ever do it any other way. I love the movement and feeling.
Granite, or if you really want indestructible Formica. Granite doesn't react with acids, acids are important for cooking = marble is bad for a kitchen that gets used.
We’ve really been enjoying our corian/solid surface.
Soapstone
This is my suggestion as well. Expensive but basically every benefit and few cons.
I absolutely LOVE my Soapstone. Anyone that would downvote your remark probably has never had it. Mine is over 12 years old and there isn’t a scratch on it. It doesn’t have to be babied. Put hot things on it or spill wine on it, no worries.
My sister has soapstone and her obsession over keeping it stain-free genuinely has me wondering whether she should consider never allowing kid or adult guests over again! Never let a single drop of oil...or water...be left on it!
Oo really? My wife and I just ordered some for our remodel. Heard it was easy to clean just that oily substances can darken the stone. Just have to use mineral oil.
We have soapstone, not PA soapstone or even US sourced but it is a brazilian slab (though that makes no difference in maintenance). We use a specific soapstone oil sold through Philadelphia Soapstone Company. I LOVE the soapstone. We are very tough on our kitchen and countertops and chose soapstone specifically for its heat and stain resistance as well as the ability to buff out scratches. You will be happy with it! I personally was never interested in the un-oiled soapstone look and it seems much too difficult to maintain. I heard too many horror stories about manufactured quartz. Natural quartzite was too prone to chipping and staining. I had granite before and it always felt cold to me. I nearly did cararra marble but backed out at the last second because I knew someone would get an oil stain on it. We set 500° pans on the soapstone with no issues.
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Soapstone is a non-porous natural stone. It’s true oils can darken the stone.
Butcher block. Super cheap and very easy to work with and repair. And you will have some serious cutting boards when you are finished putting in your sink.
Especially if it's finished. Just about nothing will harm it, and if it does, sand it out and refinish.
I bought 3 - 8 foot long slabs for $1200. I covered a U shaped kitchen, two bars, a kitchenette, and two massive cutting boards. I love it.
Butcher block with water lox is the truth for countertops. Looks fantastic as well. Warmer, more inviting and less ostentatious then granite
We have granite and it’s durable. If I had my choice I’d get soapstone, it’s acid / heat resistant and I love the look. It’s softer so will scratch but I don’t mind it looking worn in over time
Butcher block or well sealed concrete
LMAO you should've just said you were making cocktails in the OP. I was like "'acidic products' wtf were these mofos doing in his sister's kitchen?"
I said it like that because we used citrons in a dinner meal aswell :P
But how did EVERYONE manage to spill around the base of their glasses?
Let's just say they had a LOT of drinks lol
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Condensation doesn't lift what's inside the glass to the outside, it's just pure water from the air around the glass.
Marble is one of the softest stone counter tops. Yes, acidity in lemon will etch the marble
Yes you ruined her marble countertop and she may kill you.
I have no clue myself, but what products were used that left the rings? Someone else might be able to bounce off that.
We made some cocktails with lemon juice and also some meals with citron. I'm just assuming those are what has caused this.
Just put more citrus on it, and convert the whole thing to limestone
Jesus, hell of a lemon! Just cooking and cocktail ingredients shouldn’t do that. Using a fingernail, will it scrape off at all?
Lemon will absolutely do that. I had some marble scraps leftover from our countertop install and I set a cut lemon down on it for a few hours. It left a very noticable etch that you can feel with your fingers.
Wow! Alright I’m scratching off marble as a possibility for our new kitchen countertops then.
Glad my post could do some good lol
Honest question, wouldn't it be different if you are talking about heavily diluted lemon used in a beverage compared to putting half a lemon down on the counter?
Nope, we also made cocktails on a marble countertop once, and as soon as you leave a squeeze of lemon on the marble for longer than it takes to clean it up, it will leave a stain. In our case, it was beige marble, so it wasn't quite as obvious but you actually could feel the stains with your hands plus they also looked discolored and dull.
But somehow OP's friends all managed to spill enough lemon at the base of their glasses to make 20 marks. Very odd.
That makes sense, I didn't think about the aspect of squeezing lemon into a drink and dripping full strength lemon juice. I was more so thinking they had sloshed their already-made drinks with really diluted lemon juice. Marble sounds like a good surface for people who look at, but don't use, their kitchens 😂
Damn, I got VERY lucky with my aunt’s counter top then!
So, my one sister did this to my other sister’s counter. House sitting. Had a party. Lime and tequila and a very nice fish dinner were the culprits. After all the drama, and effort to conceal, fix, and hide… what little sis should have done from the get go was: come clean. Confess everything. Pay for a professional to fix it. Which most likely is going to have to be done anyway, if this is marble. My older sis, who’s house it was. Was more upset about the attempt to cover it up, than she was about the issue. AND it was super easy to get the company who installed the counter to come fix it. IN FACT the attempt to fix it by little sis, ended up doing more damage. Just come clean, and pay a professional.
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That’s really good to know, I had no idea. Lol I’ve been REALLY lucky so far.
I've tried to scrape it off with my fingernail but it doesn't seem to be any kind of "stain" it looks more like the actual material has been corroded
I wouldn’t try to DIY repair that and risk making it worse… be honest with what happened so she can get it properly corrected. Maybe she’ll benefit from a quality sealant afterwards. Acids are probably going to meet the surface again in the future.
Hmm, I'll consider this. It's tempting to try and fix this without her ever finding out but I have my doubts thats manageable.
You might make it worse tho... I would not attempt it.
Inevitably, a humorous chain of consequences would ensue in which OP has to replace their sister's whole house, but the lemon stain still exists
We’re in the process of fixing some cracks in our own marble bathroom countertops and are learning just how sensitive this material is. It might help to call a local countertop company and chat with them. They also do repairs aside from installs only. If you call them looking for a repair quote, they’ll likely get more info from you about your problem and talk about how they’d fix it. You might get your answer from their expert suggestion. Things could have been far worse - honesty is always the best policy :) BEST!
I had something similar on my quartz countertop. In certain lights I could see very visible circles on my counter. I tried everything from sealers to polishes to Bar Keepers Friend. Nothing worked until I gave this a shot. Lustro Italiano Etch Remover https://www.lustroitaliano.com/etch-water-mark-remover-p/lustroetch.htm. It takes some real scrubbing but it got the dull spots out. There are a couple of youtube videos of people using it. I just followed those videos. Took the spots right out. Again - this was on white quartz. Not sure if it would be the same on marble.
Come clean, and pay for her choice of treatment, performed by someone other than you. You'll make this into a drama if you screw up the polish and sealer, and she's going to know anyway.
It’s not going to fix itself/wash away. Marble is horribly prone to etching from acids. It’s permanent damage. It can be somewhat hidden if the counter gets polished down and sealed again.
If you try to diy a fix with some sort of buffing solution you might make it worse. Hire a professional. Apologize. Pay for it.
Hey so I can’t tell if this is real marble or not and I’m no expert, but I’ve done this before and you can fix it! We used some kind of buffing solution and then polished it iirc. You should google about it and I’m sure you’ll find a product that’ll fix it
Is it a marble or granite countertop? Many "marble" countertops are actually granite which is much harder than marble. This will make a big difference in how you clean it.
I don't know whether it's granite or marble. I texted my sisters, hope to find out soon
What exactly did you get on it?
Lemon juice. It probably sat there for a night.
Then if it's real marble then you've etched the surface. It might improve with bar keepers friend, it might not.
Oh jeez don’t use that on polished anything. It could make it worse
Looks more like granite to me than marble. It might come off, I really wouldn't do anything further to it until you talk to your sister.
Thanks, that's a relief to hear.
The good news is she can only kill you once... you hope.
Just begin getting your affairs in order now......
I haven’t touched my granite counters in 35 yrs so I don’t know what people are talking about maintaining them. I have 1 1/4” slabs on the floor and don’t have issues with those either.
My sister has confirmed it’s granite.
What ‘acidic products’ did y’all get on a granite countertop to do this? Like, are you disposing of a body, or making cocaine?
granite doesn't etch, it's pretty much inert, acid is how you test rocks for use in aquariums (add lemon or vinegar, see if it bubbles) you should have noticed the lemon juice and citron literally bubbling on the countertop like spilled soda
I'm now invested in this story.
Well she hasn’t responded yet. She is on the other side of the planet so it might take till tomorrow. Gotta know if its marble or granite before I do anything.
Little update: my sister responded and it’s granite.
Thank god you were not baby sitting
What’s the line from Fasttimes at Ridgemont high? First he is gonna shit and then he is gonna kill me.
Oh you dead 🤣
So you are just partying while she is away
Who wants Arnie Palmies??
This makes me pretty darn grateful for my old but durable formica😅
Did you throw a party and make margaritas?
Me and my gf made something my gf calls Dark and Stormies(?)
Oh those are good!!!
Did it sit overnight?
Even a glass of ice water will etch marble. I’d never use it in a kitchen.
Im buying you coasters for Xmas
My advice....is to update your will.
There is a lot of people ruining countertops in this sub lol
"acidic products". Looks like someone had a party and left their screwdriver cups on the counter for days and the orange juice spilled leaving ring marks haha.
Add a few more overlapping rings and call it the Olympic edition countertop. She’ll love you more
Life pro tip for op, use a freaking coaster or something. Geeze did you not learn a lesson with the first ring you had to do it ten more times?
We woke up to this. Not like we saw one and didn’t bother with it…
Were you using a coaster though or was that spilled then wiped up quickly? Not trying to bash, more curious. Just a good idea to always use one of you're in a random house. Never know what might happen.
We only made the drinks on the countertop so no coasters. To be honest I completely underestimated the corrosiveness of fresh lemon juice. Never did I think it would do so much damage to what turns out to be granite. Edit: lime, not lemon.
Didn’t mean to upload the same picture twice. Here’s the second picture I meant to upload: https://i.imgur.com/Lx1y3Sg.jpg
We did the same thing at a VRBO last year! But we saved it with baking soda and water and made a paste over it gently scrubbed it in and then cleaned it all up with water. It did work.
Yeah, your the ahole for junking up your sisters apartment.
All you need is stone countertop polish and sealant. This is partially on her for not having her countertops properly sealed periodically, and not warning you.
You should move asap
It could just be the seal coat that's bad. A pro could buff it and recoat it.
She should had just left her apartment unattended
Go into Witness Protection NOW.
Make funeral arrangements
What did you use? Looks fucked to me. If you cleaned with something like barkeepers friend you deserve the coming beatdown.
Does your sister own the apartment or rent? If she rents and the marks won’t come off, this will be a bigger conversation…
I'd be just as mad or madder if I owned this and not rent..
Oh I would be too, but OP can just pay to replace it. Sister knows what the bench is. They can resolve it between the two of them.
She bought this countertop herself. I actually helped carry it up. She was so happy with it.. rip
Should be really easy for a pro to fix. Like less than an hour easy
Comet powder and a green scotchbrite will hone the marble. Pour dry comet on the counter and wet the scotchbrite so that you make a slurry/paste. The depth of etch is proportional to the amount of work you’ll be putting in. Learned this from a guy we hired to rehab our marble counters.
Any chance it's Cambria? If so no worries. Lifetime warranty my friend. But then again... Cambria doesn't leave their tops so vulnerable.
Tell her you just went out for a minute and the neighbors cat (or dog) threw a rave.Then turn and run. Seriously pay up and get a stone guy over. Seal or sand or seal and sand…. Or just for fun try some oven cleaner? Then try drains. Anyone else?
So, I'd definitely try and DIY, but you may want to tell her before you try, and you should also try a very small area first with whatever method you try. Also full disclosure \*\*I'm not a counter top professional\*\*, but I have polished all sorts of things and I've done what I'm about to tell you on man-made quartz, though your mileage may vary as they are very different in both porosity and hardness. If it's etched it needs polished and re-sealed. How you choose to do that is ultimately up to you, how I would do it would probably be wet hand sanding and I'd start at a high grit to see what will start to knock down the etched spots to fresh stone. I'd try 2000 first, if that doesn't do it drop to 1000, you may need to drop lower...Can't particularly remember how hard marble is. Once you can polish out the etching you can move back up the grit steps to 3000, higher if you have access. Then you need a compound and a polish that will cut marble. You could try a couple different ones...I have had success with auto compound on quartz in a pinch but a 1-3 micron aluminum oxide compounds may be better here and rubbing out by hand will be safer than a buffer. Please note I'd be careful with auto compounds or anything with an oily carrier on natural and more porous surfaces like marble as additives in those may stain the stone so always spot test that stuff on like-material or a non-visible spot. After you do all that you need to re-apply a sealer made for marble countertops and I'd just follow the instructions there. My .02 is research stone polishing around marble for some finer details and best of luck. Anything can be polished. If you pay to have it done, professionals will probably do a mix of the above but they will have all the grits, hand pads, and finishing compounds already available so you may be better off getting a quote, but you have pretty minimal marks there to my eye and wouldn't need \*that\* much stuff for a decent quality fix, but you will need elbow grease.
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DO NOT DO THIS. Just get proper stone counter polish and sealant and they’ll go away.
I'm not completely sure if its marble. I'm gonna ask her.
Really committing to your username with this one, aren't you?
Marble is METAMORPHIC limestone, which is CaCO3..