Granite tales - myths, urban legends and works (of a different kind)

The following fragments of commercial granite folklore were taken directly from the comments and questions of clients circulating on the Internet, and discussions with hundreds of homeowners who graced me with the opportunity to serve their commercial granite. Just for fun, I'll give you some information about each, where they came from, and how they got started. If you have not heard of this before, you will be ready when they ever come before you!

Please note that in this article I use the term "commercial granite". This is because we are referring to stones that are sold commercially as granite, and not a (very) narrow subset of stones that meet scientific definitions.

1.) My Contractor / Granite Vendor / Internet Guru (choose your favorite artist) Said that my granite does not require compaction - Those of you who read my previous work are probably tired of this, but I (unfortunately) hear it more often than everyone else. This is the most destructive of all the abuses associated with the use of granite, which you can commit if you rely on this unreasonable advice.

Interestingly, there are a couple of online “experts” who semi-support this error (but will sell you their impregnator if you ABSOLUTELY, REALLY insist on having them, and their names continue FOREVER ... Fun!). Suffice it to say that the physical properties of granite dictate that it should never be sealed (ridiculous, they also have a “lifetime” sealant for sale two paragraphs later).

I was recently in Los Angeles visiting a real estate manager who had stains in about 1/3 of the 305 commercial granite meters that were recently installed in their newly renovated luxury apartments. I would like me to buy skeptics with me so that they can convince people suffering from the arrest that these oil and wine stains were only the fruits of their imagination ...

From the point of view of the contractor, in the good old days, impregnations were mainly based on silicone derivatives. Being fantastic against water, they were (and) poor performers against oil-based stains. In addition, if they were turned, the impregnation residue on the surface of the stone will also absorb oil. Double punch. Here is the logic: if this is what oil stains are the worst to remove, and if the impregnator does not stop them anyway, why bother? It was in the late 80s - this is 2007, and we have the technology that will stop oil stains on its way. Like any misinformation, in fact it has a small root, and it slowly dies.

Internet users have different motivations. Either they:

A: trying to sell you granite slabs by refusing any commercial granite errors, or

B: use reverse psychology techniques (bad, I can add) to sell you my impregnator.

2.) My neighbor told me that my granite is not safe because it contains and increases the number of bacteria “This one is still circulating, although it has been proven falsely many times by both government and industry organizations.” Please give me the opportunity to set a record right on this, once and for all - this is absolute rubbish. In fact, properly maintained commercial granite surfaces are among the most hygienic you can buy. Like all other cooking surfaces, commercial granite should be properly cleaned.

It is widely believed that manufacturers of artificial materials with countercurrent started these rumors, although no solid evidence exists. Thus, the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health has provided a net health bill to commercial granite, as well as 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 ... A minus amount of radon gas is emitted by almost any type of stone found where uranium is present, and trace amounts of uranium can be found nearby from any place where you find a stone.” Bottom line? There are no health or safety risks associated with the release of radon gas or radioactivity from commercial granite.

In particular, concrete, cement and gypsum emit as much or more radon gas than commercial granite, and there is no health risk associated with them. It is also believed that the creator of artificial materials with a countercurrent began this rumor.

4.) I was told to clean my granite only with soap and water - It has several options floating around, including specifically using dishwashing detergent (and possibly a special brand) or plain water. Will it harm your commercial granite? No, it will not. Will this affect how it looks? Yes it will.

If you had to wash your windows with simple “soap and water” (or dish detergent 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 perform a routine cleaning of your commercial granite using a product specifically designed for use on natural stone. Using soaps, dishwashing detergents or cleaning products other than stones will leave your commercial granite dull and lifeless.

5.) Someone told me that the shine will wear my granite, and it will require re-polishing - If you do not play hockey on your commercial granite surfaces, it is extremely illegal, you will need to recolor them. I saw very isolated specimens (all of them on a very dark “granite”), where the surface actually deteriorated during normal use and required re-polishing. In fact, these stones were suspicious, as it was unknowingly that they met a rating of 5.5 (minimum hardness) on the Mohs scale of hardness. A good quality commercial granite, properly maintained, will not permanently lose its luster for a long, long time - even with heavy (but careful) use.

If your granite has been waxed, then the “shiny” will wear off, and you will need to rewind them. Waxing commercial granite is generally NOT RECOMMENDED, so do it only if your surfaces are waxed to ensure their final shine.

Large gloss losses and reflections are caused by using unclean cleaning chemicals, improper cleaning methods, or both. As I mentioned earlier, if you need a demonstration of what soap and water do with the appearance of your commercial granite, just rinse the windows (fill in your favorite “soap” here), water and a sponge. "Soap and water" leave remnants of stone, which ultimately dulls the finish.

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

I also recommend weekly (or whenever I want) using fuss products to increase the shine and improve the overall appearance of your commercial granite. These products provide the added benefits of reduced scale and fingerprints on polished surfaces.

6.) Practice and products

In the end, it all comes down to the following:

- Keep your commercial granite properly soaked (sealed).
- promptly clean up spills and pollution.
- Do not use sharp tools on your commercial granite.
- Do not place extremely hot objects on your granite.
- Use quality products specifically designed for commercial granite.