Q. I had a delivery guy accidentally drop two bottles of olive oil on the stone in the hallway of my apartment building. I'm not sure what kind of stone it is, but it's matte looking and apparently very porous. Now, my landlord is saying I... Read More

Q. Our house was built in 1967 and has black slate flooring inside and on the porch and terrace. We've had some restoration work done, but we're not happy with how it looks. Even after sealing, it doesn't have the polished or wet look... Read More

Q. I purchased prefab granite counters after being told it was every bit as good as regular granite slabs. They were installed in January and in March I started noticing the granite was cracking and small pieces popping up. A piece got caught in my... Read More

Q. White Macaubus quartzite was installed yesterday and I noticed this "crack" when I hit gone from work and inspected it. Question is, is it a crack or fissure? When I run my nail over it, it does get caught. Just want to make sure I handle this... Read More

Q. I bought 3 beautiful slabs of quartzite for my bathroom countertops and tub surround. The stone company I purchased them from told me it was very hard stone and to make sure my fabricator could work with it. My fabricator said "no problem". My... Read More

Q. We had a quartzite counter island installed. The top was set flat on the cabinet, and there has been no movement. A crack appeared about one month after the installation. The crack goes opposite of the natural veining in the stone. There is a... Read More

Q. Can Black Galaxy granite be re-dyed or darkened?  A. Technically, yes, you could attempt to re-dye or darken Black Galaxy granite, but it would not be advisable. Granite is a very dense natural stone, which means it doesn’t absorb liquids,... Read More

Q. We recently placed travertine on our fireplace surround and applied a sealer. We are not happy with the color. It is dull. Can we use a color enhancer sealer and get results? How long do we need to wait? A. It’s understandably disappointing... Read More

Q. How can I remove a boiled linseed oil stain from natural stone? A. Boiled linseed oil can leave a dark, sticky, and persistent stain on natural stone that doesn’t respond to simple cleaning. It penetrates the pores of stone and resists water... Read More

Q. Water feature has chlorine residue buildup causing a white stain on natural rock waterfall. How can I remove the chlorine residue from the rock? A. What you are seeing is likely mineral deposits. Chlorinated water doesn’t cause the deposits,... Read More