For several years now, natural stones have grown in popularity in the kitchen. However, we have also seen the amount of misinformation circulating on social medias and various websites about its resistance to stains.
The anti-stain promise
Through most of our distributors, you will have access to a wide selection of granites and quartzites that will be accompanied by a 15-year warranty against food & beverage stains. For distributors that do not include this treatment in their base price, you can always ask for our GDGuardTM treatment.
This exclusive long-lasting treatment penetrates deep into the stone to offer an efficient barrier by preventing liquids from penetrating. Compared to normal sealers found in stores that basically float on the surface of the stone and slowly degrade as the countertop is washed over the year, you will not need to reapply our treatment after installation.
This treatment is especially useful for exotic granites and quartzites that incorporate a blend of various minerals in their composition. For solid-colored granites, the stone is often dense enough on its own, meaning that the treatment is not as useful.
And what about marbles?
Marbles are beautiful in kitchens. A surface that is ideal for pastry making, this stone is resistant to heat however it does have its own kryptonite; acids. Marbles are quarried where old ocean beds used to be and have a mineral composition that is very high in calcium. Remember those science classes back in high school where you used to mix soda (which is a blend of calcium carbonite and sodium carbonate) in vinegar… we all remember the foam reaction that would go everywhere! So this is the same thing. The contact of a marble with an acid creates an effervescing reaction that eats away at the minerals in the countertop, leaving behind a dulled area that is slightly rough to the touch. That is what is called etching.
Below, you have an overall view of a marble island top with a honed finish. The image on the left shows the countertop from a far, where the etching is not visible. However, under a certain angle, it will reveal itself (image on the right).
There is no treatment that will prevent this phenomenon, which is why we recommend choosing a honed finish for marbles. The honed finish will not only make your countertop super soft, but it will dissimulate better the etching effect.
Expert tips
For any stone (but particularly for natural stones), we recommend to use trivets & cutting boards, to clean any spill as fast as possible, and avoid any natural citrus-based or vinegar-based cleaning products for marble countertops.
Questions & Answers
“If I stain my countertop with a product like bleach or other cleaning products, is it covered?”
– No. There are limits to the warranty and it extends only to food & beverage organic sources.
“If I have a marble countertop, and I want to restaure the finish, is it doable?”
– yes, in most cases, but it will require quite a bit of workmanship.
“If my countertop is covered by the 15-year warranty, can it still stain?”
– yes, there are certain elements that will leave residues even if the countertop is sealed. We encourage you to read this article that contains expert tips to address most common sources. If this is your case and our tips did not work, we invite you to take a photo and get in touch with our team!