Emerald Pearl vs. Blue Pearl Absorption

by Jay
(Texas)

QUESTION:

I am debating between emerald, black pearl and blue pearl granite countertops. I see contradictory statements about sealing these granites.


What is the water absorption rate of these granite countertops? Which one is better?

ANSWER:

Either of them will make an excellent countertop choice. Neither blue pearl granite nor emerald or black pearl will be too problematic regarding staining.

To answer your specific question though, Blue Pearl granite is more dense with a water absorption rating of .05 - .15% which is essentially non-absorbent.

Anything below .2 will not absorb. Or at least it would take a very very long exposure to a liquid to absorb.

You won't have to seal Blue Pearl. Actually you couldn't even if you tried.

Emerald Pearl is rated at .15 - .35% so it's a bit more absorbent, but that is still a good rating and won't stain too easy.

But you should always water test for sealing granite countertops a sample of the exact slab you are considering to see if it needs a granite sealer or not. This is the ONLY accurate way.

But even if it did it's likely one coat of a good sealer like SenGuard or SCP: Impregnating Sealers would make it pretty bullet proof.

So, I wouldn't make my choice on absorption alone. There isn't enough of a difference in the rates. Yes, Blue Pearl won't absorb, but Black and Emerald Pearl may not either depending on the slab and would become just as impervious with a coat of granite sealer if needed.

And sealing is and easy granite counter top maintenance job.

Good Luck,
Ryan

Sealing Emerald Pearl Granite Countertops

by Tina
(QLD, Australia)

QUESTION:

How often should I seal my newly installed granite countertop?

It is Emerald Pearl Premium, 20mm. Very dark coloured granite with lots of blue crystals.

The installer has applied an unknown sealant in November 2009 and we moved in in the newly built home in January 2010.

ANSWER:

There is no set schedule for re-sealing any stone despite what you may read from sealer manufacturers.

The frequency of sealing depends on the quality of granite countertop sealer, the porosity of the stone, the quality of the application and type of products used for cleaning and granite counter top maintenance.

And emerald pearl, like black and blue pearl granite can be dense enough to not need sealing.

If it was successfully sealed once before, then it's possible it will need another granite sealer coat at some point, but it may not and really shouldn't only 17 months after the original application.

But there is an easy way to determine if and when you should apply a granite sealer.

All you need to do is perform the water test for sealing granite countertops on several areas of your countertops.

If they do need re-sealing then we recommend using SenGuard or SCP: Impregnating sealers (available in the US). In Australia I'd suggest granite sealers made by dry-treat.

Good Luck,
Ryan

Sealing Black Pearl Granite

QUESTION:

We installed Black Pearl granite about 10 months ago.

We have very hard water in this area and I believe this is what causes the gritty buildup around the faucet/sink area.

How often should I use product on it? I have been using Weiman Granite Corian Cleaner & Polish. Is this a sealer? Should I use something else instead?

ANSWER:

Black Pearl granite is super dense and "typically" does not need sealing... essentially it cannot be sealed since the sealer or any other substance will not be absorbed by the stone.

When considering granite countertop maintenance, black pearl and blue pearl granite are superstars.... basically just regular cleaning is needed.

I say "typically" because in recent years many new quarries are producing more varieties of granite and sometimes granite slabs get mis-named or mis-categorized, therefore neither you nor I know for sure that what you have is Black Pearl or blue pearl granite or something else.

So, you should always "water test" your stone (follow the link for "sealing granite countertops" above).

Hard Water

This is a particular granite counter top maintenance issue. Regular stone cleaners will not work.

I'd suggest using this Hard Water / Soap Scum Remover. It's excellent and made for stone, so very safe to use.

Just clean the area of hard water build-up on a regular basis. If you do this, you shouldn't even get a build-up. Also, you shouldn't need any extra protection (sealing) if you have Black Pearl.

Weiman Granite Polish is a specially formulated cleaner that bills itself as a sealer/protector too.

Honestly, I do not know if that is true. If I had a countertop that needed sealing, I would NOT use this product to seal it.

Granite sealers must be allowed to absorb into the stone. The Weiman product is a polish, which typically sit on the surface. It probably can add some slight protection with consistent use, but not for an initial application.

For general cleaning, I think it's fine, although I would test it first before cleaning marble with it. We prefer this Granite Countertop & Marble Cleaning spray.... the top performer we've ever tested.

But, you have Black Pearl granite, so Weiman is fine for cleaning. It won't damage the granite at all and makes it look great, but it isn't protecting it.

Just to be clear, applying a sealer does absolutely nothing to protect Black Pearl granite or any other extremely dense, non-absorbent stone like blue pearl granite. These stones are incredibly stain resistant just by their natural composition.

Applying a sealer on these stones only gives you the opportunity to let the sealer dry on top and leave a streaky dull haze that will need to be professionally stripped.

Hope this helps,
Ryan

Repair Pitting/Chipping of Blue Pearl Granite

QUESTIONS:

Our Blue Pearl Granite had some pits when installed but now it seems to have more after a year of use.

Is this normal? Is one type of granite more susceptible than others to pitting?

Should we use more care in placing items on the countertop?

ANSWER:

I wouldn't say it is "normal," but it can happen and usually more so around high use or impact areas like the sink.

Brown granites seem to be affected more than others, but it's not exclusive.

Your installer can fill it with an epoxy and try to match the color of the blue pearl granite, but really I'd suggest you do-it-yourself with this Granite & Marble Repair Kit for chips and pits.

It's a permanent granite repair and much better than epoxies and resins. No mixing or mess, dries clear so essentially invisible, which you don't get with all the epoxies. Frankly, I don't know why more pros don't use it for granite & marble repair.

Good Luck,
Ryan

Scratches In Black Pearl Countertop

QUESTION:

We recently had Black Pearl countertops installed and now I am seeing various surface scratches.

I was under the impression that granite does not easily scratch. I was wondering if the scratches could possibly be in a sealer or coating applied by the installer and not the granite itself.

If it is a sealer/coating problem how can I remove the scratches?

The countertop is also very easily smudged and requires constant cleaning/buffing to keep it looking reasonably well.

I have heard that black pearl is very dense and does not require sealing.

ANSWER:

Black Pearl granite is very dense and does not need sealing, however, it is not technically "granite" in geological terms.

One thing about natural stone that most consumers don't know (and many stone professionals too) is that many stones that are called "granite" are in fact a different geological classification and can have a variety of characteristics.

Now, for the most part these different geological classifications are similar enough that they are all called and sold as "granite".

Also, there can be a lot of mixing among the geological "breeds" so to speak, so any one sample or slab may be more or less of one type of stone, but could have a different mix of minerals and show some differences in performance.

Black Pearl is more akin to gabbro than granite. A little bit softer, so light surface scratches are not unheard of especially with ceramic cook ware.

Of course, if every stone were accurately categorized their would be 10 times the confusion that already exists about types of stone, characteristics, maintenance, etc.

The basic characteristics are boiled down to generalities and actual performance of any one slab may vary. That's the deal with products of nature.

So, "granite" and all the various stone grouped in with granite are by and large very scratch resistant. Much more so than any other stone or surface, but it's not impossible.

Also, your installer could have been somewhat careless handling the stone and caused some scratches too.

Black countertops and other dark colors such as emerald or blue pearl granite will show smudges, scratches, etc., much more readily than lighter colors. Just the nature of how light reflects off a dark shiny surface.

The smudges occur on the light-colored granite counter tops too.... you just don't see them as easily as on a dark surface.

Repairing surface scratches would require hiring a stone pro to re-polish the surface. Deeper scratches, chips and pits can be filled with the "granite repair" kit noted in the question/answer above.

Shallow scratches and surface scratches do not have enough surface area for the acrylic to bond to.... so these must be polished out by a pro.

Good Luck,
Ryan