Pitting in New Granite Countertop

QUESTION:

I recently had a labrador antique granite countertop installed in my kitchen.


We chose the slab, and it looked beautiful and smooth in the granite yard, but was standing up vertically.

However, upon installation, I noticed a lot of pitting in the granite counter top.

In most areas where it is pitted, it feels smooth to the touch.

I have asked my fabricator to come out and fill any of the rough spots with epoxy (there are not that many).

The pitting is not always evident - only when the sun hits it during different times of the day and if you look at it from different angles.

I am driving myself crazy! Is this typical of labrador antique granite?

ANSWER:

Pitting in a granite counter top is not a common maintenance issue, but it can happen.

As the granite is extracted from the earth it is cut multiple times and any of these cuts can create faces where the various minerals in the stone are suddenly without the surrounding support that it naturally had.

Thus, small pieces can sometimes get knocked out resulting in little pits even after polishing the granite.

These pits can be filled as you have done with a color-matched epoxy by your installer or.....

You can do-it-yourself using the Granite & Marble Repair Kit for chips and pits.

Frankly, I'd recommend you do this granite countertop maintenance yourself. Your fabricator will likely use an epoxy that must be mixed and matched to your countertop color. It can get close and he'll fill the pit, but it is typically an obvious, noticeable repair.

The Granite & Marble Repair Kit recommended above is a new and unique product that we find is far superior compared to similar epoxy and resin products.

The chip/pit repair kit uses a clear acrylic that doesn't need to be mixed and allows the natural color and pattern of your countertop to show through. This makes a virtually invisible repair when filling pits in granite.

Comments for Pitting in New Granite Countertop

Click here to add your own comments

Inferior granite quality pitting
by: Anonymous

Our granite countertop pitted like crazy. Make sure you have the right manufacturers that stand behind their product and installation.

Ours did nothing for us so we called a specialist. He basically told us to use crazy glue to fill in the holes.

It helps to a point but the small holes and imperfections will always be there.

He also told us it was not the quality that they told us it would be.🙁
Labrador Granite Countertop Installation Problems
by: Anonymous

I recently put in labrador granite counters and as expensive as it is compared to other choices of granite I too have noticed many variations on the stone.

There is one very noticeable streak of a pit which hopefully will not be around once it is cut for putting in the stove.

I also see that my installer had left the underside open and hollow after installing on the ledge above my sink. If anyone were to be on the floor or low in a chair, it is very noticeable.

I also see where they hand cut to put to the edge of a wall and there is a 1/4 inch gap. I can stand and see through it to the floor in the living room.

Anyhow, suggestions are very appreciated. I am disappointed in the install and so I would suggest when hiring someone ask how they pay attention to details. On this stone, it seems to make a difference where and how it is handled and cut.

==== Countertop Specialty comment:

Yes, if lying on the floor looking up you will see the underside of the granite which is not polished and does not look as nice as the top side.

This is true with every granite countertop installation, but not considered important since the view from the floor is not really the angle you are designing for.

Gaps as large as 1/4 inch should not occur unless they will be subsequently covered by a backsplash.

If you are not happy, then negotiate with the installer to correct what can be corrected, find an alternate solution or provide a discount.


granite pitting
by: Anonymous

I read all the comments above. My granite pitting is all over the granite everywhere. It's smooth when you touch it, run your hand over it, but if you run your finger nail over it the pits are all over the granite. I have a huge amount of granite. Is there anything I can do?

==== Countertop Specialty comment:

This is an issue where a stone pro should take a look in person. It may not be ideal, but the best option may be to just leave it alone.

There are some coatings out there that could possibly help, but these have drawbacks too. Have a stone restoration pro take a look.
Pitting in Quartz countertops
by: msd

Our new quartz countertop has dozens of micro pits. We complained to the manufacturer, and they offered replacement, or a partial refund. We are choosing the partial refund (about 15%). But quartz also obviously can pit, and does pit.

===== Countertop Specialty comment:

Yes, and you can use the Marble & Granite Repair Kit for Chips/Pits. The "gel" is for level surfaces and the "paste" for edges and vertical surfaces.

Silestone recommends using this product and refers their clients to us. Works very well.

However, you state "micro-pits". The pits must be deep enough and provide enough surface area for the acrylic gel to fill and bond to the quartz.

Roughly a head of a ball-point pen should fit in the pit. It may still be worth a try with smaller/shallower pits, but just know it's more difficult.
new counter thousands of micro pits
by: labradorite

Our newly installed Labradorite counter - while highly polished - has thousands of micro pits in it. I'm concerned about food contamination or water stress due to daily wiping. It can't go back to the factory for further polishing .... so is there anything I can expect of my installer or should I not worry about it?
Thanks - from the great white north ....

===ANSWER:

If you picked out the slab, then you can't expect your installer or the stone warehouse to take responsibility.

Some stone are more prone to chipping and pitting and sometimes can even have pin holes. These should be avoided, but now that you have it the best thing to do is to apply an effective and durable sealer like on of these recommended impregnating granite sealers (although none are available in Canada unfortunately)
To Pitting in old granite
by: Ryan

Pitting is not a big problem with most granite, but some will show more than others.

Yes, you should repair it since water getting in the pits can make it worse and cause more pitting.

Used to be the best way was to hire a pro to come and fill the pits, but you can easiy do it yourself now and get a near invisible repair with the Granite & Marble Repair Kit for chips and pits

Then if necessary you should seal the surface with one of these recommended impregnating sealers.

Good Luck,
Ryan

Pitting in Old Granite Countertop
by: Anonymous

It sounds like I have the same or similar problem. My granite countertop is probably 5 yrs old and is black w/brown & cream spots (I bought my house 3 yrs ago). There's a 5' section that has a lot of pitting. It may have always been like this, but I recently changed the light bulb to a higher wattage in a lamp that sits on that section and perhaps this is why I'm just noticing the pitting. However, I'm wondering if it's something new because the granite is wearing badly. I do not abuse the countertop and take excellent care of it. Is this something that I need to have repaired? I don't want it to get worse.

Thank you!

Click here to add your own comments

Return to Granite Counter Top Questions & Answers.


Protected by Copyscape

CountertopSpecialty.com is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program. As an Amazon Associate we may earn a small commission from qualifying purchases made through links on our site.