Potential clients ask us regularly if granite can stain.
The simple answer is yes…it can, but stains are actually quite rare.
When granite slab counters are sealed properly (and a good fabricator will seal the counters they install as a standard practice) the pores are effectively closed, keeping red wine, oils, and other liquids from penetrating the stone and altering its appearance.
Not that we’re keeping track with scientific accuracy, but we only receive one or two calls a year from customers who have stained their counters. That’s pretty good considering we install around 350 kitchens a year.
Why did those one or two stain in the first place??? Its hard to say conclusively. Maybe our installer missed a spot. Maybe the stone was unusually porous and needed a second application.
But…the larger question in those instances is whether the stone was permanently damaged. The answer is a resounding NO!
Stains are almost always just below the surface and easy to remove with standard poultices.
In reality, stains are a fear tactic used by competing products such as quartz (engineered stone like Cambria & Silestone) & solid surface (Corian) and should not be a factor in your decision to buy granite slab counters.
If you have questions about this topic or if you have a stain in your granite that you’d like to remove, let me know. I’d like to help you out.
Aaron J Crowley – PDXGraniteGuy
Granite Counters & Stains in Portland OR & Vancouver WA
Serving Portland OR, Vancouver WA, and the Oregon Coast