Looking for opinions on quartzite seamwork [pics] [resolved]

[tim farr]

Yup. That's the same stuff we just did. It's a marble for sure.

[flashbang]

Ok.. So question around marble... Am I screwed?
My wife is Italian.. red sauce cooking on the stove all day is a real thing..

What can I do to avoid staining and ruining the stone?
We loved the idea of quartzite because it would last a long time and be very durable.

[Joe Durfee]

The Italians view worn counter tops as a sign they cook/entertain a lot. Kind of like a badge of honor!

The biggest way to prevent stains and etches is to clean up messes and don't let them dwell on the surface.

Marble kitchens have been used for thousands of years. Hell, I have Super White installed in my basement on my bar. It is one of my favorite stones of all time. My wife and I entertain/drink a lot at that bar. I have even left the occasional splash of bourbon on the bar top. I don't have a single etch/stain on it.

Basically, if you like the stone and it looks good to both you and your wife that's all that really matters. The only way your going to ruin the stone is with a hammer. Everything else can be fixed.

I think your tops look awesome by the way.

IMG_20161012_163349182.jpg (93.11KiB)Viewed 538 times

And yes, that is a bar top deep fryer on the upper bar because who doesn't like deep fried?!? It is still there and I don't have any stains from it either.

[Mark Meriaux]

Lemon for a half hour right? Is there a definitive set of rules we can follow to determine what we have?

Lemon juice or white vinegar SHOULD work, but you would leave them on for a period of time then observe the results after cleaning. It may be only barely evident on a dolomitic marble (like Super White).

Karin Kirk recommends 5% Hydrochloric acid for professional testing. It is only slightly stronger than vinegar, but should produce more easily recognizable evidence. 500ml is enough for years of stone testing:
http://www.labdepotinc.com/p-55812-hydr ... AtAt8P8HAQ

Step 1
A drop of 5% HCl on calcitic stone will bubble and fizz almost immediately. You may need a magnifying lens to notice the bubbles. If it doesn't, there is a second step to identify as dolomitic marble.
Step 2
You must scratch the surface with a knife or sharp edge and then test the acid on the scraped-up stone dust. If it bubbles/fizzes, then you have a dolomitic marble. If no reaction with either of these, then you do NOT have a calcitic material.

Attached below are PDF pages directly from one of Karin's webinars.

[Dan R.]

Seal the stone and it should be fine. I have white marble in my kitchen for 13 years. Still looks awesome.

The Italians believe a well worn kitchen is from many friends. When friends visit, there is always food!

[Dwallace]

You don't need to polish the bottom. Diagonal slabs always need non bookmatch slabs (matching pattern' not opposite) unless trying to achieve a bookmatch look as you had previous. Diagonal slabs always should be thought out as soon as the delivery comes. I learned this the hard way years ago unfortunately. This is a hard business with 105 mph curve balls constantly thrown at us.

[steven nenzel]

I have a slightly different opinion. I agree that the marble is beautiful and would not hesitate to put certain marbles in my kitchen. However, I too would be a little pissed if I purchased something that was clearly not what the seller claimed it was. Your stone definitely looks like marble. If the seller claims it is a quartzite (which will not etch) and it is not then I would take it up with them. You deserve to have this resolved. They should know better. It is their business to know what is marble and what is quartzite.

[Alex DiPietro]

There are some Brazilian factories (as of my last visit in December) that call their white marble (often known as mont blanc, shadow storm, etc) "White Super". The same factory will have "Super White" (which we're all familiar with). Drastically different materials in both look, durability and $$$. Both are marbles, but "White Super" will perform like any other white marble from anywhere else in the world. "Super White" performs better than most marbles, but definitely is still a marble.

As if brazilian nomenclature wasn't confusing enough...

[Darryl Miller]

I have a slightly different opinion. I agree that the marble is beautiful and would not hesitate to put certain marbles in my kitchen. However, I too would be a little pissed if I purchased something that was clearly not what the seller claimed it was. Your stone definitely looks like marble. If the seller claims it is a quartzite (which will not etch) and it is not then I would take it up with them. You deserve to have this resolved. They should know better. It is their business to know what is marble and what is quartzite.
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I agree.

[flashbang]

I appreciate it guys. I talked it over with my wife and we love the look of the stone, so we don't want to go too crazy in removing and replacing at the moment. However, inevitably, now I start thinking about how much I paid. Is marble more expensive then quartzite? Is quartzite more expensive then marble? Was I ripped off? That is where my head is now.

They are doing new seamwork this Saturday (tentative but what they requested) and taking out the smaller piece and replacing it. I have told them about this website and the various suggestions on how to improve the seam. I just want it done correctly. I'll post update pics after the work is done. This website is an absolute treasure and anyone who is getting countertops or redoing their kitchen should really know about and ask for advice from all of you first. One of my regrets is not finding this forum earlier. There is a ton of knowledge and insight in a central location that it is pretty unbelievable.

I personally am very appreciative for your help guys.

[Dan R.]

Mont Blanc marble is considerably less expensive than quartzite. The stone is beautiful and I would have it in a heart beat in my kitchen. A frank discussion (concerning price) with fabricator is in order, imo.

[flashbang]

So they took both pieces and returned with this.
I am very impressed - This is what I expected originally, it looks exactly how I pictured a seam. If they did it this way the first time .. None of the negativity would have had to happen.
Dare I say it is perfect? Absolutely beautifully done.







Thanks again for your help guys.

[Dave.Scott]

Then enjoy and love life!
L'chaim! Mazel tov!

[Darryl Miller]

That looks a lot better. Congrats!

[Mark Meriaux]

Looks fantastic now!

It's a shame that you had to go through the temporary disappointment, and that they had to do the work twice.
Good that they fulfilled their commitment to you and hopefully you are comfortable enough to recommend them to others.