Hello,

I made the rookie granite owner mistake of using a green scrub pad on
the brand new granite tiles I used for my countertop.

A couple of questions,

Should the common green scrub pad (the ones one would use to scrub pots
and pans) have scratched the granite tile? Is there a chance that
these granite tiles are cheap. I purchased them from the "Tile Shop"
which claims they are 100% onyx granite.

Aside from busting the tile out, can the scratches be "buffed" out
using diamond pads and a air grinder?

Are there any secrets to hiding scratches using polish or something
similar?

Any assistance is much appreciated !!

Thanks,

Doubtful they're cheap. These plastic pads are quite good at scratching
hard objects. Just apply consecutively finer pads to the scratches 'til
they disappear. Tom

Should the common green scrub pad (the ones one would use to scrub pots
and pans) have scratched the granite tile? Is there a chance that
these granite tiles are cheap. I purchased them from the "Tile Shop"
which claims they are 100% onyx granite.

You may have a case against the Tile Shop.
Onyx is a sedimentary calcium carbonate rock similar to limestone, and is
very soft and scratchable, and is IMHO unsuitable for a working kitchen
countertop, but may be used, with care, in bathrooms and showers.
Granite is an igneous rock cooled from magma, and solidified into extremely
hard interlocking crystals of quartz and feldspar, both minerals way
exceeding the strength,hardness, corrosion resistance, and durability of
limestone or onyx.
"100% onyx granite" is therefore an oxymoron. It may be possible that you
actually have granite there, but the softness sounds suspicious if a scrub
pad abrades it.....

Those are tough green pads, or you have soft stone.

Roger Taylor wrote:
Should the common green scrub pad (the ones one would use to scrub pots
and pans) have scratched the granite tile? Is there a chance that
these granite tiles are cheap. I purchased them from the "Tile Shop"
which claims they are 100% onyx granite.

"100% onyx granite" is therefore an oxymoron. It may be possible that you
actually have granite there, but the softness sounds suspicious if a scrub
pad abrades it.....

Not really. I've used the various grades of Scotch Brite pads to sand
just about everything. Scratching a polished stone surface with one of
them is easy to do.

Interesting about the "onyx granite" I wonder who got the description
screwed up in the first place - supplier, distributor, owner?

R

Roger Taylor wrote:
Should the common green scrub pad (the ones one would use to scrub
pots and pans) have scratched the granite tile? Is there a chance
that these granite tiles are cheap. I purchased them from the "Tile
Shop" which claims they are 100% onyx granite.

You may have a case against the Tile Shop.
Onyx is a sedimentary calcium carbonate rock similar to limestone,
and is very soft and scratchable,

No, onyx is a chalcedony which is a form of quartz. Specifically, a
cryptocrystalline form like flint. It is not soft.

--
dadiOH
____________________________

dadiOH's dandies v3.06...
....a help file of info about MP3s, recording from
LP/cassette and tips & tricks on this and that.
Get it at http://mysite.verizon.net/xico

Go he

http://www.stonepowerhouse.com/phorum3/index.php

and get advice from folks who work stone for a living. You can also go
he

http://www.stoneadvice.com/forum/

a bunch of stone guys frequent both sites.

Same steps used in furniture finishing to go to a high gloss.


On 13 Dec 2005 21:32:41 -0800, "tom" wrote:

Doubtful they're cheap. These plastic pads are quite good at scratching
hard objects. Just apply consecutively finer pads to the scratches 'til
they disappear. Tom

Thank you for all that replied. I did a little research and got a
little more detail.

The exact tile is

Rush River Shanxi Black granite

The Tile Shop claims it is one 100% granite and should only scratch if
scratched by material harder that granite (e.g. diamond). Therefore
they do not believe me when I told them a Scotch Brite Heavy Duty Scour
pad (the same one you would by at the grocery store). I was able to
reproduce it on a sample piece but have yet to show them.

I will take my fair share if stupidity because after the fact, the
directions of the pad (what the hell are directions?) stated not to use
on a polished surface.

One would assume that the Tile Shop will not take any responsibility
for the products they sell and frankly I am not sure if it is worth
ripping out the tile to replace it.

One response was to "apply consecutively finer pads to the scratches
'til they disappear". I am not sure if that was sarcasm at it worst
(if they were referring to the green pads) or I assume it was in
reference to diamond polishing pads.

I have never done polishing before but I figure what is the worst that
can happen, I have to replace the tile (in the end probably easier and
cheaper but I am looking to expand my horizons). I was thinking of
starting at 800 to 1500 to 3000 diamond polishing pads. Other than
the penetrating sealer, is there any other finish I need to apply?

Thank you again to everybody who replied. I apologize for misleading
you with the onyx association (that was my black splash granite tile).

Thank you !

if you can catch your fingernail in the scratches, it won't be easy to get
it out. if not, then you should start with something a lot finer, say
2000-3000 at least. use water with a drop of dish soap added. use a flat
piece of something (tile, sanding block, etc) as a backer to the paper. try
it on your samples first.

there are services that will polish out scratches in glass windows. you
might call around to find one to see what it'll cost you for them to do it.
there's some tools that can make this a lot easier that would be expensive
for you to buy for a one time use.

regards,
charlie
http://glassartists.org/chaniarts

wrote in message
oups.com...
Thank you for all that replied. I did a little research and got a
little more detail.

The exact tile is

Rush River Shanxi Black granite

The Tile Shop claims it is one 100% granite and should only scratch if
scratched by material harder that granite (e.g. diamond). Therefore
they do not believe me when I told them a Scotch Brite Heavy Duty Scour
pad (the same one you would by at the grocery store). I was able to
reproduce it on a sample piece but have yet to show them.

I will take my fair share if stupidity because after the fact, the
directions of the pad (what the hell are directions?) stated not to use
on a polished surface.

One would assume that the Tile Shop will not take any responsibility
for the products they sell and frankly I am not sure if it is worth
ripping out the tile to replace it.

One response was to "apply consecutively finer pads to the scratches
'til they disappear". I am not sure if that was sarcasm at it worst
(if they were referring to the green pads) or I assume it was in
reference to diamond polishing pads.

I have never done polishing before but I figure what is the worst that
can happen, I have to replace the tile (in the end probably easier and
cheaper but I am looking to expand my horizons). I was thinking of
starting at 800 to 1500 to 3000 diamond polishing pads. Other than
the penetrating sealer, is there any other finish I need to apply?

Thank you again to everybody who replied. I apologize for misleading
you with the onyx association (that was my black splash granite tile).

Thank you !

wrote:
Thank you for all that replied. I did a little research and got a
little more detail.

The exact tile is

Rush River Shanxi Black granite

The Tile Shop claims it is one 100% granite and should only scratch if
scratched by material harder that granite (e.g. diamond).

Obviously, the Tile Shop isn't a geologist. I am. Granite isn't a
uniform material nor a one of a kind stone, it is an aggregate of
numerous minerals. Exactly which minerals and their relative amounts is
what gives granitic stones various colors and characteristics. The
minerals range from fairly soft to fairly hard. None of them are as
hard as aluminum oxide (corundum) which is the abrasive normally used in
sandpaper.

I have no doubt the pad scratched your counter.
_______________

One would assume that the Tile Shop will not take any responsibility
for the products they sell and frankly I am not sure if it is worth
ripping out the tile to replace it.

There is no reason for them to take responsibility, they did nothing
wrong. Nor is there any need to rip it out - as others said, you can
polish it with successively finer materials. And you don't need
diamonds....aluminum oxide or silicon carbide paper should do it. Even
various rubbing compounds.


--
dadiOH
____________________________

dadiOH's dandies v3.06...
....a help file of info about MP3s, recording from
LP/cassette and tips & tricks on this and that.
Get it at http://mysite.verizon.net/xico

I made the rookie granite owner mistake of using a green scrub pad on
the brand new granite tiles I used for my countertop.


Try a Rockhound Shop, they should have the materials for removing
scratches, Jewelers Rouge and such.

"m Ransley" wrote in message
...
Those are tough green pads, or you have soft stone.


Scotch brite pads are used by machinists to put a brushed finish on metal
parts even stainless steel.

You should be able to polish out these scratches using normal polishing
techniques. Use alumina sand paper down to 600 then 1200 grit then switch
to diamond paste and a buffer. Finish off with a new coat of impregnating
sealer and surface sealer (whole counter). A gouge would be harder to
remove but possible, just start with a coarser grit and feather out from the
damage. You can get buffing wheels for an angle grinder from some tile
stores.

I bet you can get an installer to come out and do it for you for under $200

Replacement stone tile goes from $4 to $20 a square foot uninstalled. Most
granites are in the $7-$12 range

Granite has a blotchey crystalline appearance while onyx has a smoother
flowing crystaline appearance (often layered or swirley).

"dadiOH" wrote in message
news:3YVnf.12356$Jz6.5585@trnddc06...


No, onyx is a chalcedony which is a form of quartz. Specifically, a
cryptocrystalline form like flint. It is not soft.

DadiOH, you are so right.
I was thinking of the stuff in my neighbor's shower, which is mexican onyx,
a calcite rock.
"Real" or conventional onyx is indeed chalcedony, which should resist
scratching right up there near granite......

Roger Taylor wrote:
"dadiOH" wrote in message
news:3YVnf.12356$Jz6.5585@trnddc06...


No, onyx is a chalcedony which is a form of quartz. Specifically, a
cryptocrystalline form like flint. It is not soft.

DadiOH, you are so right.
I was thinking of the stuff in my neighbor's shower, which is mexican
onyx, a calcite rock.

What he has is most likely travertine, That's calcareous and is very
commonly used in bathrooms both in Mexico and the US.

However, there is lots of Mexican onyx too and some looks very similar
to the travertine color wise. Most comes from around Puebla and is
often made into dining tables and the like. I covet one
____________

"Real" or conventional onyx is indeed chalcedony, which should resist
scratching right up there near granite......

Actually, it resists scratching better since it is pure quartz and
granitic rocks aren't.

--
dadiOH
____________________________

dadiOH's dandies v3.06...
....a help file of info about MP3s, recording from
LP/cassette and tips & tricks on this and that.
Get it at http://mysite.verizon.net/xico