Is silestone really that delicate that you can't rub out pencil marks with an eraser? I thought it was supposed to be very tough and durable.

It might have just been his crappy pencil. He tried erasing it, but it just smudged it all around.

I don't think you've suffered a permanent Silestone disaster. But still, it was pretty outrageous.

I think there are run-down barns somewhere housing gaggles of small feral children who will grow up to be a certain kind of contractor. I had a guy put down a rag wet with ammonia, a leaky pen and a naked straight razor on a brand new velvet chair. The brief moment of silence that followed was exactly like what happens when an enormous bomb first goes off in the movies. He's probably still wearing a hearing aid.

marcolo - Thank you for explaining clueless contractor up bringing. Their behavior makes perfect sense now. :)

Layout lines on the object in question WILL be needed for marking the correct spot. Grease pencils are often used to mark stone, whether in a stone yard, or in a home under construction. They are weatherproof and wash right off with a bit of detergent and a sponge. You're just freaking out a bit because it's a "finished surface" to you, while it is just another "work in progress" to the contractor.

Pencil marks of all kinds are used to position things and lay things out. This is not an unusual occurance, and frankly, as long as he was writing on the Silestone itself and not your newly painted walls, it's not a big deal. You probably have all kinds of pencil layout marks on your drywall or cement board and you just don't know it.

I was definitely freaked out when I saw the grease pencil marks all over our backsplash install during the process. I relaxed when I tested one and noticed it came right off. It makes sense that they have to mark something when doing work that requires that degree of precision.

This was not a grease pencil. It was a regular yellow #2 pencil with a cruddy eraser that schmeared the pencil mark over a good 4 inch span. It has lightened but is still discernible after soap and water and plenty of elbow grease. I am currently letting it soak in 409 and hope that will remove it entirely.

If he'd marked the Silestone after I hired his company and I knew the piece of glass would sit atop the mark and hide it, I'd have no problem with the situation. However, he was just here to measure and give a quote, and his measuring didn't even involve a level (unlike the first company that came out). So, what if his marks are not where the company I end up hiring is going to place the glass?

I guess what I'm saying, to echo Marcolo, is that many contractors come into your home and think that just because it is in a semi-unfinished state they don't have to be careful or considerate of the materials and items in your home. It is not only disrespectful, but also shows a significant lack of skill in their chosen profession.

My last kitchen counters were marked with a Sharpie to get the holes in the right spot. Not a big deal on that material but I was surprised the Sharpie wielder didn't know how to remove Sharpie.

One should always know how to remove what one is drawing with!

Sharpie can be removed from lots of surfaces and clothing by a product from Melalueca called Sol-U-Mel.

Did you try baking soda and hot water? Or, if you have any, washing soda (sodium carbonate, rather than bicarbonate).

Also, one of those scratchy microfibers might do the trick. Or a steamer and a soft brush.

I completely get it.
It's the point.
Particularly after the previous contractor had the courtesy to put down tape. Something that is obviously for the homeowner's benefit, but still a consideration for which most evidently don't see the need.

Now she's got to go to lengths to get pencil out of a surface that's supposed to be impervious. Isn't this the 2nd thread of cases where this so-called, great man-made product is falling short of expectations?

Perhaps she might have to call the manufacturer to find out how to remove something so common as a pencil mark.

Something's wrong here. Not only with that product, but with someone who doesn't see why someone would freak out over their home not being respected.

The one, single, only thing (almost) perfectly finished are my hard wood floors. You wouldn't believe what I have to ask people not to drag across then, or watch the loose screws and setting drywall buckets on them. Crazy stuff like that.

I respect the OP for not even pretending that this guy's quote would be worth it. A caveat: if this guy works for the company, call the owner and tell them why they're not even needed for a quote. They should know how these two are effecting (affecting?) the companies bottom line. If he's the owner? He'll never get it.

Christine

Sharpie dissolves in isopropyl alcohol. Even as dilute as rubbing alcohol is, it works in a pinch. Probably wouldn't get it off your clothes though. I was impressed that my GC would write on things without knowing how to clean. He did a lot of things he didn't know much about though. :(

Not understanding the Silestone bashing. Does pencil on marble float an inch above the surface?

One of my pet peeves is workmen at the front door. When I was a kid, anybody who showed up in work clothes went to the back door and rang the bell there. It was a universal practice. Now I get to enjoy watching men who looked like they just crawled out of a horse barn wipe their boots on my hallway carpet.

Only one contractor showed up at the back door. They got the job.

Soda takes pencil out of marble. That's why I suggested it.

Marcolo, a little self help. The workman comes to the front door because he doesn't know you have a back bell, is worried he'll let out a pet or be mauled by it, isn't sure he has the right house? Meet him at the door, point out the way around to the back, and offer to meet him at the back door. For all he knows, you're protecting your arthritic kitty or hiding your dirty clothes or dirty assignation. No reason for him to take offense. Problem solved.

Any workman that tried to get to the back door would have been mauled by our german shepard or shot by my dad. Or both. And perhaps not in that order.

I don't mean to be rude but wow...I have to say I'm a little offended by some of the comments. I almost get the feeling that any skilled worker is considered to be a second class citizen in this forum! Really, they aren't supposed to use the front door? I certainly wouldn't consider it presumptuous for anyone to show up at my front door initially. In our area, the back door or garage entrance is strictly for family or "back door friends". I would consider it to be an invasion of my privacy to have strangers in my backyard or enter through my garage without my permission.
If you want someone to respect your home then show them respect as well. Don't treat them like they are only hired help and not worthy. These people have knowledge and skills that you do not or do not desire to do and vice versa. People learn everyday, if the pencil mark was so offensive to you, maybe you could have offered the tape method as a suggestion. Something he could incorporate in future practice.
Just my humble opinion.

Well, you're free to project any fantastical beliefs or prejudices onto other posters that you wish to make up. Passes the time, I guess, as long as you don't confuse it with what anybody actually said.

I have never seen a contractor ring a front doorbell to inquire where they should enter. They have all come--and I'm talking a lot of trades here, masons, electricians, carpenters, HVAC, tilers, plumbers--all come expecting to walk in the front door and are shocked to be asked to go round back or through the cellar door. It's beneath them. I would love to walk through a patch of dog **** and then demand to waltz across their parlor rug.

It's not up to an owner to "suggest" to a contractor who is only putting a bid on the job not to deface their property. It's something that anybody raised outside of a barn should already know.

I agree with khinmn92.

It might be area, but I can tell you if my STBX were told to meet someone at the back door, with his dealings with people (women) who had superiority issues (and his inferiority issues) he'd have said, "OK" and gotten in his truck to leave.

Now if someone showed up at my back door and introduced themselves? All the better. However, I think it's a case by case situation. My dog would love 'em to death and I'd have to deal with a flattend contractor in my back yard!

You're asking these people to make your dreams happen. and they are (hopefully) skilled and experienced.

However, the marking for an estimate, and the cleaner the guy brought back? To quote a baseball ump? they're OUTTA HERE!

A google search on ehow.com suggested using a soft, white gum eraser to remove the major part of the stain and then making a paste with 2tblsp of baking soda and rubbing it gently. Might be worth a try. Hope you're able to find something that works!

Marcolo, not to belabor the point but if they were to come to your front door it would seem highly UNlikely that their shoes would be full of dog ####. Maybe, it's a regional thing, but I've never had a tradesman or repairman come to my home and NOT remove their shoes upon entry; either that or they used shoe covers while in the home, of course, in the midst of construction or a major remodel I would expect them to keep their shoes on for safety.
As for the homeowner making a suggestion, all I meant was that there are many ways to 'skin a cat'. It doesn't necessarily mean that marking with a pencil is wrong. It was just a different method to reach the same objective. He may not have thought that a pencil mark would cause permanent damage (I mean, pencil is erasable in most instances right?)and may never have had a problem removing it before. While using the tape is definitely preferable, he may not have thought about trying that before and might have appreciated a gentle suggestion such as 'Hey, have you ever tried....?' Just a teachable moment, which we all need at one time or another and may help him prevent such a situation in the future.
Thanks. Have a good evening!
Kim

Here is a link that might be useful: ehow.com

You can keep trying to make it all about the homeowner, but it ain't gonna fly. I've had plenty of dirty boots on my carpets, as I thought I explained pretty clearly, so likeliness estimates don't apply. No justifying the marking up of a piece of someone else's property without asking when they're not even your client--none, sorry.

You're not reading this as written, then.
It's not all about the homeowner by any means.
It's about both.
And you can't stereotype all homeowners, just as you cannot stereotype all contractors.

If anyone has a right to be jaded about contractors, it is I. But I can see both sides. OP was right to kick that fellow to the curb. We've all agreed he didn't have a write to just sit down and start writing, but she could have also suggested the tape. Frankly, I would have freaked myself, so there you have it.

Ah well.
Christine

Asking a tradesman to come around to the back only to show him the work in the entry hall that needs doing is ridiculously snobby. Showing him around to the back to where the work is to be done is not. If one is polite and respectful, rather than scornful, that is the way it is taken. I've done this a lot during my remodel, not because of a precious carpet (my entry is thrashed stone which can survive just about anything) but because there have been boxes, shoes and other obstacles in the interior, but a nice, open, pleasant access from the rear. The workmen don't know that. None of them looked or acted in any way offended. They say, "Sure," and come around to the back. I would think that anyone who got in his truck and left because of that wouldn't be worth my employment anyway. I greatly respect people of skill and knowledge, but as the client I also think I have every right to say how things are handled in my house.

Um... Should say, that asking someone to navigate overgrown hedges, mud and weeds on a little used side path is not cool. A proper, paved, open, access, however, is another story.

And absolutely no one should ever make marks on someone else's house finishes ever. This isn't writing on the sheathing that goes under the siding and will never be seen. Every contractor and sub I've ever worked with uses paper to make a sketch, like when mommy taught them to draw on the paper and not the walls when they were two years old. Actual construction marks for during the work should always be made with tape or wax or other easily removed substance, and, as Fori said, with the writer knowing and experienced in how to remove any residue or marks. Anyone who thinks that leaving marks on the finishes is all right doesn't belong in the trades. That is directly antithetical to the purpose of the job!

Ladoladi was rightfully appalled.

LOL I'm getting a kick out of the front door/back door issues. People come to my back door instead of using the front door. I have a detached garage setup with a covered walkway from the back door to the garage door. I'll be darned if ALL people that show up..salesman, UPS(which I understand), and anyone who shows up in my driveway will come to the back door. To give you perspective, we have a corner lot with the driveway on the side of the house. NOT 1 person has ever went to the front door to ring the doorbell in the 3 1/2 years since we've moved here. They all knock on my back door and either wait or go stand by my garage to have a looksee. I just think it's weird as I always went to the front door on ANY house. It's not like they don't know where the front door is as it has a porch and a sidewalk leading to it. It's just more convenient and maybe a little bit of nosiness that they come to the back door. Who ever heard of NOT installing a doorbell at the backdoor but having a wired one at the front door that NO one uses. (LOL) I'm not upset about but it is funny.

The guy put pencil on stone. It IS hard to remove. And he knows this. (!).
It is hard to remove pencil from porcelain too.

It is similar to the person who puts mud on carpet.

When I was young one house we had for years had a front door, a side door, and a back door. Better than a science experiment with controlled variables. It gave us all a lot of real life experience, as we saw how people dealt with the dilemma. After a few years we were able to suss the party out pretty fast.

Did it ever happen that dominant personalities rang the front doorbell, and that their boots were dirty and that they didn't care one bit? Yes. It happened. And that was decades ago, before society become "me-oriented, go-for-it, and efficiency" and whatever it is today.

My parents never hired them. I mean, what the wha.. they just expected us to take out the vacuum cleaner and clean up and then scrub the mud out of the carpet after it was dry. It DID happen. More than once. These were real life experiences. Today, HOW one describes it is not a big deal. The underlying facts remain the same.

--

I've also seen many people take their shoes off; whenever I've said not to bother they have insisted that this was their standard procedure everywhere.

Hth

Other than the sliders onto my backyard, my "backdoor" is through the garage, which is in front of the house. In any given situation, tradesmen or not, I would expect the average person to approach my front door, since there's no other choices in evidence. I would greet them cordially and either invite them in or suggest going through the garage.

When I'm expecting workers I try to be accommodating and make things convenient for them. I move my car out onto the street so that they can use my driveway and available garage space for staging area. I leave the garage door open and usually try to meet them there. I've already secured my indoor cats in a room. During my current reno they all seem happy and content traipsing through the garage, down my hall and into the kitchen. Unless I'm chatting with them in the kitchen, I usually hang out in my office where they must pass and remember that I'm still in the house. If it makes their work easier to go through the front door, that's fine with me too (straighter route).

Also, I invite all of them to use my guest bathroom if so called.

khinmn92: Thank you for the suggestions for cleaning the stain. I will try that later today. I think if
I dig around the office long enough, I will find a white gum eraser.

It occurred to me to suggest the taping method to the contractor only after he was gone and I had gotten over the horror of the experience. While on the one hand I feel bad that I did not share that bit of knowledge with him, I also don't think it would have made a difference. When I called this company to ask if they did frameless shower enclosures, they assured me the gentlemen they were sending over to take the measurements had "25 years of experience doing shower enclosures." However, when he arrived and we started discussing frameless enclosures he was asking ME how I wanted him to attach the glass. I suggested brackets and silicone--the standard for frameless enclosures. His response was "Yeah, I guess we could do something like that, but I don't really like the sound of that..."

To further inspire me with confidence, he did not even have a level with him! The only tools he had on him were a tape measure and that dratted #2 pencil. The gentleman from the other company that came to provide a quote (the one who put down the tape) had 3 different lengths of levels, an angle square tool kind of thing, and a folding ruler. His measurements of every angle and imperfection in my tile (within tolerance but still enough to make a difference in the look of the glass) were exact and precise.

TL;DR version: Telling this man to use tape for his markings was only the first step in a very long line of educational tidbits I would have had to share with him on how to do his craft, and I'm not even in his craft!

Oh, I would have gone crazy with anyone drawing on my finished countertop. We have two marble tiles in our bathroom that still bear pencil marks when the tiler numbered them (why on the front, why why why?), and then sealed the marble.

I still bare my teeth when remembering our incompetent painters. We have a marble counter in a little built-in nook in the dining room, and before they painted the room we reminded them countless times, "you must put protection over the counter." Of course they didn't and one of them left a paintbrush clotted with red paint on top of the counter. Oh boy, did they hear it from me.

Before we fired them, my husband told the construction manager that these painters treated our house with a carelessness that bordered on contempt.

That's become my new standard for contractors. They don't have to treat the house like it's their own, but do they at least treat it like someone lives there? If the guys come to the door with boots caked with plaster dust, they should have the courtesy to remove their boots, or put on protectors, or at least wipe their danged feet. It's become a quick signal to me about what level of care to expect on the rest of the job.

Commenting back to the OP on her pencil marks...I certainly hope you are able to remove the marks. It's so disheartening when these things happen. When our Silestone was installed in our last kitchen, they used permanet Sharpie markers, and it wiped right off. In fact, after 10 years with grandchildren using the counters for their art projects, we never had one stain...zero, zilch, nada. They colored on them, painted on them, used colored markers on them, used pen on them...everything wiped off. I just can't imagine pencil leaving a permanent mark. I'm sure it will be just fine. I'm wondering if it wasn't something in the eraser that is tough to remove??? Just a thought.

I've had pencil, pen, etc on my caesarstone and it all comes off no problem. So I wonder if joyce is right that it's something in the eraser that's not coming off easily. Can you feel anything when you run your hand over the mark? If so I'd try some goo gone.

I guess I must be a real push over or too easy going for words? I called my Electrician asking him for the plumbers phone number as my Blackberry broke over new year... he told me "it's in your dining room, i wrote it on the wall"... no harm done, the wall is getting painted!!

I just installed new Silestone in my kitchen and baths. Immediately there appeared small white chalky specks (not shiny ones) on the Silestone, particularly near the edges. I never saw that on the samples when I was shopping. Has anyone had this problem and what did you do about it? The color is coffee brown. Thanks.

2 words...mineral spirits. We use it to clean so many marks off of so many things and it works wonderfully. Just wash afterward. It's also ideal for removing stubborn stuck on price tags....for those of you with olefin or polypropylene carpets, you can use mineral spirits to remove spots from that as well.

As far as front door/back door, if I had to keep everyone out of the house who might leave dirt on my floor, I'd have to turn the garden shed into a room for DH...he is by far the worst offender....more so than any contractors here. He's the reason I keep a basket of shoe covers in the mud room....not that they get used as often as I'd like. (As indestructible as olefin is, he's managed to damage mine...put a drop light down on it when he was working on something and melted it!) He's a big part of the reason why we have vinyl instead of hardwood in our house now.

Of course I cracked up at the cable guy who was here, very dutifully putting his booties on his boots and then proceeding to traipse back and forth to his truck without taking them on and off....

Almost everyone comes to my front door. On the rare occasion that the garage door is open and someone comes into the garage and knocks on that door, I wonder, "What the heck is that?!?" Except for when I had the remodeler building the steps and shelves at my garage entry door...he kept hammering and I kept answering the door!

But damage through negligence is a whole 'nother thing. My GF had her kitchen counters damaged when the guy was cutting vinyl tile on it without wood or other material to protect it. No excuse for that.

Of course, if you're really fussy, when you make the apptmt with the contractor, tell him/her which door to use. GF did that all the time as her house was in such a state of disrepair that various entrances were blocked or being worked on at various times. And she has one of those colonials with the garage on the side so when you park, you don't know if you should go around to the front door, go up the deck to the sliders in the back or straight ahead through the garage. It was one reason why I wanted garage doors front on our house, so people knew to use the front door.

Carol, you're probably not going to get an answer to your question in this thread. I'd start a separate one so people could see it.

This week I discovered a new front/back door issue. Two separate contractors--a fence painter and a garage door installer--just showed up and went into my backyard without announcing themselves. No doorbell ringing. I'd never met any of these people and didn't know who they were. Good thing I don't breed giant pit bulls as a hobby.

The fence painter also completely destroyed my sea hollies that were six feet away from the fence, but that's another issue.

I'd give anything for workmen - or friends - who removed their shoes at the door or had coverings for their shoes (workboots) inside the house.

As a Northerner (Canada), I've learned that Southerners have a whole 'snob-story' going on in their head while those of us used to mud & slush just consider it normal good manners to remove your shoes inside.

Even school kids had indoor and outdoor shoes, the outdoors being left in the school's mudroom and the indoors carried in your duffel and worn to classes.

And don't get me started on using the doorbell - perfectly reasonable people hammer like the bomb squad on the front door, with the excuse that they would never use the doorbell lest they 'startle' you.

You're at home when you're at home. I'm at work when I'm at your home, so I'll be keeping my steel-toed shoes on while I'm there. Yeah, I can do the covers.