Sochi--Luce di Luna sealer?

13 years ago

Hoping Sochi is out there and can tell me what she used to seal her counters. My month-old Luce di Luna countertops (sealed w/ DuPont sealer) are sucking in water and every glass that sits on the counter for more than 5 minutes is leaving water rings that last for days. This would be no big deal except we were gone for the weekend and my stepdad left a colander that blueberries had been rinsed in sitting on the counter for two days. No blueberries (thank goodness) in the colander, but just a few of the seeds sitting in a small puddle of water have left a 2" dark gray stain inside a lighter gray water stain the size of the colander bottom. After 3 days of open air it has not really faded, so I am trying to poultice it out right now. Wonder if you have had any of the same issues? What are you using to seal?

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flseadog

13 years ago

Belle phoebe, how did your poultice work out? We also have luce di luna but I don't know what the fabricator used to seal it. It's been in about a year and we have had only 2 minor problems that won't go away. I don't know what to do about them but I think I'm the only one who notices since everyone is surprised when I point them out.

The first mark happened even before we moved into our new house. One of the workers put a very buttery bear claw pastry on the counter. The oil mark is still there but is so faint and the wavery outlines blend with the veining in the stone. The second mark is also oil based and is from roasted red pepper juice that sat for several hours after a dinner party. Thankfully this one is only a tiny dot and oddly enough also gray (I guess from the oil) and not red. Liquids, even olive oil, bead up on our stone so I guess it only becomes an issue for us if it sits for a long time.

I'll try to find our old paper work for the stone because I do remember writing down the type of sealer the fabricator mentioned that they used in their shop. Since I'm out of town for a few weeks I hope you get an answer sooner than I can get back to you.

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Comments (9)

sochi
13 years ago
Hi belle phoebe - no, I haven't had any issues at all like that, after about four months of use. Honestly I don't know what the fabricator used to seal it, but noting has come close to getting to our counters (no stains, etching, water rings, etc.). I will try to find out tomorrow and let you know. Good luck!
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I've got it but unfortunately we are currently at a hotel as they refinish our kitchen floors. I can post a picture on Sunday but for now I will describe my kitchen. I have a U shaped kitchen with an island. Beyond the U shape I also have a desk area and around the corner a butler pantry. My floors are natural oak. My cabs are white shaker inset and my perimeter countertops are soapstone (just saying soapstone seems like such an understatement - they are dark charcoal with a single big jagged white streak through them). My White Moon (Luce di Luna) quartzite is on my island. It is fabulous and a perfect complement to my soapstone. My quartzite might even look more modern than Sochi's because it is almost completely linear with very few squiggles. There were a few doubters in my house about the quartzite with the soapstone but the instant they saw it their mouths dropped open and they professed their immediate love for it! (even teenagers who are never wrong). I had never heard of quartzite but was at a granite yard last January and saw the white moon and knew it was going in my kitchen some where. I came home and searched in Gardenweb and saw Sochi's and that confirmed it for me. I'm with Sochi - go for it!!
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sochi
13 years ago
Hi again - I heard from my fabricator. They used an industrial silicone-based sealant from GranQuartz, called 413S. I'm not certain that it is available to individuals (as opposed to fabricators), but it might not hurt to ask your fabricator about it. I've pasted in a link to the product on the GranQuartz website.

Here is a link that might be useful: Silicone Stone Sealant
gb85
13 years ago
I am looking forward to the answers - my white moon (luce di luna) quartzite was installed recently and I have done a few post sealer tests - ketchup, red wine and vinegar did not leave a mark but oil did. Hopefully somewhere out there is a sealer that is good at keeping oil out.
belle_phoebe
Original Author
13 years ago
Thanks to all of you. I will investigate the possibilities and look forward to hearing back from flseadog, too. The poultice is still unresolved, since it caused more water to soak into the stone. The weather is super-humid here, so nothing is drying very quickly. I am considering trying to find something else to try and draw the water out. wonder if I could use those water-holding crystals people use for plants. Thoughts?
gb85
13 years ago
I did some research this morning and found this site - I like some of the non-chemical solutions.

http://www.finishing.com/113/03.shtml

Here is a link that might be useful: removing oil stains from granite
gb85
13 years ago
One more - I also did searches on the John Bridge forum and found more recommendations so I feel good that at least there are solutions available.
flseadog
13 years ago
Belle phoebe, I hope your problem has been solved. The fabricator we used said they used Stone Care International products in their shop. This seems to keep everything from staining except oil that sits for a few hours. We did have another tile and stone installation company here yesterday to do some work and they said they use nothing but the Miracle 511 products. Of the 3 subs we used for tile and stone when we were doing our new build, they did the best most meticulous work so I tend to put faith in what they say. I asked them about your problem and they said if you try the 511 you should wipe it on sparingly and to use a soft terry or microfiber towel to wipe off any excess immediately. HTH.
anitaboyer
12 years ago
Hello Fellow Luce Owners! We have had our beautiful countertops installed for a week now and have discovered that yes, oil leaves a stain. I realize this is an old blog, however, if you can give me any suggestions on how to get it out, I (and my husband) would be most appreciative! The stain is is a nice ring from a cup of bacon fat drippings I left out over night ( I didn't want to pour it down my drain) :( It was sealed with a sealer that the installers said "Oh no, you can't get this stuff".

Sochi--Luce di Luna sealer?

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Sochi--Luce di Luna sealer?

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