I have Calacatta quartzite and have never seen it marketed as Superwhite. The big issue that tends to occur is that Superwhite is often labeled as a quartzite when in fact it is usually a marble.

Would love to see pics of the various parts of the counter you are speaking of. I can can not understand several things that your fabricator told you....use Softscrub?? Ah, I don't think so. The stone is partly man made and glued together? Huh? It doesn't need to be sealed? Yes it does. Some quartzites do not but this isn't one of them. I'm also not understanding why some of your counter is shinier than other parts.

I typically use a microfiber rag with water, or water + a little dishsoap, or I have some Method granite & stone cleaner that I use from time to time.

Here are pics of Calacatta quartzite and Superwhite for reference. They do behave quite differently.

calacatta quartzite:

Superwhite:

Love your kitchen! We did similar, white kitchen with dark island and loooved the way the calacatta looks!

Here is the shiny vs non shiny portion of the counter im talking about, its only on the one piece of slab to the right pf the sink. First picture is shiny, second is not. Its funny bc on the more matte piece, the veins are still really glossy but the rest has a more honed look. Not sure if they did something to abrade it while fabricating it.

Its hard to see on the island right now because i get less light in the morning, but here are the track marks from the rubber feet of the baking slab i had on top of it,

And finally, and this is very hard to see, where they put a spot of the color enhancer sealer, made a darker spot on the counter, kind of like an etch mark, but i dont think thats what it is as it didnt dull the shine of the counter, just made it like a darker shadow, that top light bulb reflection is in the center of the splotch. Im thinking it might just be because they only applied the sealer there to obscure a small scratch and no where else ("because this stone doesnt need sealer" ugh!!)

But the rubber track marks dont come out for anything! I tried to find out more info on this stone but there is really not much. I know it etches bc of our testing, but i cant see how rubber feet made thise drag marks unless it interefered with resin if it was applied to this stone. Theres also spots on the stone, around the edges, in the middle, where bits just look hazy or smudgy.

At this point should i just get a professional polisher/cleaner/sealer to come look at it and do something about it? I dont want to make it worse. This doesnt seem like a common stone people use, so i think not many people have much experience with it. But id like to not ruin it further.

Does anyone have any recommendations for companies? I like in north/central jersey.

Heres a bigger shot of the island

I have to say that your counters look more like a variation of Superwhite that I fell in love with....T&M called it Superwhite Extra and it is not a quartzite, thus the etching. True quartzite does not etch. It's is drop dead gorgeous though. Here is a pic of one of the slabs of Superwhite Extra I had looked at.

This is why im confused, because it was labeled calacatta at the stoneyard, and therein lies the issue. So they are also spreading misinformation and lies. Because my fabricators are all up and down, quartzite, doesnt need sealer, etc. And im sitting there like, you're idiots bc obviously this one does. So basically, what youre saying is they sold me a marble lol

I still dont know how rubber feet left drag marks on the shine though! And how the shine level is inconsistent on that one piece. I personally think they abraded it with something in the fabricating process. I have to put felt pads on everything with rubber feet!

I intend on treating it like a marble, because i have to from everything ive learned from it. But i dont want to have to worry about staining so i need it sealed by someone competent and not these idiots. If i dont ever speak to them again it will be too soon. But i am terrified of using and ruining my kitchen!

If i can get someone to repolish it clean to at least eliminate the haze and the drag marks that would be great and then seal it properly. But i honestly dont know where to look. I just dont want it to get worse.

Ive also read that some superwhite has resins on top of it, and that makes it prone to these types of problems or that sealer wont penetrate. Im just so lost at what to do.

Sofibebe,

I'm so sorry this happened. It sounds like you got caught in several layers of incorrect information. I don't have the answers to all of your questions, but I can help with a few.

- Your stone isn't quartzite, regardless of the label and what they told you. This is a common mistake at stone dealerships.

- Your stone is marble.

- Some quartzite does need sealer, some doesn't. However, this does not matter for your situation because your stone isn't quartzite.

- Marble generally does need sealer.

- Your stone is absolutely beautiful! I think you'll be able to work through the problems.

So, those are some basics to start off with.

I'm not a fabricator, but I bet the scuff marks can be sanded out. For that matter, all the irregularities you are seeing can be sanded/polished out, a new sealer can be put on and you can go from there.

If possible it would be nice to know what the stone has been treated with so far. But you may not get a satisfactory answer to that question.

Yes, I would find another company to do the work from here on out.

Yes, you need felt feet on anything you plan to slide across the counter. And don't slide things like cast iron pans because they'll scratch it.

And I'd probably complain to the original company, because it's in everyone's best interest that they know about these mistakes so that they don't keep making them. This is a very common mixup in the industry, and the salespeople need to hear about it from the customers otherwise they won't really realize the trouble this is causing people.

Take heart, this can be solved, and without too much trouble. Now that you know what your stone is you can treat it accordingly. And it's gorgeous!

Good luck to you! I hope it all works out with minimal heartache and lost sleep.

Your description of "smudges" sound exactly like my Danby marble island when it was initially installed & sealed. In my case, it was the application of the sealer. Too much sealer, inconsistent application of the sealer - I'm not really sure but they came back & used denatured alcohol (? to remove the excess sealer) & then resealed. My countertops are also sealed with a color enhancing, topical sealer. I think these types of sealers are a little trickier to apply. I have to say that I'm pleased with the outcome. With this type of sealer, I have a little more time before etching occurs. It's a different type of sealer than Bulletproof (penetrating sealer) & I was dismayed when I realized they had used a topical sealer. My marble is in great condition (minimal etching).

Have you spoken to the boss? Sometimes, the guys that do the installation are not the most experienced of the fabricators in a shop. I would first communicate that you are unhappy & see if someone in the shop can fix it.

Yep, I would call the stone yard and tell them that your stone seems to have been mislabeled as a quartzite, then I would call the fabricator and tell them that they did not do a satisfactory job in sealing and you would like it redone so it is uniform.

That being said, that Superwhite Extra was my most favorite stone that I encountered while looking for counters. I can not even explain to you how badly I wanted it. I still like it better than my counters and I think it looks absolutely gorgeous in your kitchen! Good luck!

What ended up happening? I'm looking at this same stone. Here known as Calacatta super white, also Fantasy. Consensus seems to be that it is a dolomite with various degrees of quartzite and marble. Most say more resistant than marble but no where near granite. I'd just like to hear how your story finished and how living with it the past 2 years has been.

I've worked with natural and man made stones for 16 years and couldn't believe that your fabricator was so dishonest. It's true that suppliers call super white a quartzite but most of them are only salespeople that have never cut, polish or edged a stone. Any good fabricator can identify it's a marble by how its polished, handled or how easily it stains when not sealed. After seeing the pics by sink area I could tell it's a honed finish. At some point stone was repaired improperly and a temporary shine was done with some type of wax. It can be fixed but will require really polishing. Wish you the best

@SMD Contracting Inc

or anyone else on here how is one to know who to entrust about what is being sold as quartzite & if it's accurate? I find it all so confusing and seemingly intentionally so. I saw an image of Calacatta quartzite on a site and now I wonder is it really a quartzite or are there any lighter ones besides Taj Mahal?

I’m wondering how everyone’s Calacatta quartzite is holding up? thanks for any feedback.

Mine looks as perfect as the day it was installed in 2013. 😊

Lisa that‘s wonderful! do you have any pictures of your counters? i have a Calacatta extra suede quartzite slab on hold. The stone company says it really is quartzite. I’ve asked fabricators to confirm. i really like it but don't want to have issues. Thanks!!

I have some of when my kitchen was first completed (can’t take any now because kitchen is not clean, lol).

Thanks Lisa! Your counters are beautiful. My slab leans more grayish overall i think, but has some of those squiggly lines like yours. I’m hoping it is a true quartzite that fabricates well.

I’d post pictures of the slabs if I knew how. By the way, if you posted a messy kitchen we’d all feel better about our messes!😂

Lisa I keep looking at your beautiful counters! I’m getting the slab of Calacatta quartzite that I had on hold. It is so similar to yours except it has a more light gray overall look. When I went to see it again today I liked it even more. 😂 What color did you paint your cabinets? Thanks for the info.

Hi Lisa. Happy fourth. We just had calacatta lux installed five days ago. Love the look.

The horror stories on Houzz however are frightening.

Water beads as was promised on counter when they sealed but edge near sink discolored from droplets. It did fade away in about an hour.

Have you had any problems or did you have any staining?

How was it processed? Ours came the day after it was cut and hoping down the road I don’t experience the edge stains.

Anything you can add is very helpful. Thank you again. Your kitchen looks fantastic! After reading all this I’d be grateful to hear your experience. Tks!

@thinkyoung How are your lux counters holding up? Did you get staining along the edge of your sink? Thanks!

Meg McCloskey I’m wondering the same. My quartzite will be installed in a few days and my anxiety level has climbed!