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byram_lass

New granite has reddish tone

3 years ago

We just had new counter installed as part of bathroom remodel. The granite was cut, installed, and sealed today on site. What we selected was mostly a light beige color but the finished product has a strong red tone. We have a chunk left over from the cutting and it is definitely what we selected. So why does my install have a strong red tone instead of looking like the unsealed chunk.

Comments (11)

  • 3 years ago

    For help, post pictures of both.

  • PRO
    3 years ago


    Natural iron in the stone.

  • 3 years ago

    I agree with you . Def more red than I recall... Don't ask how I know. You won't like the answer!

  • 3 years ago

    Maybe they used a color enhancing sealer, but that usually affects things like limestone and not granite.

  • 3 years ago

    Here are photos. I have a leftover chunk in the image for reference. 1st image, centerish between 2 sinks, 2nd right backsplash, 3rd left backsplash. You can see a significant tonal difference.




  • 3 years ago
    last modified: 3 years ago

    You did not say whether you took a sample home to see it in your home's environment and light. It is necessary to do that. I fell in love with a couple granite slabs at the stoneyard, but when I took samples home, I didn't like them because they looked so different in my home.

    From your photos, the counter looks just like your sample, just on a larger and horizontal plane. It looks like the red in the granite is from the type of feldspar it contains. All granites contain feldspar, and it could be that the feldspar component of your granite is reddish. There may also be garnet flecks in the granite. And as mentioned above, it could have iron too, but the red is so consistently running throughout, that I think the reddish tone is the feldspar.

    It is not from color-enhancing sealer. Call the installer and ask them what sealant they used, but I doubt they used a color enhancer. But if you think that is what makes the granite have a red tone, you can remove the sealer with acetone, wiped on thinly and wiped off. You can try a small section first to see if it changes the color of the stone.

    Byram Lass thanked M Miller
  • 3 years ago

    It was just strange because the residual chunk is fine as the base counter for the most part as shown in the photos. we did have samples in our house and the coloring was perfect. I didnt know if this was perhaps it soaked up water during the cutting and they didnt let it dry.


    I will be contacting our contractor.

  • 3 years ago

    Here's a better depiction after I adjusted white balance and saturation


  • 3 years ago

    You could try a lightbulb with a different color temperature. Maybe that would adjust the appearance of the stone to something you like better.

  • 3 years ago

    It all looks like the same stone to me. Things always look different when they are big which is why the bigger the sample you can use the better.