My natural quartzite was sealed with a long term sealer (don't know which one the fabricator used). He said I'd never need to do anything with it again. After a year, I believe him - you couldn't hurt it if you tried.

I'm considering Donna Sandra granite for my kitchen countertop. Can you tell me if your Donna Sandra countertops have etched and stained? Thanks!

My countertops have etched but not stained. I can't see it except in very specific light. It looks to me like they did not deal a particular section correctly and that is where the etching is.
Or it may be from whatever my contractors did on that part if the surface.
It doesn't bother me-they still look beautiful and I live them.
Nothing seems to stain them.

^ Seal, not deal ;)

I should spellcheck- I love them^

I have just had quartzite worktops fitted in my kitchen at a cost of over £3200. I was delighted with them because I did a lot of research into stone which is suitable for a kitchen and easy to maintain. Although the worktops were sealed and I was told that they wouldnt need another coat for 6 months I made sure all water and spills were wiped up immediately. After 3 weeks I have noticed that there are watermarks around the sink cutout and two large spots either side of the top. I am so upset as I avoided buying marble for this exact reason. Has anyone else had a similar experience. I called the fitter back in and all he could say was "I'll have to give them another coat of sealer". I am going to have to live with these horrible watermarks on a beautiful stone. Arrrgh!

I am experiencing the same things

Oh Diane, do you think we can live with it? Are you going to contact your supplier? I have only had mine fitted for 3 weeks. The fitter is coming back to put in upstands so I will have a word with him again. It would be too expensive and an upheaval to replace. Who is to blame if anyone, stone merchant or fabricator/fitter. I have been fastidious in keeping the tops dry & wiped down at all times. Maybe it wasn't sealed well enough. I dont think there will be any recourse from anyone. I spent months researching quartzite & fitting it into kitchens and staining etc. & the comments were favourable, so I am really really upset at these unsightly watermarks. The cooking area seems free of stains so far. Help?

more pics.

Jackie- I'm sorry it took me so long to respond. I could not find the discussion again and stumbled upon it now.
I think they should replace your countertops free of charge. I would strongly pursue them to correct this. I'm so sorry- and that should NOT be happening.

This is my countertop. You can only see a subtle etching in certain lights- but no big spots.

My countertop

Did anyone ever learn more about how to deal with these stains? Which brand/type of sealer is preferred?

Regarding the dark stains; our quartzite shows a dark stain if water is left standing too long. But after it drys out (maybe 24/30 hours) those dark areas disappear.

Anyone else notice this?

Mine continue to etch even though I am really careful. You can only see it in certain lighting.
I want to find out how to best clean and re- seal them.
I do love them but they sure seem to behave like marble.

Jackie, I ran across this thread because I am planning on using quartzite in my new kitchen. How did you make out with the stains? Did you fitter rectify the problem? Was he able to remove the stains? If so, how? If you are still living with them, this link has suggestions for removing stains. Maybe it will help. (The link says granite care, but they say it applies to quartzite as well.) http://www.bigcreekgranite.com/files/CareInstructions/Granite_Care_Instructions.pdf

What is the name of the quartite that you accidently loaded at the top of this thread?

May I sayI am heartsick about my quartzite countertops. I loved the stone and fell for it immediately. My designer was also a friend. She had her island done in a dark quartzite and mine is a grayish, whitish color with elements of lavender and green running through. No one ever told me there would be a problem. It shows everything. I have an outline of a sandwich on the island, rings, all sorts of (ghost) circles and swirls. I complained to the fabricator and the salespeople where I purchased it. It was restored once but even after a few weeks the same smears and marks that will not clean away were back. I paid 10,000 for this countertop all over my kitchen and I'm so disappointed and angry that I was not told about the sensitive nature of this stone!

May I say, sorry, if anyone has any advice for me please reply, or cleaners?

Also, the marks are not really stains as in a color change.

I could NOT recommend this to anyone doing a kitchen redo if you actually plan on cooking and using your kitchen. I have had to fight and argue with the salespeople to get them to even contribute to the cost of the restoration. It was 1,200 dollars to have it restored and it is doing the same thing again almost right away. Nice to look at, gorgeous, but so not user friendly. I'd love some advice on what to do if anyone has ideas. Would never wish this on anyone!

The stone place told me that quartzite is harder than granite.
They said it was stein and chip- proof .
I think the real issue is that they sell marble and call it quartzite.
Mine does the same thing.
Like marble does.

Yes. It must not be quartzite. I don't know what to do? It's in there now.

I just had a different stone contractor install 2 barroom countertops .
I asked them and they said that there is a product to reseal / refinish it yourself but that they could do it for $200.
I am going to try it.
But I don't think it will completely solve the problem.
I'll write back here after I talk to them again.
I would consult a different marble and stone place that doesn't have an investment in covering for themselves.
What an awful thing they did to you.
Unfortunately the only recourse is filing a claim against them but that's time-consuming and expensive and I imagine hard to prove.
If your designer recommended the product , can't they do anything?

I am considering a claim. My designer was my friend and passed away in April so I did not want her to be more stressed before hand. I will take your advice and I thank you for your comments. It makes me feel better to talk to someone.

If you could provide me with the name of the product I would really appreciate it very much.

I bought a remnant of a red quartzite for my kitchen island. As it wasn't quite big enough, I had to surround it with some glass tile and plain sanded grout. It gets wet all the time. I know the moisture seeps into the grout surrounding the piece. It also gets greasy. But it has NEVER discolored. I, too, agree that you may have been sold something that is not quartzite, or is an inferior cut maybe. What I do find with my island top is that it gets streaky and seems to have a film on it that makes it look dull sometimes and show markings of what has been placed on it. But a good cleaning with Windex and damp paper towels will usually do the trick. Sometimes, I have to use the scrubber side of a sponge and really scrub it to get it sparkly again. I stumbled on this site because I was looking for a recommendation for a good cleaning solution for mine besides Windex.

My problem now is how to proceed to get some compensation. Good luck with yours.

I have had similar problems and tried a paste of baking soda and water. It worked every single time. You may need to leave the paste overnight with a damp cloth over it. Give it a try!

There is a product specifically for marble and granite ( and quartzite) both on Amazon and in most hardware/ home stores.
One is for cleaning and resealing and another includes something for chip repair.
The person installing my sink and backsplash in my powder room accidentally got grout on the marble which stained and scratched it and the " clean and polish" product he purchased at Home Depot restored it perfectly.
I will use either that one or the Amazon one that includes a chip repair kit on my quartzite in the kitchen .

Diane, what is the name of the product at Home Depot and Amazon you reference in your 11/12/16 post?

Thank you!

I have new quartzite. So far no problems. The fabricator (Is that the same as "fitter"? Is fitter the British term?) recommended weekly use of http://www.homedepot.com/p/Miracle-Sealants-511-32-oz-Kleen-and-Reseal-Spray-KL-RE-32OZ-SG/100672858 and semi-annual sealing with http://www.homedepot.com/p/Miracle-Sealants-32-oz-Impregnator-Penetrating-Sealer-511-QT-H/100076375. My local Home Depot didn't have it in stock so I had to order it. When it arrives and I try out the Kleen and Reseal, I will post an update.

Someone put it on here, Karen!
See above !

I haven't been able to locate the product the pro who posted this writes of. I sent the poster a message. I'll let you know if he replies. https://www.houzz.com/discussions/quartzite-corteccia-natural-stone-imported-from-italy-dsvw-vd~3060550

I have a honed Quartzite kitchen. It is beautiful, however, I was told it was the hardest most durable stone. Very $.. We have grid pattern marks running throughout several of the pieces, when I felt the underside of the top there is a mesh material that literally mimics exactly what we see, it is in several areas, Island etc. Getting the run around. very obvious but not sure photos will be able to show it. I'll try

first time I cooked on the cooktop, stains all over.. cannot get them out. Was told it was sealed. UGH.. Its very frustrating when you are paying full fare, then expected to accept something that you were sold on otherwise.

Kisa Valenti - Do you still like your quartzite counter tops? Which one do you have?

Mine is Aquarella. I adore the colors and it is easy to clean. Absolutely no problem with staining. Although I do try to wipe up spills promptly, there have been times when I saw something like tomato sauce or fruit juice. I was scared there would be a stain, but a quick wipe left it perfect. I use a spray bottle with a mix of rubbing alcohol and water and then wipe dry with a microfiber cloth. I use the Miracle Sealants Kleen and Reseal spray once a week.

I picked out each of my 2 slabs at a stone yard and then my fabricator bought it and took care of templating, fabricating and installation. I was surprised to find that there are a few very tiny pits in the surface here and there. The fabricator said they do not touch the surface of the stone and that therefore those pits were in the slabs I chose. They assured me that it would not affect the durability. I hope they are right. I have had the countertop in only 4 months so too soon to tell. If you think this would bother you, I suggest you not only visually inspect the stones you are considering, but also run your hand over the entire surface.

We were still under construction when I took the photo above. I'll try to take a new one soon.

Lydia - I have the red quartzite (photo posted earlier in this thread). It's on my island, not my countertops. I absolutely LOVE the quartzite. It's not porous like granite, so it won't harbor bacteria - very easy to clean. And I love the color. It's bright red with little black specks & silver sparkly specks. Some people on this thread have posted photos of what they were told was quartzite, but I question that. Looks more like granite or marble to me than quartzite. So be cautious when you buy. My island handles most of the abuse in my kitchen and it has endured with flying colors. I highly recommend it. Since I was just using it to cover my island, I was able to get my slab as a surplus piece at my local supplier, and it was much cheaper than buying it in a huge slab and having it custom cut. But the man who sold it to me actually trimmed down the edges for me, got it smooth and he even delivered it for free! Hey, I guess it was meant to be. If I were going to do a new kitchen, I would absolutely go with quartzite. I currently have cool looking formica - I went for a retro look in my kitchen, and there are some rockin' formica patterns available these days. Aside from putting scalding pots on it, I think it holds up as good as any other surface ... and like quartzite, it's very easy to clean and keep sanitary.

Thank you Kisa and Julee!

I love quartzite, especially the pink and pinkish orange kinds. I've wondered why people don't build with it more. After wondering that, the only really negative thing I read (outside of this thread) is that some stains just don't come out of it very easily if at all. However, that might have been for untreated quartzite. Maybe what you have on it protects if from staining.

Inside this thread, I see someone talking about water marks, and another about sandwich stains. I haven't read the whole thing.

I have had my quartzite for several years now and only on small etch from lemon juice. Mine is polished, not sure it that makes a difference. It is definitely more user friendly than my marble counter top I had in my last kitchen. I’ve been very happy with it.

Some talked about people selling marble and calling it quartzite. If it's not coated in something, you can tell the difference by applying a drop of dilute hydrochloric acid to it. If it fizzes, it's marble. If it doesn't it's more likely quartzite. Quartzite has a certain look to it, too, I think. A metal blade or a needle is said not to scratch quartzite. I'm not sure what kind of metal they mean.

Your kitchen is beautiful!

Thanks so much.

I see I never updated my photo or comment from 2 years ago. I do still love my quartzite. I've had no problem with stains or etching and the pits in the surface haven't affected the durability in anyway. But I have had a problem with the edges chipping if hit with a heavy pot or bottle. My husband and I are not bull in china cabinet types. This was just normal living. The fabricators came and patched the chips (for a charge of course), but the color match is not perfect. They said that due many problems with chipping, they are no longer using the eased edge my kd ordered. They now use bullnose edges. So if you get quartzite make sure you get a bullnose edge. The photo above was from before the adjoining pantry was completed, so here are a couple of photos from the completed project.

Great kitchen design I love the colors and it looks functional, beautiful, and very modern! Thanks for all the information about taking care of the quartzite. I just recently got mine installed. My kitchen isn't finished so no pictures yet!

It really is very functional and enjoyable for a tiny space. I look forward to seeing yours. WIP pix are fun too.

I am very happy with my Yosemite Falls Quartize. Seems that people who have problems with stains and etching do not actually have quartzite, but marble or some other type of softer stone. Our dealer told us that you have to be careful because they are sometimes mislabled. There are tests you can do on it so you know if you have quartzite but you have to be able to get a sample of it to perform the tests. The dealer we bought ours from did not have any samples. The fabricator made a trivet out of an extra piece so I did water, oil and lemon juice tests. I left the substances on for several hours and there are no stains or etching. So far so good.

DO NOT USE ANY FORM OF WINDEX.