Frederick M. Hueston, PhD  

Stone Care Consultant 

Based on the above title you would think I got myself in another situation and opened my big mouth or something. Well it’s not exactly what happened, but it’s interesting.  

I got a call from a past client who sells sealers to a major big box store. Yes, they are one of those hot,  new companies who bravely offer a lifetime warranty on their sealer. 

So… I received a call from my contact at the sealer company. They told me a customer reported some dark staining on a granite countertop that seemed to be spreading across the top. They said the counter is sealed and they think it could be a reaction with the resin in the stone. 

Now, for those of you who don’t remember or know about resin problems, there are several cases I have discussed about this phenomenon. 

Any-who, they wanted me to fly out to Wyoming to take a look at the countertop and determine if it’s staining or if it’s something weird going on with the granite. “Wyoming?” I said. “Holy cow, isn’t that in the middle of nowhere?” I asked, laughing. 

They didn’t find it as funny, and said, “We really need you to figure this one out.” 

I told them, “OK, but it might be a couple of days, since I’m in Florida and would have to travel all the way there.” They agreed and I sat down at my computer to make my reservations.

The day of my trip to Wyoming had finally arrived. My day started like it does every day. I got up, got dressed and headed over to my local greasy spoon to get a cup of jo and some breakfast. 

I entered the diner and there was all this activity in the kitchen. Apparently one of the cooks overfilled one of the fryers and there was this hot oil spattering and spewing all over the kitchen. Little did I know that this little accident would be the key to my inspection in Wyoming tomorrow.  

They finally got things under control and I got my coffee and breakfast. Of course there was the conversation with the waitress Flo. Yes, her name is Flo and yes, she looks and acts just like the Flo from the TV show Mel’s Diner. She is funny and always has an old southern piece of fable or tale or whatever you call them. OK – off to the airport.

The flight to Denver was uneventful, except for the crying baby who didn’t stop crying the entire trip. To think I almost sat right next to them, but at the last minute I was upgraded to first class– Boy, I dodged that bullet. I then had to fly to Denver and rent a car to drive the rest of the way, since this home really was in the middle of nowhere. 

I got in my rental car, programed the GPS and off I went for a two-hour (estimated) journey to the middle of nowhere. The drive was interesting and kind of scary at the same time. 

When I finally got out of town and crossed the border into Wyoming the scenery was straight out of an old western. For the next two hours that’s all I would see. I didn’t see one building, one person or even a car on that long trip. Just sand, rocks, and those eerie tumblin’ tumbleweeds.

I arrived at a little country store where I was supposed to meet my contact. There was a young gentleman sitting in a battered old pickup truck parked at the end of the parking lot. I assumed it was my contact, whose name was Jasper. I pulled behind him and he waved and motioned me to follow him. 

We took a dirt road by the side of the store and we must have traveled for five miles up a bumpy, deer-trail excuse for a road. I’m not kidding, I saw mule deer by the thousands and almost hit a couple. 

We finally turned off the road and into a long winding (paved) driveway. I couldn’t believe my eyes, at the end of the drive was this enormous home! It was the size of a small resort hotel. The size was surprising but more surprising was that it was in the middle of nowhere. 

We pulled up to the back of the house and Jasper got out of his truck and walked over to greet me. He looked like he belonged here. He had a cowboy hat on and wore beat up jeans and one of those Garth Brooks-style shirts. He had a big wad of chewing tobacco bulging out his right cheek. 

He stuck out his hand and said welcome as he talked out of the side of his mouth trying not to lose his wad of tobacco.  After the initial greeting he said nothing else but motioned me to follow him inside. 

We entered the house and it was amazing. It looked like a wilderness lodge. Flagstone flooring and wood everywhere. We walked through the home and into the kitchen. He pointed at the stove and the countertop next to the stove. It was light-colored granite and three quarters of the granite was darkened. The only light spot was in the far corner.  

I spent a few minutes looking at it and examined the counter from underneath to see if I could see any evidence of resining. I took out my granite test kit and performed several tests. It tested negative for resin or dyes. 

I next placed some water on the counter and it beaded like crazy. It appeared as if it was well-sealed and that resin or dyes were not the issue. I then started looking around and noticed a large deep fryer sitting on the stove. 

“Do they use that often?” I asked. 

“The owners use it every day,” he said.  “They love to cook, and cook all three of their meals at home, and most of the time it has something fried.” He also said it was a pain since the hot oil splashes everywhere. 

All of a sudden a light bulb went off in my head. The dark area is in fact a stain. What is happening is that the oil is hot, in excess of 350 degrees Fahrenheit and when it hits the countertop it melts the resins in the sealer and penetrates into the stone. I have seen this before with people who do a lot of cooking. 

I told Jasper that the oil can be poulticed out but staining would continue to occur as long as they spattered hot cooking oil on it. I told him I wasn’t aware of any sealer on the market that would repel very hot oil. I suggested they cover the countertop with some glass trivets when cooking, as a work-around solution. Another case solved.

The Stone Detective is a fictional character created by Fred Hueston, written to be entertaining and educational. He has written over 33 books on stone and tile installations, fabrication and restoration and also serves as an expert for many legal cases across the world. You can send any email comments to him at fhueston@stoneforensics.com