Frederick M. Hueston, PhD  

Stone Care Consultant 

Yes, it’s high summer here in sunny Florida and that means you can set your watch to 3pm every day for the daily torrential downpours.     

We also call this contractor’s rain, since that’s about the time contractors end the day of work. Just as I was running in from the rain my cell rang and, lo and behold, it was a stone contractor calling.  

I happened to know this guy and he didn’t sound happy. His name is Joe and he has a voice that sounds just like Barney Fife from The Andy Griffith Show. He also kind of looks and acts like him too. 

He sounded really nervous and started telling me about this granite installation he did last week. He just went on and on and it went something like this: “Fred, I have these blue-green stains all over this countertop. I didn’t use any CA glue or accelerator since I know this can cause this type of stain. I am perplexed, mystified and aggravated, my customer is threatening to sue me and I don’t know what to do? You gotta help me and give some guidance, Fred!” 

I think he said that in under two seconds— that’s how fast he was talking. I started asking him the standard questions: “Is this a new house or a remodel?” “What color is the granite?” “What type of glue did you use in the seams?” Et cetera, et cetera. 

He couldn’t give me a straight answer and if he did, I couldn’t understand him— he was so hyper. I asked him for the address and said, “I could be over there as soon as I can get in the car.” He told me the address like three times and I thought I got it right. I hopped in the ole Woody and off I went.  

I pulled into the driveway and noted the house was still under construction and it was obviously not occupied yet. There were contractors all over the place which raised my suspicion. 

Joe was on the front porch waiting on me like an expectant father. He took me in the house into the kitchen where, lo and behold, there were these bluish-green spots. These were your typical stains caused by the accelerator when using CA glue.  

For those of you who follow my stories, you will find in the archives all about these types of stains and how to remove them. The mystery here is that Joe swore up and down that they did not use CA glue. As a matter of fact, he told me they don’t even have it on the install trucks.  

“Were you here during the install?” I asked. My thoughts were that one of his guys may have used it and didn’t tell him. 

“Yes, I was here,” he said, “and did all the seams myself.”   

I was positive that this was CA accelerator and if Joe and his crew didn’t use it, then how did it get there? This is where the investigation process starts to get fun. 

I asked Joe if he knew the painter, carpenter and the cabinet installer. 

He said, “Yes, and they are all here.” 

“Great,” I said, “I want to interview them all.” My suspicion was that one of the other trades had been using CA glue. 

First up was the painter. He had no idea what CA glue was. Next was the carpenter. He basically told me he only uses nails. Finally, the cabinet guy. I had to be very careful how I interviewed this guy because cabinet installers can get very defensive about their work. 

I started by telling him what a great job he did, this way it sets the mood and doesn’t seem like I am interrogating him. I asked him about the install and how he ended up doing such quality work. 

He started singing like a canary. He told me how he levels everything, makes sure drawers and doors all open and close, and so on. And then he puts “two long strips of flat molding that bridges two cabinets over the sink.” He tells me that he had to laminate that piece with a matching wood veneer which was almost impossible to get it to adhere. 

So I asked him what kind of glue he uses and he tells me “contact cement.” 

Darn, I thought I had this one figured out. Just as I was about to thank him and continued to try and solve the mystery, he blurted out, “Oh yeah, I had to use some super glue and accelerator to set a few of the end pieces.” 

Bingo, I knew it! Since he had to use the glue high up, the spray from the accelerator would have sprayed all over the countertop. Another mystery solved, and it turned out to not be the countertop guy’s fault after all.

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.