porous granite around inset stove

johnstown

Hi, I recently installed an inset stove and had granite put around it. I have been lighting the stove for say two weeks in the evenings. two weeks on and the room seems nice and dry bar two areas on the granite look damp or at least a different colour to the rest of the granite. See attached picture.

This is a sitting room that was not used all that frequently. there was a bit of a damp problem in there. in august I stripped ivy and plaster etc off the external wall and had it plastered with lime mortar and this finished around the end of September. This is still curing an so some moisure could be coming through as well a residual moisture actually in the wall. The stove is really well insulated in behind the granite.

Anyhow, could damp be coming through the granite and if so then should this be happening?

Thanks

the keen edge

Granite is an igneous rock and as such, given its formation mechanism it is not porous.

Now the dampness may be coming from behind the granite; but I would be fairly certain that the dampness isn't coming through the granite.

Dampness maybe travelling around the granite from the back to the front surface.
Could be that the granite is stained on the facing surface, perhaps maybe even prior to installation?

johnstown

the keen edge wrote: »

Granite is an igneous rock and as such, given its formation mechanism it is not porous.

Now the dampness may be coming from behind the granite; but I would be fairly certain that the dampness isn't coming through the granite.

Dampness maybe travelling around the granite from the back to the front surface.
Could be that the granite is stained on the facing surface, perhaps maybe even prior to installation?

I don't think the granite is stained. The damp patch from the top right side has actually disappeared. The damp patch on the left side has moved down along the left side or rather it is slowly beginning to dry out. We'll see what it is like in another weeks time.

Thanks for the response.

ShiverinEskimo

All stone is porous to some extent - including granite - and can/will absorb moisture if exposed long enough. This is why granite worktops need sealing fairly regularly and why they will commonly stain around sinks and cookers if not cleaned/dried with a ph-neutral cleaner (to protect the seal).

If you want non-pourous granite then get quartz - the resin used in the manufacture of quartz makes it non-pourous.

the keen edge

ShiverinEskimo wrote: »

All stone is porous to some extent - including granite - and can/will absorb moisture if exposed long enough. This is why granite worktops need sealing fairly regularly and why they will commonly stain around sinks and cookers if not cleaned/dried with a ph-neutral cleaner (to protect the seal).

If you want non-pourous granite then get quartz - the resin used in the manufacture of quartz makes it non-pourous.

The OP's concern was could damp be coming through the granite and if so then should this be happening?. Specifically porosity itself wouldn't be a conduit for dampness; rather permeability and granite is impermeable.

johnstown

the keen edge wrote: »

The OP's concern was could damp be coming through the granite and if so then should this be happening?. Specifically porosity itself wouldn't be a conduit for dampness; rather permeability and granite is impermeable.

well it defintely seems to be improving. I now have a dehumidifier on. See latest picture attached. The wet patch has disappeared from the top right side. I am not sure how this moisture is getting on the granite but it seems to be improving, albiet at a slow rate. hopefully it completely disappears soon.

Thanks....