I have received numerous calls lately concerning fading of black granite counter tops. Black granite should not fade. Black granite imported from Asia is sometimes doctored with dyes and oils to darken surface. The fading is nothing more than dyes and oils being removed. Unfortunately, only fix is to re-polish top. This can be costly.

Before purchasing a granite top perform following test to find out if it has been doctored.

Get a clean white cloth and apply some acetone (nail varnish remover) to surface of granite. If any residue or black color is observed on top, do not accept it, it has been dyed.

Take a piece of "granite" you want to test and spill a few drops of lemon juice onto it. If you see that under drops of lemon it develops very quickly dark spots, it means that it's a very absorbent stone and I would advise you against it. If it takes, say, a minute or so to be absorbed, then you're dealing with a level of absorbency that's easily controllable with application of a good quality impregnating sealer.

So, in short be careful where you place your order and always seek specialist advice. The void between a good stone and a bad stone is huge, price between a good stone and a bad stone is smaller than you think but can be costlier.

When painting your bedroom, make sure you buy enough paint to do job! Consider how many coats you will need. A dark color may need several coats. IF you are trying to paint a light color over a dark, you may need to use some primer and also a couple of coats. 1 gallon of paint can do about 400 square feet so keep this in mind. To measure your room, go around edge of all walls with a measuring tape and record total width. Measure height from floor to ceiling and multiply by total width to get square footage. Measure all doors and window opening and subtract this from total square footage (or not, it’s always a good idea to have a little extra paint then not enough!).

Don’t forget to protect your wood moldings with painters tape, remove all covers from electrical outlets and plugs and cover floor and furniture with drop cloths!