How to Repair Granite Countertops Yourself

Granite countertops are a swell idea if you exercise not accept them yet in your kitchen or bath. They are extremely durable, practically heat proof, and volition non stain easily fifty-fifty without a sealer application.

Granite countertops are a nifty idea if yous do not take them still in your kitchen or bathroom. They are extremely durable, practically heat proof, and will not stain easily fifty-fifty without a sealer awarding.

That said, granite could sustain impairment under some conditions. Insufficient support at stress areas such as overhangs and around cutouts, sitting on the edge, or a massive blow tin can cause granite to fleck, crevice, or break.

The adept news is y'all will not accept to replace damaged granite countertops. You can repair minor harm in granite yourself without much problem. Here is how to do that.

Make sure it is non a natural feature

fissure in granite

The thing with granite is that it is a natural stone. Information technology might take certain features you could easily mistake for pocket-size damage such as cracks or chips. Fissures look similar cracks, while pits look similar chips in the rock. Natural features of the stone such every bit these do not affect the integrity of the stone itself, and does not need repairing.

A fissure, for instance, is actually a slight infinite betwixt clusters of crystals that develop as they form, and the infinite can run for quite a ways. In appearance, they look like a fissure, although they are merely on the surface. These do not typically go all the manner through the stone, so at that place is no danger of the stone cleaving away along that fissure. Sometimes, a crevice could be wide plenty to be a problem, merely a reputable supplier would not even sell these stones to customers.

Pits, on the other mitt, are tiny craters that grade like bubbles in the stone, and may come up out in slabs. However, these are so small that they pose niggling danger to the stone. In most cases, suppliers fill up in these holes with epoxy if they are noticeable enough to keep the surface even.

Natural features aside, some granite slabs do sustain physical damage, particularly during aircraft, fabrication, or installation. Since slabs desined for kitchen countertops are typically thin, between 2 and 3 cm thick, they tin chip, crevice, or break if not handled properly.

Knowing the difference

Information technology is quite like shooting fish in a barrel to tell the difference between a natural feature and a defect in granite. It is all in the look and feel of it. For one thing, a cleft runs effectually crystal clusters rather than through them. Concrete cracks tend to run beyond crystal structures and veins in a more or less straight line. If yous run your finger along a fissure, yous should not feel any divergence in the level of one side and the other equally yous would with a crack.

Fissures and pits are also permanent features in the rock. If you did your due diligence when inspecting your granite countertops upon installation, you should accept discover these correct away. If you did non notice them then, and see them apparently appear overnight, and so you may accept a cleft.

Finally, fissures and pits occur randomly, and not but around stress areas. These are typically effectually cutouts and areas where there is little or no support.

Repairing granite countertops

broken edge of granite

Cracks in granite countertops are non automatically catastrophic, merely it can get worse over fourth dimension. You lot need to arrest its progress earlier it does, as an ever widening or progressive crack can compromise the rock itself, and you don't desire that.

Fries are non as bad, just they are non attractive, especially if they occur along the edges of the countertops. The same is truthful for actual breaks. You can easily repair them if y'all know how.

Cracks and chips

crack in countertop

The near common method for repairing cracks and chips in granite countertops is to fill them in with epoxy, acrylic, or other kind of colorless resin or adhesive. You can easily notice products designed to make these kinds of repair online, and they are quite affordable.

Most of these products are sold as repair kits, which is user-friendly. One of these is the the Granite & Marble Acrylic Repair DIY Kit – Light Cure. The production is a paste, which y'all can mold to the shape you need, and will not harden until you are ready. The acrylic folder simply hardens when you shine visible light on it, which comes with the kit. The cost is about $twenty for a kit that can repair a few cracks and chips.

Another product you might want to endeavor is LiquaGlass. This costs a fleck more the beginning kit does at about $fifty for 3 ounces of product, simply this is enough to repair more cracks and chips. LiquaGlass is an epoxy, and then y'all take to mix two materials together to actuate it. The epoxy hardens to a lustrous, clear and durable surface similar to drinking glass, which is excellent for repairing larger cracks without being noticeable. Information technology volition not discolor over time.

The just trouble with whatsoever type of epoxy is that in one case mixed, the compound hardens speedily, usually less than 60 seconds. Yous demand to prepare the surface for repair before mixing information technology, and mix only enough to cover what you need.

Breaks

broken granite pieces

LiquaGlass or like epoxy binder is likewise specially useful when repairing granite where a slice of the stone has cleaved off completely. This will only work, however, when the broken piece is small and not load bearing, and the pieces are more or less complete. Any missing pieces should be modest enough and then that the epoxy tin can fill in the gaps without beingness noticeable.

For reattaching cleaved pieces of granite, you lot will need a few things. These include acetone, a razor blade, hairdryer, scrubbing pad, and paper towel. You lot will also need to follow the steps below:

  1. Use a dry and make clean scrub pad to remove any oil and dirt from all the exposed surfaces. Use the paper towels doused with acetone to take intendance of any remaining contaminants, which tin interfere with a complete bail of the pieces.
  2. While the acetone volition evaporate on its own, you should make sure it is compleltely dry out by using the hairdryer on both surfaces.
  3. Take out equal amounts of the 2 materials of the epoxy, enough to cover the surface of each piece with a think and even layer. You lot need to spread the compound quickly, merely carefully on all the surfaces before putting them together. Go along the pieces in business firm contact for a few minutes while the epoxy hardens.
  4. Excess production might ooze out, and you should wipe them away using a paper towel dampened with acetone.
  5. Some excess product might remain that will not easily wipe abroad, but y'all should non attempt to remove it for at least 24 hours. You can then use a razor blade to cut it away advisedly.
  6. If there are whatever gaps, utilize some more epoxy to fill them. Expect 24 hours before attempting to scarpe abroad any excess epoxy.
  7. Apply a granite sealer over the area.

Conclusion

Repairing granite yourself is non rocket scientific discipline, and it is unlikely that you will need to exercise it anyway. To brand sure you don't, have professionals supply you with and install granite countertops for your home. The staff at Granite ASAP knows everything there is to know nearly granite and other stones, and can help yous cull the correct 1 for your kitchen countertop.

We conduct a wide range of natural rock slabs as well as the top brands in engineered quartz in the country. Over 100 colors of granite and marble slabs are available for inspection at our Chantilly, Virginia showroom. . You can choose what you want and we volition deliver it ASAP!

If yous adopt engineered stone, we tin offer you products from the Cambria, Caesarstone, Silestone, and MSI brands, each 1 carrying the manufacturer's warranty.

We service the state of Virginia, including the cities of Alexandria, Arlington, Falls Church, Fairfax, Chantilly, Herndon, Centreville, Tysons, and Washington DC.

Y'all can check out the website and chat with united states of america online, or give united states of america a call to request a gratuitous estimate!