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Granite countertops are a great idea if you do not have them yet in your kitchen or bathroom. They are extremely durable, practically heat proof, and will not stain easily even without a sealer application.
Granite countertops are a great idea if you do not have them yet in your kitchen or bathroom. They are extremely durable, practically heat proof, and will not stain easily even without a sealer application.
That said, granite could sustain damage under some conditions. Insufficient support at stress areas such as overhangs and around cutouts, sitting on the edge, or a massive blow can cause granite to chip, crack, or break.
The good news is you will not have to replace damaged granite countertops. You can repair minor damage in granite yourself without much trouble. Here is how to do that.
Make sure it is not a natural feature
The thing with granite is that it is a natural stone. It might have certain features you could easily mistake for minor damage such as cracks or chips. Fissures look like cracks, while pits look like chips in the stone. Natural features of the stone such as these do not affect the integrity of the stone itself, and does not need repairing.
A fissure, for instance, is actually a slight space between clusters of crystals that develop as they form, and the space can run for quite a ways. In appearance, they look like a crack, although they are only on the surface. These do not typically go all the way through the stone, so there is no danger of the stone cleaving away along that fissure. Sometimes, a fissure could be wide enough to be a problem, but a reputable supplier would not even sell these stones to customers.
Pits, on the other hand, are tiny craters that form like bubbles in the stone, and may come out in slabs. However, these are so small that they pose little danger to the stone. In most cases, suppliers fill 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, especially during shipping, fabrication, or installation. Since slabs desined for kitchen countertops are typically thin, between 2 and 3 cm thick, they can chip, crack, or break if not handled properly.
Knowing the difference
It is quite easy 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 fissure runs around crystal clusters rather than through them. Physical cracks tend to run across crystal structures and veins in a more or less straight line. If you run your finger along a fissure, you should not feel any difference in the level of one side and the other as you would with a crack.
Fissures and pits are also permanent features in the stone. If you did your due diligence when inspecting your granite countertops upon installation, you should have notice these right away. If you did not notice them then, and see them apparently appear overnight, then you may have a crack.
Finally, fissures and pits occur randomly, and not only around stress areas. These are typically around cutouts and areas where there is little or no support.
Repairing granite countertops
Cracks in granite countertops are not automatically catastrophic, but it can get worse over time. You need to arrest its progress before it does, as an ever widening or progressive crack can compromise the stone itself, and you don’t want that.
Chips are not as bad, but they are not attractive, especially if they occur along the edges of the countertops. The same is true for actual breaks. You can easily repair them if you know how.
Cracks and chips
The most 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 find 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 convenient. One of these is the the Granite & Marble Acrylic Repair DIY Kit – Light Cure. The product is a paste, which you can mold to the shape you need, and will not harden until you are ready. The acrylic binder only hardens when you shine visible light on it, which comes with the kit. The cost is about $20 for a kit that can repair a few cracks and chips.
Another product you might want to try is LiquaGlass. This costs a bit more than the first kit does at about $50 for 3 ounces of product, but this is enough to repair more cracks and chips. LiquaGlass is an epoxy, so you have to mix two materials together to activate it. The epoxy hardens to a lustrous, clear and durable surface similar to glass, which is excellent for repairing larger cracks without being noticeable. It will not discolor over time.
The only problem with any type of epoxy is that once mixed, the compound hardens quickly, usually less than 60 seconds. You need to prepare the surface for repair before mixing it, and mix only enough to cover what you need.
Breaks
LiquaGlass or similar epoxy binder is also particularly useful when repairing granite where a piece of the stone has broken 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 small enough so that the epoxy can fill in the gaps without being noticeable.
For reattaching broken pieces of granite, you will need a few things. These include acetone, a razor blade, hairdryer, scrubbing pad, and paper towel. You will also need to follow the steps below:
- Use a dry and clean scrub pad to remove any oil and dirt from all the exposed surfaces. Use the paper towels doused with acetone to take care of any remaining contaminants, which can interfere with a complete bond of the pieces.
- While the acetone will evaporate on its own, you should make sure it is compleltely dry by using the hairdryer on both surfaces.
- Take out equal amounts of the two materials of the epoxy, enough to cover the surface of each piece with a think and even layer. You need to spread the compound quickly, but carefully on all the surfaces before putting them together. Keep the pieces in firm contact for a few minutes while the epoxy hardens.
- Excess product might ooze out, and you should wipe them away using a paper towel dampened with acetone.
- Some excess product might remain that will not easily wipe away, but you should not attempt to remove it for at least 24 hours. You can then use a razor blade to cut it away carefully.
- If there are any gaps, use some more epoxy to fill them. Wait 24 hours before attempting to scarpe away any excess epoxy.
- Apply a granite sealer over the area.
Conclusion
Repairing granite yourself is not rocket science, and it is unlikely that you will need to do it anyway. To make 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 about granite and other stones, and can help you choose the right one for your kitchen countertop.
We carry a wide range of natural stone 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 will deliver it ASAP!
If you prefer engineered stone, we can offer you products from the Cambria, Caesarstone, Silestone, and MSI brands, each one 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.
You can check out the website and chat with us online, or give us a call to request a free estimate!
