Repairing Granite

Damage to Granite

We receive phone calls from potential customers asking about the repair of damaged granite. People sometimes believe that a natural stone surface such as granite will take all kinds of mistreatment and not show any signs of the misuse. This is not the case. Granite and other stones such as marble, quartz and corian can be damaged.

Susceptible to chips

Granite will chip and crack if heavy objects are dropped onto it. Edges and corners tend to be the most susceptible to being chipped if caught by a heavy object. Likewise, don’t use the granite worktop as a chopping board, especially if the knife is used near an edge, which could lead to chipping. It is sometimes easier said than done, but if you show due care and attention, your worktop is not going to be damaged. Most people understand this. However, even if the surface does get chipped or cracked, this type of damage can be repaired. A skilled technician can repair chips or cracks in granite, marble, quartz or corian. It does require specialist equipment and knowledge of how to match colour and re-create the depth of the granite appearance, but the end results when done well are excellent.

Granite discoloration

There are other types of damage, which are much harder to repair. For example, discolouration can be very difficult to remove. To understand why granite will stain, it is important to note that it is porous. New granite worktops are installed with a polished surface, which helps to provide a seal. However, granite is granular. Liquids can pass between the crystals within the stone. Consequently, once the seal has deteriorated liquids can penetrate into the granite self and lead to discolouration.

With staining, prevention is certainly the best part of cure. If liquids are spilt onto the surface they should be wiped up straight away. In particular, acidic products such as vinegar, lemon juice and red wine can leave stains. However, it is not just acids that can cause this problem. Liquid fats and oils will cause similar problems, as will solvent based products. We recently saw the effect of nail varnish being spilt onto a granite worktop.

All these are types of staining are difficult to repair, if they are large stains. While prevention is always better than cure, this is especially the case with large stains on granite worktops.

Refinishing Touch Repairs

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