Use This Test to Find Out If Your Granite Countertop Needs Resealing
Kitchen countertops are equally functional and decorative. A beautiful countertop is a pleasure to look at and use, so the choice of material is very important. Granite remains one of the most popular kitchen countertop options for many good reasons: it’s durable, beautiful, and easy to keep clean (and not that difficult to repair ). But there is one potential downside to granite countertops: maintenance.
Granite appears to be a solid piece of impenetrable material, but it is actually very permeable: granite is a relatively porous stone that easily absorbs water and other liquids. Over time, this can cause stains and damage, shortening the life of your countertops. As a result, most granite countertops need to be sealed in some way to prevent the penetration of these liquids. It’s easy and simple, but if you seal a countertop that’s already sealed, you’ll be doing more harm than good—it may create a cloudy film that you can’t get rid of. So if you’re worried about properly caring for your granite countertops, how do you know when they need to be resealed?
How to Check a Granite Countertop
Depending on where your granite countertops were purchased, who installed them, and the specific type of granite used, your countertops may be pre-sealed. If you bought them new, you might want to check the paperwork associated with them—many granite countertops come pre-sealed and come with a special warranty of 10 to 20 years before the seal fails. In this case, your countertops probably don’t need sealing until after their expiration date at the earliest. However, you probably didn’t actually keep these papers.
If you inherited your countertops or they are a little older, one of the telltale signs that they need to be sealed is if stains appear frequently. It’s true that even a properly sealed countertop will stain if you leave something like red wine or pizza sauce on it for a long time, but if your countertops regularly get stained , you’ll probably need to seal them (after cleaning them properly ). Just let the water evaporate completely before you begin – the dark water stain should disappear in about a day.
If you are not sure, you can try a simple test. Pour about a quarter cup of water onto the table and track how long it takes for it to absorb. If the time is less than half an hour, that means you should consider sealing the meters sooner rather than later. If the water soaks in immediately, you should close it again as soon as you can. And if the water never soaks in and just stays there forever, then the seal is in great shape and can be left alone, although the test should be repeated annually. It’s also a good idea to do this test in a few different places.
You can also do this test with a small amount of oil (a few drops should be enough), just be sure to choose an area where the stain will not be noticeable. If the oil soaks in within 15 minutes, the countertops will need to be sealed.
Replacing granite countertops
The good news is that sealing granite countertops is easy. After cleaning, simply take a bottle of quality sealant and apply according to the instructions. Generally speaking, it’s similar to cleaning a countertop: you spray on sealant, wipe it off, and then buff the countertop with a dry cloth. If your countertops are very porous during the test, repeat the sealing process one or two more times to ensure a good seal. After sealing and following the drying time instructions, repeat the water test to ensure the problem is resolved. Granite countertops do not require much maintenance as long as you keep them sealed properly.
And stop leaving behind sticky wine glasses and pizza boxes.