Restoring a Granite Worktop

Have you purchased a property that benefits from an existing granite worktop? Perhaps it was one of the most attractive features of the home. However once you moved in you’ve noticed that it needs some TLC. Or maybe you have a well loved granite worktop which has seen you through many years of good service. It’s now succumbing to the ravages of time but there’s no other reason to replace it. From a granite worktop polish to a full chip and crack repair, what are the ways you can restore a granite worktop?

Granite Cleaning Tips

If your granite worktop appears dull, it may need a thorough clean. It’s important to clean the surface with a gentle substance such as dish soap or a PH neutral cleaner. Abrasive cleaners will damage the stone so these are best avoided. Don’t use scourers, which run the risk of scratching the surface of your granite, making it impossible to achieve a granite worktop polish shine.

Reseal the Worktop

Your granite worktop should have been sealed on installation. However if you have moved into a property with a granite worktop you may not know this for sure. You can test your granite by dropping a small pool of water onto the surface. If the drops pool then your seal is intact. If the granite darkens, the moisture has been absorbed into the stone. A granite seal should be periodically restored every year or so.

Granite Worktop Polish

However, a granite seal is a maintenance concern. This does not make your worktop shine. For lustrous shine to your kitchen, you will need to invest in a granite worktop polish. There are numerous products out there, so do your research first and follow the instructions accurately. Check that your worktop is sealed before granite worktop polish is applied. Otherwise you could actually damage the surface.

Professional Re-polish

This differs from the granite worktop polish that you can buy in a bottle. The process involves an expert polishing tool which removes a very fine layer of the stone from the top of the surface. This exposes fresh, undamaged stone which makes the whole worktop appear as new. You can then repeat the process of sealing and polishing to maintain the worktop into the years ahead.

Chipped Granite Worktop

Your worktop may be chipped or cracked. These can be repaired by using a matching stone paste. Of course, the success of a restoration attempt such as this is more unpredictable than a simple granite worktop polish. The end result will be dependant on the level of damage that the worktop has sustained.

Partial Replacement

If a specific area of worktop has sustained significant damage, you could consider replacing that single section of worktop. It’s important to match the stone as accurately as possible so that the joins of surface are not glaringly obvious. Having said that, granite is a natural stone mined in slabs. In this way, no two slabs will be perfectly identical. This is part of its charm!

Full Replacement

If the restoration of your granite worktop has not achieved your desired result, it may be time to replace your worktop with a new granite surface. With periodic resealing and a regular granite worktop polish, your kitchen worktop will maintain its lustre and shine for years to come.

As specialists in stone worktops and sink surrounds, at Zenstone we want granite worktops to fulfil their long and durable promise. So restoration is a really positive course of action. Sometimes, though, replacement is the most prudent way to go. For advice and installation of new natural stone worktops, including granite, just get in touch.