Without a doubt, kitchens are an integral part of any house. A handsome kitchen worktop can be a game-changer for your house. You have probably taken a great deal of time in deciding the perfect granite worktop for your kitchen. Granite is a premium building material that has a captivating sheen and is long-lasting. It continues to be the preferred choice for many residents, especially those who love to keep an upbeat appeal.
Choosing the perfect kitchen counter is difficult, but maintaining it is a herculean task. Yes, you have taken all precautionary measures and have ensured that your kitchen worktop remains glorious, but the damage is inevitable.
Chances are that you and your family spend most of your time in the kitchen, preparing meals, talking, doing homework, or just spending time with each other. Kitchens get exposed to all sorts of activities and tend to get messy as things spill, drop, burn, break, etc. We all have experienced such unforeseen circumstances.
The once beautiful worktop is a lacklustre slab now. You have to make peace with the fact that your kitchen’s granite worktop will not stay perfect forever. However, you can tackle your damaged granite kitchen worktop with ease by yourself. Here is a quick and easy guide for you to keep those surfaces shining forever.
Keep It Polished
Granite worktops are prone to losing its original sheen. These worktops just need to be polished. Do not get carried away by the fancy polish creams. They surely resurrect the immediate gloss, but they won’t fix major damages. The type of polish that your high-traffic worktop requires is a gentle removal of the upper layer. While it may seem scary, powder granite polishing is the way to go. You may want to consult a professional beforehand. Powder granite polish is versatile, cost-effective, and offers a speedy recovery. You can pick this style of polish in both its dry and wet forms.
Chip the Chipping
Granite worktops look unbreakable, but they are vulnerable to chipping. All it takes is the blow of a pan or a heavy object to cause chipping. Before repairing chipping, make sure to inspect for other damages. Depending on the extent of damage, you can either contact a professional or repair the chipped parts yourself. It may seem like a time-consuming and messy activity, but mending chips are easy and therapeutic too. Start off by marking the damaged area, followed by filling them with epoxy resin. Smooth out the mix with a putty knife and voila!
Fissures vs Cracks
Sometimes, even the toughest countertops can crack. Granite cracks are fairly common. They occur mostly due to an uneven base or lack of support. They can also emerge in places where there is possible stress on the stone. Before replacing the stone, you may want to identify what kind of damage it is. Beware of fissures as they are the main cause of cracks. If your granite kitchen worktop has cracks, epoxy resin can work wonders to fix it. However, if the cracks look severe, it is best to replace the worktop entirely.
Stain-ful
With regular care, your granite kitchen worktops can last for at least 15 years. While you try your best to keep your kitchen clean, things will always end up spilling. Oil stains become your most common enemy amidst others. But on the bright side, stains are also the easiest to handle by yourself. You can whip up D-I-Y stain removal ingredients. While things as simple as soap water do the magic, keep flour and peroxide paste handy. However, you should also remember that cleaning and polishing will only help to a limited extent. Resealing your worktop is another great alternative if you want more lasting solutions.
Glaze It Up
Painting over granite can be a stressful and elaborate activity which demands a lot of preparation. You need to rough edges, apply an adhesion primer, and choose an oil-based top-coat, amidst other things. Instead, you can consider lamination, a cost-effective and colorful way of making those worktops look new again. You can laminate your granite kitchen worktop slabs all by yourself. All you need to do is clean the worktop, apply the laminate glue, and then paste the sheet. Moreover, laminate sheets are easily available at stores.
Conclusion
It doesn’t seem so impossible now, does it? With a little effort, your granite worktops can look the same from the day you brought it home.
