Granite Sealer

In general, the understanding of what granite sealer is, what it does, and many other facts about this product is fairly limited. The same applies to the application and use of a granite worktop sealer or granite patio sealer. This leaves people with an issue when it comes to resealing their granite. In this article, you are going to learn everything that you need to know about granite sealers. This will help to develop a better understanding of what this product is, and how to know if your granite needs sealing. Keep reading this article if you want to know more!

Does Your Granite Need Sealing?

This is a question that a lot of people are going to ask themselves at one point or another in their lifetime. For this reason, it is important that you know how to test this. There is a very simple test that you can perform, which will allow you to see whether or not your granite needs sealing. So, you are going to need to do the lemon juice and oil test. The short version of what this means is that you should pour a little bit of lemon juice onto the granite, and then do the same with olive oil and see how long it takes to darken underneath. If the stone darkens but takes a few minutes, then adding granite sealer to this could be the solution.

Or, you could perform the water drop test. To do this you pour a drop of water onto the granite and then watch it. You are looking for the same thing as you are above, you need to know how long it is going to take for the granite to darken. Just make sure that you are not applying a sealer to an already dense, dark granite. If you do, this is not going to bring you the results you want to see.

How To Seal Granite Worktops

The first thing to do when it comes to sealing granite worktops is a double check to ensure this is necessary. You don’t want to go through all the hassle of taking off a granite worktop sealer just because you made the mistake of putting it on in the first place. You should then clean the granite with a chemical such as acetone. Or you could use a high-quality granite cleaner to ensure any debris is removed from the surface. Then, go to a small section of the counter and pour some of the granite worktop sealers onto it. Use a paintbrush or thin cloth to spread this over the rest of the counter to create a thin layer that is even the entire way around. Once you have done this, you can leave it to absorb for between two and five minutes. This will depend on the density of the granite already and the type of granite worktop sealer you are using.

If you want to make sure that the whole counter is covered, once the original layer has been absorbed, repeat the process with a little more sealer and then let it sit again. Finally, use a clean, dry cloth to wipe the surface. This will get any excess sealer left behind and buff the countertops while you are at it.

When Not To Apply

If you think that it is a good idea to apply this just to be on the safe side, don’t. The granite that you have purchased might not even need the sealer. Above, we discussed some of the ways that you can tell whether this is the case. You don’t want to be in a situation where the granite is not able to absorb the sealer that you are putting on it. If this happens, then you are going to have to strip and possibly resurface the entire thing. This is a mess you don’t need. You won’t be able to just leave it because it will pool on top and create a big horrible mess.

All granite is going to need sealing at some point due to it being a porous stone. This is a particular necessity on patios where a granite patio sealer will always help. But, some colours of granite only have small pores. This means liquid can’t dissolve very well. Even if it does, stains are unlikely due to the amount of time that it takes to absorb.

How Often To Seal Your Granite

There are four main factors that you are going to have to consider if you want to seal your granite. It might not be the simple one-off task you think it is. This is why you need to put a lot of thought in before you do this. You may also need to apply a granite patio sealer more frequently than a granite worktop sealer.

So, the first factor is the type and quality of the sealer that you are going to use. Standard sealers are going to break down over time. What this means is they are going to need to be reapplied periodically over the span of their lifetime. You then need to think about how porous your granite is. Light and dark granite are generally quite different. Dark granite generally needs to be sealed every three to five years, where light granite might need doing more often.

You also need to think about how well the original sealer was applied. The best way to do this is to perform a water test on it. You then need to consider what kind of cleaner you are going to use on the sealer. General kitchen cleaning products are far too harsh, and these are going to cause the sealer to degrade. As such, you are going to need to do research into the best cleaning products that work without degrading the sealer in the first place.

We hope that you have found this helpful, and now know everything that you need about granite sealers. It is definitely a good investment when the general rule of thumb is that any natural stone is going to need sealing. For this reason, you should certainly be considering it for your countertops. Good luck when using a granite patio sealer or granite sealer in general, and we hope that you have the stunning granite countertops that you have always wanted.