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Resealing Your Granite Countertops to Keep Them Stain Free June 14, 2018

Granite countertops are a beautiful option for any home, but some may shy away from the idea, believing they are too high-maintenance. When installed by a professional, granite countertops are just as low maintenance as practically any other countertop material. Granite is a durable option that when maintained properly, can perfectly complement your home’s style.

Yearly Resealing to Maintain Your Countertop

Granite is a very porous material, so when you spill something on it and don’t clean it up right ways, it can seep into the pour of the granite and leave a stain that will be next to impossible to remove. By sealing your countertop and cleaning spills up right away, you can preserve the beauty and integrity of your countertop for years to come.

A common way to prevent granite stains is to use over-the-counter granite sealers that can be purchased at your local hardware or home supply store. If you plan to reseal the countertops on your own, use an impregnating sealer that will fill in the pores of the granite.

Although it may be tempting to reseal your countertops yourself, it is recommended to use a professional, like Lexmar, who can provide expert maintenance services that include both cleaning and sealing. It is recommended that you reseal your countertops every year to protect against staining.

How to Determine if Your Countertops Need Resealing

The water drop test is a quick and easy way to determine if your granite countertops need to be resealed. To perform the test, start by dripping water (roughly three inches in diameter) in a few spots on your countertop.

Check to see how the granite reacts to the water:

• If the spot darkens quickly, it means the granite absorbed the water instantly. This means the pores of the granite are not protected at all and need to be resealed. This also means they will require to be resealed every year.
• If the spot takes five minutes for the spot to darken, this indicates that you will need to reseal your countertops every three years or so.
• If the spot darkens in 10 to 15 minutes, you may only need to apply a single layer of sealant and could go potentially go many years in between applications.
• If it takes more than 30 minutes for the spot to darken, this indicates that the granite did not absorb the water. This means your countertops are fully sealed. Be sure to test different parts of the counter since some areas may be more porous than others.

  If the water drop test indicates your counters need to be resealed, contact Lexmar USA to learn more about our granite maintenance options.