Granite Surface Repairs
Every year homeowners choose to have natural stone surfaces installed in kitchens. When making the decision of which material to use, the homeowner often shops around trying to find exactly the right countertop material. They research the web. They ask friends for names of installers. And, they quiz sales reps at design showrooms. All in an effort to make an educated decision on which company and material to they want to have for their project. Among the choices that shoppers make regarding which stone to use, is good old granite. And there are good reasons why granite is selected by many.
Natural stone varies in hardness. Granite is among the hardest natural stone chosen for work surfaces and countertops in both homes and businesses. Yet, as tough as granite is, it is not indestructible. What are some things that cause granite to need repairs? What types of damage occurs on granite? What kinds of products can be used to repair granite damage?
What Makes Granite Repairs Necessary
Why are granite repairs often times needed? First, even though granite is a very hard and durable material, it can be damaged. Second, every stone can have imperfections in its composition. These imperfections do not make the stone unusable though. Because of these two factors, 1) damage and 2) imperfections, owners get granite repaired. What are some specific situations that call for granite to need repairing?
Repairs Needed Due to Damage
The type of damage that granite can undergo include the following:
These forms of damage occur from a number of causes. Perhaps, a heavy pot with a thick bottom is dropped and it hits the edge of the counter. It could chip the granite surface. Or maybe the home settles and the countertop begins to become stressed in a particular place and a crack occurs. These are not flaws in the granite or workmanship, rather, they are simply situations that make repairs necessary. However, there are other cases where granite repairs that are needed were preventable.
Besides the aforementioned causes of granite damage, there are cracks that come from the way the slab is handled, or perhaps even transported. Even stress put on the stone during the installation process can result in a crack or fracture. As previously mentioned however, imperfections can also translate into granite repairs. Let's see why.
Some Imperfections Require Repairing
The other class of issues that produce granite repairs are imperfections. One specific imperfection that is sometimes corrected in granite slabs are fissures. Fissures occur in granite naturally, so calling them "imperfections" could be viewed as a misnomer. Yet, whether you view them as imperfections or not, they often get "repaired" by strengthening the stone with a "filler".
Granite Countertop Repair
Granite is repaired in different ways. The method(s) used to repair granite depend on which type of repair is being performed. However, granite repair is often done using a strong adhesive designed to bond granite. Let's discuss briefly some of the ways that granite is corrected using adhesives.
Repairing Cracks in Granite
The adhesive used on the stone to repair a crack will be determined, in part, by the nature and size of the crack. However, often times a flowing adhesive is used since it is able to work its way deep into the area needing repaired. Of course, even after filling the crack, there will be some other necessary work that needs to be done, but getting an adhesive into the stone to strengthen it is a key. What can be done to repair a larger crack?
Large cracks may require additional preparation. For example, a coloring paste may need to be used with the adhesive to match the stone's color. Or, sometimes stone is ground up into a fine dust and mixed into the adhesive to give it a matching appearance. Again, even though the color is the same, the finish will need to be made to match the stone.
Filling Fissures in Granite
Unlike a crack, a fissure is filled with a water-like adhesive. These liquid type glues flow into the gaps even though they are very, very, tiny. Once there, the adhesive cures and strengthens stone.
As we have briefly considered, there are a number of scenarios that could cause a need for granite stone repair. However, many of the solutions involve using an adhesive to fill the gap. These repairs do not make the stone perfect, but often times, the results are satisfactory and are the best option.
|
