How to Care for & Maintain Ajibik

Caring for natural stone countertops involves more than simply cleaning the surface after use. Most natural stone surfaces benefit from having sealer treatments periodically and Ajibik quartzite countertops are no different. In fact, since they are quartzite it makes sense to treat them using the best practices. What are those? in this article, we will take a brief look at not only why sealing Ajibik quartzite surfaces is a good idea, but we will cover the best way to care for and maintain not only Ajibik, but all quartzite countertop surfaces. For a discussion of why sealing quartzite can be challenging checkout out article entitled: Meeting the Challenge of Sealing Quartzite. Now, on to the topic at hand.

Wet Cutting Ajibik Quartzite

Natural quartzite slabs are cut in many cases using wet saws to make the cuts in the material. Like other quartzite surfaces, Ajibik gets cut using saws and other tools in a wet environment. However, keeping liquids out of the pores of natural stone is beneficial and even when the slab is being cut, it makes sense to reduce the amount of water that the stone absorbs.

Maintenance & Care Routine for Ajibik Quartzite

In the course of everyday life, there are times when common spills and dirt come into contact with any countertop surface, including Ajibik quartzite. And even though sealing stone does not make it stain-proof, it does boost the resistance of the material against staining. Using an effective sealer on a Ajibik countertop will make it water and oil repellant. This allows the owner time to clean up any substances that could stain the quartzite. That is why using a natural quartzite sealer is a good idea; especially for materials such as Ajibik that are porous and can get "thirsty" easily. Not only During fabrication, but even afterward it makes sense to use a sealer on a Ajibik quartzite surface.

Recommending Ajibik Quartzite Sealer

A question that is sometimes found to be on the minds of professionals and consumers alike is, "Is sealing Ajibik quartzite required?" The answer to that question would depend on how much importance the one asking the question puts on getting the very best results. Why? Because not every single quartzite slab that is made into a countertop will be sealed either correctly or often enough. By the same token though, those countertops will not have the highest level of stain resistance either.

The NSI is a trade association representing every aspect of the natural stone industry. Its current membership at the time of this writing exceeds 2,000 members in over 50 countries. It serves as the authoritative source for safety and technical standards and information regarding the use of natural stone. What does it say regarding sealers?

The NSI says in this document that "sealing makes the stone more stain resistant", which implies the importance of using sealer to improve stone's resistance to water and oil based liquids. Additionally, we recommend that a care and maintenance routine be used by consumers after installation. Doing so gives the owner of the stone the best performance opportunity.

As we have discussed, Ajibik quartzite, as well as other quartzite benefits from having a regular routine that includes sealer application. Keeping water out if the pores of any natural stone improves the appearance of that particular stone. In fact the lighter the material, or the darker the material, the easier a discoloration from water could happen. For this reason and others, it is good to practice the techniques we have discussed in this article when working with or on Ajibik quartzite.