3 WAYS TO FIX CHIPS ON YOUR GRANITE COUNTERTOPS

Chips on your Granite Countertops are likely to occur, especially if the edges are not rounded. It is more likely that you will have chips around the sink and cooktop area because these are the two highest traffic areas or your countertop. Not too long ago we would have suggested that you hire a professional to repair any chips in your granite countertops; however, now there are new products on the market that make it much easier to do it yourself. In this article we are going to review each of these options. 

RESIN PATCHING STICKS 

We recommend these resin patching sticks, especially for darker color stones. You can buy these sticks from Braxton-Bragg and the price shown on the web site is for 12 of them. You can buy them singly although you will have to call them directly instead of ordering online. One of these sticks will be more than enough for your projects as you can repair about 50-60 chips using only one. The color of the stick you choose needs to be as close as possible to your granite color. Here is step by step guide; 

1.             Thoroughly clean the chipped area using acetone, or denatured alcohol. (Both can be found at local hardware stores)  

2.             Warm up the stick using a lighter

3.             Let melt directly into the chip

4.             Fill in the chip using a sharp object such as a razor blade 

5.             Even out the area using a razor blade. Job is done once it dries. 

6.             -OPTIONAL STEP- A little bit of sanding (polishing) will bring it to a professional grade. Even without additional polishing, this product will give you a satisfactory result. Be careful if you choose to do any polishing or sanding as it is sometimes hard to get the finish to the same polish as the rest of the stone. (It is better if you can fill the chip in nicely and not have to mess with the finish of the stone.) 

UV REPAIR KIT

This is a relatively new method for fixing chips in your granite. You can buy the PorCaliber UV kit from Amazon.com. Here is the link; http://www.amazon.com/Granite-Marble-Chip-Nick-Repair/dp/B001CMSD3G 

Below­­­­ is step by step guide; 

1.             Thoroughly clean the chipped area using acetone, or denatured alcohol.

2.             Cover the surroundings of the chipped area using masking tape (about 5" radius) leaving only the chipped area visible. (about 1" from the start of the chip will be enough) 

3.             Fill the chip with provided curing acrylic. 

4.             Cover the filled area with the leveling plastic. (Make sure that it is level with the rest of the top) 

5.             Use the UV light to dry the area for 3-5 minutes

6.             Remove the leveling plastic 

7.             Sand down the area until it is perfectly smooth 

8.             Re-polish the area using provided polishing cream, and microfiber cloth. 

There are a few substitute products available that do the same job, are easier to use, and less expensive. In my point of view, it may be unnecessary to spend the money to buy the entire kit and UV light when the Resin patching sticks and CH glue we’ve already mentioned will produce the same result without spending as much. UV repair is just a fancier method!  

CH GLUE 

CH glue is simple to use, and does not cost much. You can a buy CH glue kit from Regent Stone Products. Here is the link; https://www.regentstoneproducts.com/item_detail2.aspx?ItemCode=BONSTNCAGLUE 

This product is also available on Ebay.com. 

Be careful when using the CH glue on lighter colored stones, as it may react badly causing the treated area to turn green. Do not use the activator when using this on lighter colored granite because it will take long to dry. 

Here is the step by step guide; 

1.             Thoroughly clean the chipped area using acetone, or denatured alcohol.

2.             Fill in the chip using the tip of the bottle. 

3.             Even the area using a razor blade

4.             --OPTIONAL STEP- A little bit of sanding (polishing) as mentioned above, but still it is better not to mess with the finish of the stone.

There is Polishing cream is provided with the kit. 

Always feel free to contact us if you are looking to purchase granite, marble or quartz for your kitchen countertops. 

United Granite PA

741 3rd Ave, King of Prussia, PA 19406

(610) 200-5484

www.unitedgranitepa.com (marble countertops PA, marble pa)