| Sealing Granite Countertops | Sealing Granite Backsplash |
| How to seal a Granite Countertop |
Learning how to seal granite countertops before actually sealing them is extremely important. You should never seal a granite countertop without first learning the proper procedures and techniques for sealing them. Improperly sealing a granite countertop can cause a haze to form on the surface of the granite countertop. Also if puddles or pools of sealer are allowed to dry on the granite countertops surface then a sealer residue can form that can be difficult to remove. Always follow the sealer manufactures instructions closely when sealing any type of stone including granite.
You can apply the granite countertop sealer to the granite countertop by pouring it directly on the granite countertop. You can mix the new sealer with any sealer that has accumulated while sealing the granite countertops backsplash. You do not generally have to use a lot of sealer because the granite countertop will not absorb much of the sealer. It is important to only apply the sealer to the small immediate area of the granite countertop that you will be sealing. Be careful not to allow the sealer to drip on any carpets or wood floors. Any drips or spills should be immediately wiped up with paper towels or a cotton towel. It is important to no allow any sealer drips or spills to penetrate into carpets or wood floor finishes causing carpet stains or damage to the wood floor finish.
A high quality stone and tile sealer such as Aquamix sealers choice gold should be used for sealing granite countertops. A one quart container is sufficient for sealing most granite countertops including the backsplash as well.
After applying the sealer to the granite countertop you should spread it around with a cotton or terry towel. It is important to allow the sealer at least 5-10 minutes time for the granite countertop to absorb as much of the sealer as possible. Keep the entire area of the granite countertop that you are sealing wet and saturated with sealer for 5-10 minutes. You can continually wipe the area of granite that you are sealing with the towel to ensure that the granite is thoroughly saturated with sealer. Never allow the sealer to puddle up and dry on top of the granite countertop. Dried pools and puddles of sealer can cause a sealer haze or a sealer residue problem on the surface of the granite countertop.
Sealing the edges of the granite countertop is also extremely important. The edges of a granite countertop get exposed to a lot of dirt, stains and contaminates as well. You should seal the edges of the granite countertop at the same time as you are sealing the surface. It is more difficult to saturate the vertical edges of the granite countertop with sealer. You do not want the sealer to drip down and excessively stain or discolor carpets, wood floors or other floor surfaces. Usually a couple of drops of sealer that are dripped down and quickly wiped away will not damage most floor surfaces. You should always test an area of the floor to ensure that it will not be damaged with drips or spills of sealer. If necessary plastic tarps should be used to prevent any drips or spills of sealer from landing on delicate flooring materials.
The best way to seal the edges of a granite countertop is to use a towel that us saturated with sealer. Wipe the saturated towel over the granite countertop edges at the same time that you are allowing the sealer to penetrate into the surface of the granite countertop. You should continually wipe the granite countertop edges with the sealer so that the edges soak up as much of the sealer as possible. Keep applying the sealer to the edges for the entire time that you are sealing the granite countertop surface.
After the sealer has been allowed 5-10 minutes time to soak into the granite countertop then the excess sealer must be wiped away and cleaned up. Paper towels are the best way to clean up any excess sealer from the surface of the granite countertop. Use a wad of paper towels and wipe as much of the sealer off of the granite countertops surface as possible. After the wad of paper towels becomes wet with sealer then throw it away and make another wad of paper towels and continue the procedure. Keep wiping all the excess sealer off the surface of the granite countertop until you are sure there are no traces of sealer sitting on the surface of the granite countertop.
After sealing a section of the granite countertop you should inspect the granite countertop from all angles for any evidence of sealer haze or sealer residue. Often times a sealer residue or haze will not be visible until the granite countertop is viewed at certain angles or under different lighting conditions. It is important to deal with any sealer haze or residue problems as quickly as possible. You can apply some extra sealer over top of these sealer residue issues to reactive the left over sealer on the granite countertop. Then once reactivated the sealer residue can be wiped away and removed with ordinary paper towels. After you have sealed an area of the granite countertop and inspected the sealer job then move on to seal the next section of the granite countertop.
After sealing your granite countertop you should wait at least 4 hours before using your granite countertops. You should only use proper stone cleaning products when cleaning your granite countertops. Incorrect cleaning products and procedures can often cause more harm than good when cleaning and maintaining your granite countertop. Aggressive cleaning products can also break down the sealers that were applied to your granite countertop. Click here for more information on the proper products and procedures for cleaning granite countertops.
Sealing a granite countertop may not be a job for many non DIY homeowners. You may want to consider hiring a tile or stone restoration contractor to seal your granite countertops for you. You can read some valuable information here about how to hire a stone restoration contractor.
Sealing Granite Backsplash Sealing Granite Countertops