Granite Countertops by Arch City Granite, St. Louis

Does Granite Stain? This is one of the more frequent questions we hear from first-time granite buyers. It should be a simple question, but there is a lot of misinformation floating around on the internet.

Yes, technically granite can stain, but it’s not very common. Technically all natural stones are porous. Some stones like granite are less porous and other stones like marble are more porous. Granite is relatively impervious to water and is only minimally absorbent. That’s one of the reasons it is such a popular choice for building exteriors all over the world. Most of the time, any liquid spilled on granite will remain on the surface for at least a few minutes. If the granite is unsealed, this liquid may soak into the granite pores. In these cases, it will usually dry back out within 15-20 minutes.

In some cases, particularly with oils or grease, liquid left on the counter can soak in and create a stain. However, even when this happens, the stain is not necessarily permanent. Most of the time it can be removed using a topically applied paste that draws out any moisture from the stone.

And if the chances of staining weren’t already small enough, you’ll never have to worry about water rings, temporary dark spots, or stains if you properly seal your granite every year.

At Arch City Granite and Marble in St. Louis, we use a top-of-the-line sealer from Dry-Treat Sealer. Dry-Treat makes sealers with advanced “Nano-Technology” that are effective for 15 years. Our sealer is an alcohol-based formula that fills pores in the granite, stopping any liquids from penetrating the stone. Sealer will not change the appearance of your stone; in fact, it will make it more sanitary and easier to clean, since no liquids from food can get into the stone.

How to Seal Granite

Like most quality fabricators, we seal your granite immediately after installation to make sure it’s protected from day one. After that, you can easily repeat the process yourself to ensure your granite stays like-new for years and years to come. Just follow these simple steps:

• Clean your granite counters off with water and allow them to dry completely.
• Shake the sealer and apply it liberally to every part of your counters using a clean paint roller (you can use a clean paintbrush or paper-towels to get all the way into the corners). The idea is to have a thin film of sealer on the entire surface of the stone.
• Let the sealer soak into the counters for 15 minutes. Then you need to wipe off the countertops with a clean cloth.
• If you have a white granite or other stone that is more susceptible to stains, you may want to apply a second coat. In that case, wait for at least 48 hours before you apply the second coat the same way as the first.
• Wipe off the counter with clean towels or paper towels, making sure to wipe away any excess sealer. Whatever didn’t soak into the counters is excess.
• Let your countertops sit for 24 hours before you use them if possible.
• Clean your rollers or brushes with water and store in a clean place.

For regular cleaning, we recommend using Dry-Treat’s Rejuvenata Spray. This product not only cleans and polishes, but also adds a small bit of sealer to make sure there are no unsealed patches on your granite counters.

If you have more questions, please visit our St. Louis granite showroom to speak with natural stone experts.

The post Does Granite Stain? Real Answers from a Stone Pro appeared first on Arch City Granite & Marble.

Reapplying sealant at the correct intervals will ensure that the granite remains free of staining and other damage, which could mar the surface. In recent years with the advent of advanced natural stone sealers, the maintenance of granite has become much less demanding.

Standard Sealing Recommendations

Many professionals recommend sealing granite countertops at least once each year. If you cook frequently in your kitchen and use the countertops daily, you might need to reseal the granite even more frequently. This used to be the advice from stone professionals over the years.

With the advancements in Polymers and Nanotechnologies, very effective and long lasting sealers are available for granite stain protection, reducing the need of yearly applications of sealer to the granite countertops.

The way you maintain your granite counter can also have an effect on the frequency of resealing. If you use chemicals on the granite that wear away or weaken the sealant, you will need to reseal more often.

The best and harmless way to clean granite countertops on a regular basis is a mix of warm water with a spoon of mild hand soap.

Factors to Consider

The color of your granite is an important factor that determines the frequency of resealing. Dark granite colors like Black Pearl, Indian Coffee Brown, and Tan Brown tend to be denser than light colored granites. The higher density makes the granite less porous and less at risk for staining. Dark granites also hide small stains and imperfections more readily than lighter granite counters.

Extending the Resealing Period

Some sealants that you can buy will last longer than other sealants. Look for a sealant with advanced chemical technology, which will enable it to form a more permanent bond on the granite.

Long lasting sealants tend to be little more expensive, but they last – often many years or even indefinitely.  Our customers had great experience by using Stonetech Bullet Proof Sealant manufactured by DuPont. This is the highest grade sealant, and DuPont indicates that its effects last for at least 3 years on the indoor applications.

You can further extend the effectiveness of the DuPont sealer by using a cleaning liquid called Stonetech Revitalizer made by DuPont. Gallon cans be purchased at a very reasonable price and that will last for 2 to 3 years of regular cleaning usage.

Revitalizer liquid has traces of sealant mixed with it. Every time you are cleaning, you are also replenishing the traces of sealant that are lost by wear and tear.

Some of our customers stopped resealing their granite countertops after usage of Revitalizer over several years.

Testing the Sealant

You can test your granite countertop to determine when it’s time to reseal the surface. Drop a few droplets of plain water onto the granite and watch to see what happens over the next five minutes.

If the water remains in beaded droplets on the surface of the granite, the sealant is protecting the granite. If you return to the counter and find the droplets gone because they absorbed into the granite, it’s time to reseal your counter.

How to Seal a Granite Countertop

Remove everything from the counters when it’s time to seal. Wash the granite with mild dishwashing soap and rinse it well. Wipe down the granite with acetone to remove any cleaning residues, if necessary. Spread or spray on the sealer and allow it to absorb into the granite. After the recommended setting time (15 minutes), wipe away the excess sealer with a clean cloth.

(Watch a video about granite sealing.)

Your granite counters should be ready to use 24 hours after sealing it.

Call us at 314-426-3100 for expert granite advice!

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