Granite Worktop Repair: Chip Fixing and Prevention

Granite worktops can be a beautiful addition to a kitchen, or bathroom. They add an air of elegance to an area, with their distinctive patterns and reflective sheen. It’s for these reasons that granite can be expensive to install and also why it’s a nightmare when chips start to appear on the surface. Thankfully, granite chip repair is possible, and we’ll share the best method in filling in these unsightly gaps.

So, if you:

Then this article is for you!

How are chips caused in granite?

If you’ve had a granite worktop for a long time, you’ll notice they are incredibly durable. Granite is a difficult surface to scratch and it’s also highly heat-resistant, meaning you can place hot cooking utensils directly on the surface without scorching it.

That being said, it is a brittle and inflexible material. You’ll find that most chips are caused by dropping heavier items onto the granite countertop. Similar damage can appear if you are also dragging heavier items across the surface, so if you want to minimise the damage to your countertops, you should be cautious when moving heavy appliances.

Can you repair a chipped worktop yourself?

While it might be tempting to leave any chips on granite worktops, you shouldn’t. That’s because the undersurface of the granite is porous. If liquid begins seeping into the chipped granite, it will spread throughout the stone. This can cause dark patches around the chipped area, which are visible on the surface. To prevent this, you should try to fill in chips and cracks as soon as they appear.

While it’s true that you can repair some chips and cracks by yourself, large chips, fissures or cracks will most likely require a professional’s touch.

On one hand, you may not be able to check and properly determine the total scale of the damage. For instance, you might see a crack on your granite countertop and fill it with epoxy. Easy fix, right? Well, not always. Sometimes cracks can spread throughout the granite, which reduces its structural integrity. On the other hand, larger cracks also require more time and skill to repair.

So, if in doubt about the depth of a crack, fissure or chip, check with a professional first.

How to repair your granite worktop

If you are confident you can get rid of those pesky chips yourself, then we have a pretty straightforward step-by-step process described below, so keep reading!

1. Clean the surface

The first thing you’ll want to do is clean the affected area. Make sure it’s free of any clutter like dishes or cups. Consider using a surface cleaner too, just to make sure the granite is spotless. While cleaning the area might seem trivial, it will help you attain a better finish overall, by making sure that no dirt or other substances get into the chip, making the final finish look uneven.

2. Find the right kind of epoxy

Now we can move on to actually filling in the chip, and we’re going to do that with epoxy. Epoxy resin is easily available online, or in some hardware stores, so you should have no trouble getting your hands on some.

Make sure that you get an epoxy that matches the colour of your granite. There are some options available that are coloured specifically for granite, all of which can be found online. If you instead get clear epoxy, there is also the option to dye it in order to get it as close as possible to the colour of your granite worktop.

If dying the epoxy sounds like too much hassle, you can paint the epoxy afterwards. You’ll have to use oil-based paints, as other types of paint won’t stick properly and will give a poor finish. Just make sure to prime the epoxy first before painting over.

3. Fill in the chip

The first thing you’ll want to do is go around the chip with masking tape. This will give you a visual guide of how much epoxy to use and ensure that the rest of the granite worktop is protected from minor spills. If you do overfill the chip, don’t worry too much, as you’ll be sanding down the epoxy later on.

Make sure that you leave enough time for the epoxy to cure. Generally, epoxy dries after about 12 hours, though the curing time can take anywhere between 72 hours and a week.

4. Sand and polish

Once you’ve left the epoxy for long enough, you can now start sanding it down. You’ll want to be careful in how you do this, as while granite countertops are resistant to scratching, the coarse nature of sandpaper can still do damage. Keep the masking tape around the area while sanding and you should keep the area underneath pristine.

Once you’re done sanding the resin down, you can get onto the most satisfying part; the polishing. Use soft cloths (like microfibre) to get the best results.

How to prevent chipping in the future

As we mentioned previously, chips are most likely to be caused by heavy equipment being dropped onto the granite countertop. So, when moving these items, take extra care while handling them and avoid dragging them across the counter.

Additionally, investing in a granite sealer can help protect against chipping too! It produces a layer on the top of the granite which prevents liquids and other materials from seeping into it, which could then weaken it. That being said, you should follow your granite countertop manufacturer’s guidelines in choosing which cleaner and sealer are best for yours.

Need your granite counter repaired?

We, at Fantastic Services, can help! The experts we work with are experienced in repairing a wide variety of kitchen surfaces, whether it be granite, quartz or composite worktops. The professionals will come fully equipped to deal with your problem and ensure pristine results by colour matching the mixture with your countertop. It will appear as if the chip or crack was never even there.

Booking with us is easy! Either fill out the online form or call us. So, what are you waiting for? Get your appointment today.

We hope you found our article on ‘granite chip repair’ helpful. For any questions, or tips of your own, leave a comment with us below.

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