Taking care of your granite countertops
How to increase the life of granite countertops?
Millions of homeowners like Granite countertops. The reasons for the popularity of granite countertops are their beauty and durability. All of us see granite as the one of the hardest stones and it is certainly correct but even this hard stone which needs diamond saws to cut them can absorb water and other liquids that are spilt on them. Granite by nature is a stone and most stones are natural absorbents. When granite slabs are transported to your premises from your Minnesota granite countertops dealer they come sealed. When granite is sealed they cannot absorb water. The sealing that covers the countertops wears off with usage. Once it wears off, it starts absorbing water and other fluids. When this happens the quality of the surface starts deteriorating. If left uncared and unattended it will ruin the entire look of the countertop and will reduce its life.
How to handle the above problem and make your granite countertop look new and shining? If you have bought your countertop from a good Minnesota granite company they would have given the necessary instruction on maintaining your countertop.
To stop your granite countertop from becoming a cheap absorbent you must seal it with special granite sealants that you get from the stores. You will have to polish your countertop at least twice a year with the sealing fluid. A good Minnesota granite company will provide their customers with the sealing fluid and will provide them the needed support even after sales. However, sealing does not require any special skills or tools. You can seal the surface by yourself and protect your countertop. You can also hire people to do this for you. The frequency of sealing really depends on the usage. So sealing twice a year is just a rule of thumb but if you feel that your countertop needs to be sealed earlier than that, then there is nothing wrong in applying the sealant as frequently as required. There are special sealants available in the market for sealing granite slabs. Alternatively, you can also use car wax which adequately serves the purpose.
You will also be able to prolong your granite countertop’s life by regular care. You must avoid spilling acidic fluids such as coffee, citric fruit juices etc. Acidic fluids will dissolve the sealant and this can lead to patches of discoloration due to seepage of water and other fluids in those areas that are not protected by the sealant. You do not have to take any extraordinary measures to protect your granite countertop but to give the general care and cleaning that it requires. If you do that you will be saving loads of money because you do not have to go for remodeling of your kitchen, bathroom or the fireplace with granite countertops for years together.
Even for the general cleaning of your granite countertops do not use any strong chemicals, detergents or other acidic cleaners. You will be able to get some gentle but effective cleaners in the market that you can use.
About the Author
Eric Rockford is author of this article on Fireplace.
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| by: | Eric Rockford301 |
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