Although granite is one of the world’s most durable natural stones, it can still suffer from cracks and chips over time. You can’t expect it to retain its shine and polish for decades. Eventually, you will notice hairline cracks and dents here and there. However, it’s nothing to worry about, and you shouldn’t think of replacing it immediately. Granite is repairable, provided you call the experts who use the latest machines and technology for repairing granite.
Diamond grinding technology
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Initially, people used the stone grinding method to repair granite. It is one of the oldest technologies to restore granite where the machine thoroughly repolishes the stone. Most granite repair companies used 24 to 1000-grit grinding stones. Although this was an effective method, it took a lot of time as it involved a six-step restoration process. Moreover, they had to polish the stone again after grinding and mechanical polishing. The finishing touches would require various metallic elements, buffing compounds, and chemicals to give granite the shine and polish that it had earlier.
With time, people started to look for quicker methods to repair granite. One technology that stood out was the diamond grinding technique. Although the principle of diamond grinding is the same as stone grinding, it doesn’t take as much time. In this technology, you need to use diamond abrasives and not stone to repair the granite. Diamond abrasives are more durable than other abrasives and they work well with bonding agents, such as resin or nickel.
The diamond abrasives in this method have textures that range between 60 and 3500-grit. Many technicians combine stones and screens in this method to not only fix the cracks and dents but also give a high reflective finish to your granite paving, countertop, or floor.
Silicon carbide grinding technology
This granite restoration technology is similar to stone grinding and diamond grinding. It has progressive abrasive textures ranging between 60 and 1000 grit. You need to progressively increase the abrasive texture to attain a shiny finish. Even though it is one of the latest technologies to repair granite and works faster than the stone grinding method, it can’t repair deep fissures. This technology is suitable only for hairline cracks as its highest abrasive texture can go up to only 1000 grit.
The silicon carbide technology became popular because of its swiftness and affordable cost. You can repair 1000 sq. ft. of granite every day if you use the technique properly.
Repairing granite cracks and chips
Repairing a few minor cracks isn’t a big deal for professionals since they have the latest tools and machines in the business. The expert will come over and inspect the cracks and the extent of the damage. Next, they will use the following materials to repair the cracks:
• Dust mask
• Diamond grinding bit grinder
• Painter’s tape
• Epoxy for granite
• Cleaner for granite
The repair process starts by collecting dust from the damaged area. In this case, the diamond grinding bit can first even out the cracked surface, followed by collecting the dust from underneath the countertop. One of the reasons why professionals collect dust is for the epoxy to match the color of the granite later. This would make it seem that there was no crack or fissure in the first place.
Next, the expert will cover the rest of the area so that the epoxy doesn’t touch any other part of the countertop. He will also use painter’s tape to mark out the areas where he needs to work on.
Mixing the epoxy is a crucial part of repairing granite chips and fissures. The epoxy color should be similar to the original granite color. Many professionals use the dust collected in the first step to ensure that both colors are identical. They often use a tongue depressor to mix the epoxy as it provides a smooth and dense consistency.
Finally, he will apply the epoxy to the cracks and let it settle slowly. Make sure you don’t touch the damaged area for at least 24 hours. Once the epoxy dries, you won’t be able to tell the exact location of the crack.
Repairing broken granite
Previously, people thought that it was impossible to repair or reattach broken pieces of granite. That isn’t the case now. Professionals can now fix broken countertop corners and granite headstones to make them look as if they weren’t damaged. Here are a few items that they usually use:
• Dust mask
• Diamond grinding bit grinder
• Epoxy for granite
• Tongue depressor
• Cleaner for granite
• Painter’s tape
• Shims
The process starts by using metal support to hold the granite close to the place from where it has broken down, followed by masking the area with painter’s tape so that the epoxy doesn’t touch the rest of the countertop. Next, the expert will even out the sharp edges from the broken part using the diamond bit grinder. Collecting the dust is important here as the expert can mix it with epoxy to achieve the original color of the granite.
Once the grinding is complete, he will mix the epoxy using a tongue depressor. A tongue depressor allows him to mix the epoxy quickly and achieve the desired color within a few minutes. Next, it’s time to apply the epoxy. The technician takes time to apply the epoxy in the broken area since it has to fill all the gaps. He will carefully bring the broken piece together and attach it to the countertop.
The best way to ensure that the broken piece stays in place is by putting shims underneath. Shims also make sure that the broken piece is in line with the bigger piece of granite. You need to leave the countertop untouched for at least 24 hours. The expert will come again the next day to check whether the broken piece has attached firmly or not. Once it does, he will apply a second coat of epoxy. The adhesive property of epoxy allows the broken piece to remain attached to the countertop.
Many videos may suggest that repairing granite is a DIY process, but it’s better to call the professionals as they know the tricks of the trade and use the latest technologies to fix your granite floors and countertops.