Trying to protect new granite?

Question

I have installed new granite counter tops and one of my buddies was telling me / showed me how his granite chipped while doing dishes (sink is sunk into countertops). Now I know that I should be careful, but is there anyway of protecting the granite. I was thinking of something like a clear tape (kind of like how hey do car hoods), but nothing too gaudy.

Answer 1

granite is a type of natural resources that is very hard. if you need to know how hard, try knocking your new counter top with a steel hammer and see what happen.
jz kidding, know you wouldn't do that.
we know that diamond is the hardest stone on earth (so far for what human had discovered till today). it's hardness is 10MOHS (MOHS represent hardness for stone). When diamond is 10mohs, granite is about 8mohs, marble about 5mohs, limestone about 3.5mohs and sandstone is about 1.5-2.5mohs depending on what kind of sandstone.
looking at this comparison, you can in fact imagine how hard your granite top is. it is very unlikely to chip unless it's been hit hard with something solid and heavy eg: a steel hammer. in your friend's case, there're few possibilities for what happened to his counter top.
1. probably the edging/profile he did for his top is thin/edgy leaving it weak at point.
2. the granite top has been used for a long time and it is exposed to various type of washing detergent or cleaning liquids which are mostly acidic. when granite is exposed to acidic liquid for a long time, it will eventually sip through the granite regardless whether you have applied stone treatment to it. granite will then turn brittle and hence easily chip. you can call this process 'chemical erosion'.
3. he could have choosen a type of granite that has fine cracks or tiny pin-holes which is also a weakness to cause chipping. (pls don't misunderstand when i refer granite as a hard material, it will not break.) granite is in fact very hard, but that doesn't mean it's compact. so if your friend had choosen a hard granite that is not compact, it is likely that chipping will occur.
so, if you've bought the right granite, used the right edging as consulted by the right supplier, also considering it's 20mm thickness, it is unlikely that your new granite top will chip. my advice is, you need not do anything to it.
as for maintenance, avoid leaving cleaning solutions on it. if anything spills on, quickly wipe it away. keep it dry most of the time if you can. clean and wipe it with clean water only. if need to, re-apply stone treatment every 2-3 years.
just remember that this is a natural material and so, it is bound to wear and tear. but if you know how to use it with the correct method, it will serve you for a long, long time.

Answer 2

Applause for answer # 1 ; great detail. Granite certainly is as she states; but also it's basically a "composite"

Without knowing at all WHO your buddy purchased from; I suggest you first go to the vendor; then the place that milled the top; and perhaps hundreds of online sites.

CHIPPING would have to be accomplished by great force unless on some fine finished, milled edge; one were to actually strike a hammer blow.

I want to assume this isn't a GRANITE LOOK top. My example could be CULTURED marble; which is bogus in my opinion, in the ways it's touted and advertised.

You really need to know what you have. I also want to assume that your TOP gets only the Usual types of abuses. I suspect if a dish was to roughly connect with a Granite OVER top the dish would be in pieces,,,not the TOP.

Steven Wolf

Certainly you can shop for clear vinyl drain trays that flex...etc. and shlould likely use Cutting Boards for food prep anyway. My opinion.... The first time I dropped a coffee mug on what is assumed to be a Granite top, and the TOP chipped; I'd be on the phone with all those involved.
That said, and because it's a NATURAL surface/ material... much like a Diamond, it may have flaws.

Answer 3

On the off chance that you are searching for astounding worktops, then the rock is your most logical option. Nonetheless, this quality includes some major disadvantages in light of the fact that inability to keep up your rock work tops could without much of a stretch result in needing to supplant them because of scratches which will cost you a great deal. This is on account of not at all like most different worktops surfaces, when the stone gets to be harmed you can't just sand down the chips and scratches or have the surface supplanted with an alternate material.

The uplifting news however is that it is conceivable to just repair your rock worktop and have it looking great, as opposed to supplanting it. Pick to repair rather than supplant your stone worktops on the off chance that you have a little plan and don't need any significant interruptions to your everyday family unit schedules.

Answer 4

Your work surfaces are sealed after installation. This helps prevent the absorption of any compound that can stain your tops, but it is not foolproof.
Resealing depends greatly on the type of stone you have and how much use your work surface gets. Sealant may need to be reapplied anywhere from 1-4 years, or it may never need to be reapplied.
To test if the sealer is working, place of few droops of water on your work surface. If the water soaks in quickly, then it is time to reseal. If it beads up, it is protected.

Answer 5

Normally you don’t have to worry about chipping granite on the edges unless you have really sharp edges. If they are rounded edges normally, you will chip your dishes. The sharper the edge the easier it is to chip. The only thing you do need to do is seal your granite countertops. You can learn how at http://www.myinstalledcountertops.com/seal-your-granite.html

Answer 6

Sealing is advisable. You also have to be careful about the products that you are going to use for cleaning.