Did you know that sealing granite countertops yourself is not that difficult? If you are willing to try it, you may save yourself quite a bit of money.

Granite countertops are fantastic, they look great and are incredibly durable

however, they still need to be maintained. A huge part of this maintenance is sealing, which you can do fairly simply yourself. When granite is first installed, it will generally be sealed already, however, over time the sealant breaks down leaving your countertops susceptible to damage. Here are a few tips that will make sealing your counters much easier.

Testing

Before laying out the expense and work of re-sealing your counters, you will want to test them. This is done quite easily with just a small amount of water. Place a few drops on your counter and then watch to see how long it takes for it to absorb into the granite. If the area becomes darker fairly quickly, it is definitely time to seal your granite.

Cleansing

An important first step to sealing granite countertops is cleaning. Use a good quality stone cleaner to remove dirt, debris, oil and food particles. Remember to use a soft sponge, nothing abrasive or you can leave scratches in the surface. Once it is clean rinse well and dry the countertops with a soft towel, paper is fine.

Quality Sealers

Choose a quality sealer for this job, while you may be tempted to try and save money at this juncture you will be better served to spend more money now. Cheap sealers will not last as long; therefore, you will be re-sealing the granite much sooner. There are a variety of products on the market, choose one that is specially formulated for granite.

Application

Using a soft cloth, lamb's wool preferably, to apply a coat of sealer to your granite countertops. Make sure you keep the coating even from one end of the counter to the next. You will want to allow drying time before applying a second coat. As it dry's the sealer is actually penetrating the granite, water-based sealers will require around 30 minutes and solvent based will take 10-15 minutes.

The second coat will not need to dry completely; this is more of a buffing agent than sealer at this point. Buffing and rubbing the sealer will give your counters a nice finish and thoroughly protect the material from water damage.

Conclusion

Many people want to know how long sealants will last and the answer is; it depends. The type of countertop you have, porous or non-porous, quality of your sealant and location of the granite will play a role in how long the seal job will last.

Countertops that are outside in the elements will need sealing quite a bit more often, every six months or so thanks to sunlight and if you choose a substandard sealant, you can bet on sealing it again within a month or so. Another huge problem with cheap sealers is the fact that after multiple coats your counter is still not properly sealed. Sealing is not necessarily difficult, however it does need to be properly done to ensure the longevity of your granite countertops.