Granite and soapstone are among the hardest counter top materials – they are heat, water, scratch and even stain resistant. But when cracks, chips or scratches occur on kitchen counter top made from these materials, they are easy to repair by paying attention to the following tips:
If the scratch, chip or crack is to be found on a horizontal face, you should go for a liquid Super Gel that has a thinner viscosity. But if the chip, scratch or crack is to be found on a vertical surface, you will have to go for a Super Gel that has a thicker texture. Keep in mind that the better application of such repairing solutions is going to depend upon the position of every area that needs to be repaired.
- First, you will have to clean the area by using Acetone – remember to take all the necessary precautions when using this substance: wear gloves, drop clothe and eye wear in order to avoid any hazards. Then, you will have to thoroughly clean the affected area with acetone and allow this cleaning agent to fully evaporate before making your next move.
- Next, you will have to fill the scratch or chip in some thin layers thus allowing the glue to cure in right between the layers of the material in order for the scratch or chip to be fully cured, from its bottom to its top. Keep in mind that you should overfill the scratch or crack in order to have too much glue in the cavity to be repaired. Once you notice that the scratch or crack is slightly overfilled, the excess glue must be shaved from the surface by using a razor blade.
- But be aware that the way you are holding this razor blade when doing the job is critical to your finished repair. So, you will have to make sure that the excess isn’t cut off even if you are prone to believe that this is the simplest and easiest way to remove the excess glue. In fact, you will have to scrape all the excess glue instead and you will to do this slowly by holding the razor blade at an exact 80 degree angle. Make sure that you alternate your shaving motions from various approaches in order not to pull all the glue out of the scratch or crack.
- Pay attention in order to get all the excess glue that has already hardened on the surface completely flat with your counter top surface. But if you do not manage to avoid pulling out all the glue from the cavity or if the finished repair doesn’t look as you have expected, you may add extra glue and try to re-scrape the top layer of glue later.
- Also, you will have to pay attention to the color of the material from which your kitchen counter top is made – keep in mind that clear super glue will look quite good when used to repair a scratch, crack or chip mainly because it can take on the exact color of the surrounding stone. Clear super glue will blend it quite well.
- However, there are some limitations and exceptions you should consider when using super glue. For instance, if you have a very dark tone of stone, you should go for a pigmented epoxy in order to blend the color in the right way. Deep scratches and big chips are likely to be better off with some pigmented and well-chosen as opposed to the common super glue.