Best Way to Fix Chips in Marble or Granite Countertops
When it comes to asking, “How do I fix….” The answer, as always, is “It depends.” Given the recent surge in popularity when it comes to granite and marble countertops, however, instances of unsightly chips, gouges, and scratches in kitchen surfaces are rising. If you’re ready to get your stone countertop looking new once more, here are a couple of ways you can go about tackling the project.
Repairing a Chip in Granite
Removing stains from granite is one thing, but to repair a chip in granite that is 1/8 inch across and/or deep, there are a couple of methods.
The first method is to use an epoxy for the repair. Epoxy is the only permanent glue for granite as it is the only glue which will give you both a chemical and a mechanical bond with granite due to the stone’s composition. You can use an epoxy with a consistency like warm peanut butter (knife grade) or an epoxy with the consistency of syrup (flowing) to do the repairs. We have created a Chip Repair Kit for you that has everything you need except coloring.
With knife grade epoxy you can and should color it to match the base color of the stone. Once colored and mixed just blade it into the crack flush with a razor blade and allow it to dry. With a flowing epoxy, you can color it, or you can use one that is water clear and leave out that step making it simpler for the user. The water clear product we like is LiquaGlass. With LiquaGlass, if you cannot fill it flush, over-fill the crack and let the product dry (cure) completely. You can then scrape away the excess with a razor blade. You can safely use a razor blade to scrape across granite as it will not scratch that stone. This is not true for other stone like limestone, marble, travertine and onyx. You can easily scratch them with a razor blade so be careful.
You can also use a urethane product like our FillaChip. It’s not as strong as epoxy, but it’s easy to work with. It uses a urethane glue and a UV light to cure the glue. After the chip is filled there is a polish that you rub over the repaired chip to make it glossy.
How to use FillaChip on a Granite Countertop
FillaChip is one of the easiest and most user-friendly methods available when it comes to repairing scratches and gouges in a granite surface. In the following video you can see the entire process, from filling in the the chipped area to setting the glue with the included UV flashlight, and then using a normal razor blade to scrape off any excess material.
Repairing a Chip in Marble
To repair a chip in marble or other calcitic stone, such as limestone or travertine, you can use a color-matched knife grade epoxy or flowing epoxy like LiquaGlass as above, but we do not recommend the overfill-and-then-scrape method as you could scratch the material very easily. Will the FillChip you have the same issue – scraping this material can result in scratching it which is another problem. On these materials you may choose to use a knife grade polyester resin that has been color matched with one of our pigments, then blade that in the damaged area until it is flush. This glue has a shrinkage rate of up to 3% so on large fills a second application may be necessary. to have the chip completely filled to the top. Poly-resins will give you a permanent bond on calcites.
Helpful Products for Fixing Chipped Granite or Marble
Whether your granite countertop has a nasty chip or scratch, or you’re working with a calcitic stone surface, these products will help you complete your repair project in a jiffy.
LiquaGlass Kit
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