Here at The Only Way is Granite, we live and breath stone worktops. From granite to quartz, we love everything about stone worktops from the amazing style they offer just about any kitchen, bathroom or utility room to the practical side of stone, offering an incredible heat resistant, hygienic surface for all of your cooking and cleaning needs. While stone worktops are incredibly durable however, it’s worth noting that even the lowest maintenance worktops will begin to change over time. This is only natural. With the right care however, you can of course keep your work tops looking better for many years longer than most.
One issue that stone worktops can suffer from is mild cracking. As tough as they may be, they aren’t completely impervious to damage and with rough treatment and little to no maintenance, cracking will absolutely start to appear. It’s also worth noting that cracking can sometimes occur, albeit mild, with correct maintenance. It’s simply an occurrence with this particular type of worktop. The question is, why?
It All Begins In The Quarries
You might be surprised to learn that this tendency actually all begins in the quarries themselves. When it comes to mining for these materials, workers and of course masons, will look for pre existing cracks or fissures when they’re looking to extract the blocks of granite or marble etc. These cracks will help determine how workers will extract the material.
Once the blocks are extracted, workers and masons will then look at the extracted pieces and will determine how they should be cut, based on the natural cracks. Why? Because they’ll be cut to disguise these natural cracks as much as possible however it’s these areas that may find themselves producing further cracks later on down the line and to put it bluntly, it’s perfectly natural and in some cases, unavoidable.
The Imperfections Are What Make Them Beautiful
When it comes to natural stone, especially granite, it’s the cracks and imperfections that make them so appealing and so inherently beautiful. Their flaws and their markings make them not only exquisite in appearance but truly bespoke and like many natural stones, granite can produce many cracks and fissures that blend in with the markings and veining.
If you’re looking for a more rustic look, then it’s these cracks that can really give you that however it’s worth noting that they can be more obvious if the worktop is finished off with a brushing process.
Prevention Is Better Than Cure
It’s safe to say that you can’t simply magic cracks away. They’re there whether you like it or not however, you can prevent them from getting any worse and as they say, prevention is indeed better than cure. If you can see one, it’s safe to say there are plenty more cracks so it’s best to avoid abusing the worktop in ways that could encourage more, such as with constant heat and moisture exposure as these can tend to encourage current cracks to get bigger and more to appear. Ensure you’re doing all you can to protect your worktops by using them only for what they were intended:
- Do not sit on them
- Do not place hot pans directly on them
- Do not use harsh chemicals on them
- Clean spills right away to avoid acidic reactions
- Do not place any hot appliances directly on them
Are Your Countertops Sealed?
Natural and even semi-natural (quartz) stone, as tough and durable as it is, will always be a little unpredictable however this can be exacerbated even further when the worktop itself isn’t treated to a professional sealant. A great way to explain just how important professional sealant is, is to use the subject of acid. Acid, from food, drink or even cleaning products can not only stain your worktops but cause cracks to worsen through chemical reactions.
These chemical reactions can only occur when the acid seeps through into the pores and this will happen almost immediately if your worktop isn’t sealed. Ensure you have a professional sealant on your worktop, and make sure it’s resealed annually and you can ensure that acid plays no part in making natural cracks worse. It’s also important to maintain a proper seal around sinks and splash backs too as the water, slowly seeping into the surface of the stone can begin to cause more problems than good.
The Only Way Is Granite Has You Covered
If you’d like further help and advice when it comes to stone worktops and cracking, then please don’t hesitate to contact our team. As previously mentioned, here at The Only Way Is Granite, we virtually live and breath stone worktops. We understand their traits and we know how to ensure that natural cracks are not only covered but prevented from worsening over time. We can provide professional sealant services as well as repair and restore surfaces too.
Our team of expert installers and repair staff can ensure your worktops look as good as new, not only by providing the aforementioned services but giving you the information you need to ensure you maintain and look after your worktops as best you can, day to day.
Just call our team today on 01277 800 023 or email us via [email protected] for more information. Better yet, why not book a free consultation where we’ll be able to give you more hands on advice.