What Causes Etching On Polished Granite Countertops

Etching is part of the reason i chose honed instead of polished countertops.

What causes etching on polished granite countertops.

Etching is dulling of the polished granite surface by the chemical action of acids. Once you ve put a fresh polish on your granite surfaces they need to be sealed. The best thing to do to protect your granite countertops from stains is to clean up spills as. If your granite countertop s dullness is due to light surface etching granite polishing powder may be able to remove it.

Granite and quartzite are also great alternatives. If you re researching marble for your kitchen countertop you might be wondering how strong the acid needs to be. While severe damage may require professional repair homeowners can fix most mildly etched granite surfaces themselves. What specifically causes etching on marble countertops.

Honed countertops have already been dulled either by a machine or an acid bath. A polished finish is the shiny high gloss type of finish with the deepest color saturation commonly seen on marble and granite countertops. This duller more matte stone is more casual and easy to live with in my opinion since it naturally shows etches dull spots. Once it s smoothed out the granite can be buffed polished or honed and then sealed for protection.

Although it is resistant to etching acids and other corrosive agents may etch its surface. Common household cleaning products can be a detriment to the professional finish atop granite countertops as can fruit and acidic juices vinegar wine coffee soda bleach and ammonia. When water seeps into your granite countertop it leaves a dark spot that evaporates in a few minutes and returns to normal. But substances like cooking oils that don t evaporate can cause permanent stains if they re allowed to soak into the stone.

Because a polished shiny finish is so common many people believe that all marble is supposed to be polished or shiny. Etching is commonly caused by liquids that are acidic in nature. This will maintain the gleam while protecting the porous stone from stains. However as noted above marble or nearly any stone can have a number of different finish types.

Most professionals choose a penetrating sealer because they. Our guide to sealing granite countertops is a good place to learn about the process and products required. What causes etching on granite countertops. They are matte and soft compared to shiny polished stone.

The powder is slightly abrasive so it removes shallow scratches stains. Common causes of etching. Since etching can remove the polish or sealant from marble the stone can become more vulnerable to scratching as well.