| We asked Ken Thompson the Operations Manager at | | | | To limit staining all granite countertops and marble |
| Stone by Nature, America's largest online vanity top | | | | surfaces should be sealed with a quality stone sealer. |
| provider to give us some practical pointers on caring | | | | Form granite vanity tops or marble vanity tops seal |
| for granite and marble countertops including the need | | | | these surfaces once per year or when water |
| to apply a quality stone sealer. | | | | spotting is observed. For granite kitchen countertops |
| Over the past decade the affordability of granite and | | | | reseal once every two years, for marble kitchen |
| marble products has seen a dramatic increase of | | | | countertops every year. |
| natural stone countertops and flooring being used in | | | | Stone sealers come in two forms, water based or |
| American's homes. There are some differences in the | | | | petroleum based. Water based stone sealers are |
| care and upkeep of natural stone surfaces versus | | | | most commonly found in home hardware stores as |
| manmade materials like Corian, Zodiac, Laminates etc. | | | | they are not classified as a hazardous material so if |
| Granite and Marble are two distinct materials, granite | | | | you want a petroleum based stone sealer you will |
| is a hard igneous rock that is scratch and heat | | | | likely have to find a stone fabrication supply store. |
| resistant, Marble is a metamorphosed rock that is | | | | Water based stone sealers are fine for homeowners, |
| much softer and more susceptible to scratching and | | | | they do not penetrate the stone as well as |
| staining. | | | | petroleum based stone sealers so will not last as long. |
| All natural stone is porous meaning that it will absorb | | | | Follow instructions on the package, a quick tip, do not |
| liquids, so let's use grape juice as an example, granite | | | | leave the stone sealer on your granite or marble |
| vanity tops, marble vanity tops, granite or marble | | | | countertops too long without polishing clear as you |
| kitchen countertops will absorb the colored juice, the | | | | could end up with a cloudy residue on your stone, |
| water will eventually evaporate but leave the colored | | | | use steel wool to remove if this happens. |
| material behind, you now have a stain on your natural | | | | Watch for more articles on cleaning and care of |
| stone. | | | | granite countertops. |