Sealing of Natural Stones Like Granite

The general notion is that sealing of natural stones like granite does have long-term advantages. It is generally regarded as a small investment towards making surfaces like granite countertops more resistant against dirt and spillages that are a part of every day domestic routines. However, this cannot be regarded as a generalization for all granite installations or other natural stones that are used. Sometimes, the overuse or unwarranted utilization of topical sealers has been known to compromise the surface appearance and the overall texture and finishing of the stone.

Granite Countertop Sealing — It is now believed that most of granite countertop installations may or may need sealing depending upon the kind of daily usage it would be exposed to, i.e. it the homeowners are careful enough to regularly clean their granite countertop after each session of cooking or after using the granite surface in any other way, the need for sealing is greatly reduced. However, if the granite countertops that are about to be installed will be exposed to a lot of daily use without being looked after, particularly high volumes of water or oil spillage, then using a sealant is advised. This helps to reduce the volume of moisture and other fluids that could seep deep into the granite surface, thereby adding to its durability.

Understanding Sealing Requirement
There are some other factors that need to be considered while trying to determine if sealing a granite installation is actually needed:
· Will the stone be frequently exposed to weathering agents, particularly of the chemical type like detergents, soaps and other household cleaners?
· Does the quality of stone procured provide appreciable natural anti-porous qualities?
· What type of finish has been planned? (Polished granite surfaces will naturally repel water and staining agents but honed ones could benefit from sealing)

Current Trends — the contemporary stone industry has many granite installation configurations on offer and each of the countertop vendors may or may not insist upon the use of a sealant. However, most of the granite being sourced today has some degree of resin treatment which is done at the factory site where granite blocks and slabs are prepared and then polished.

_Treatment with Resins
The resin treatment is an innovative method that is being increasingly used to fill-up the minute spaces, invisible to the naked eye, like microscopic fissures or other surface-based indentations that are an inherent part of natural stones extracted from the depths of the Earth’s surface. Resin treatment can be simply understood as a method of correcting what are essentially imperfections that seep into granite due to the manner in which it is created and not due to the fault of the provider or the vendor. The entire marble/granite industry is trying hard to gradually move towards resin-treated granite, though granite slabs without resin treatment too are not weaker in any apparent way.

_Resin Treatment and Sealing
Granite that has been resin-treated during the procurement stage has a lesser requirement for any kind of sealing. However, those who like perfection in what they are buying and do not want to entertain even the possibility of any issues creeping-up even after decades of use could opt for resin-treated granite installations and further get them sealed.