FOOD NEWS
What You Need To Know Before Putting Granite Counters In Your Kitchen
By Julia Mullaney
Granite is a popular choice for kitchen counters because it's rock-hard and can handle spills, heat, and heavy use, but there are a few things to know before making the switch.
Switching to granite counters can be costly, and prices are ever-changing. Factors like stone thickness, quality, and countertop square footage make the price difficult to predict.
Granite is porous and has tiny, barely visible holes that allow liquid or air to pass through. It has to be sealed to prevent damage and stains from unwanted moisture.
It's sealed during the initial installation and needs to be resealed every 12 to 18 months. Clean it well, coat it with a granite sealant, let it dry, then wipe it down.
Granite's color impacts how frequently it should be resealed: Lighter granite can be more porous and might need to be sealed sooner than brown or black granite.
If you don't know how to reseal granite, you can hire a professional to do it, though it may cost a couple hundred dollars in addition to the cost of the counters themselves.