Photo: Artazum (Shutterstock)
Design trends come and go, but certain materials persist. Granite and other natural stones are always popular countertop choices in kitchens and bathrooms because of their natural beauty and incredible durability—granite can last for decades if properly cared for. But being durable doesn’t necessarily mean indestructible, and after a while, you’ll probably find a chip or tiny crack somewhere on your counter. That doesn’t mean your countertop is about to fail, and chances are, you can ignore a small imperfection entirely while living your best life. But if a chip bugs you, the good news is that it’s going to be easy to repair.
The first consideration when repairing a chip or small crack in a granite countertop is the color and pattern of your slab. Light, busy patterns are easier to repair because you can just use a clear filler material, and the pattern and color will come through and make the repair almost invisible. But if your slab doesn’t have a lot of pebbling or veining and is more of a solid color, it may require a more robust effort at color-matching your slab.
How to repair a chip in granite
The basic procedure for repairing a chip or small crack in your granite is pretty simple:
Clean. Clean the area around the damage thoroughly. It’s a good idea to use a cleaning product designed specifically for granite or acetone to ensure that you really get the area clean. Any residual grime or dust can compromise the filler. Tape. Use masking tape to isolate the damage. This will help you be accurate with your filling material and prevent making a mess as well as help orient you if the chip is hard to see (which is often the case with busy granite patterns). Fill. Filling a small crack or chip in a granite slab with busy patterns can be done using nothing more complicated than superglue. Just fill the open area with glue until it’s flush with the level of the counter. Wait a minimum of 24 hours for the glue to set and dry. Alternatively, you can use any clear epoxy. Just fill in the damage as above, and follow the curing directions on the package. Sand and buff. Once the filler has cured, take a razor blade and scrape off any excess until you can’t feel a bump. Then take some fine grit sandpaper and gently buff the repair until it shines and matches the polish of the rest of the counter. Now remove the tape and clean the area.That will work very well for counters with a lot of pattern because the clear filler will blend into the existing countertop seamlessly. But if your counter is more monochromatic, you might need to color match the stone more closely. You have two options for doing that:
Grind. With a clear filler like epoxy or superglue, you can try adding a small amount of granite dust to it before filling. This involves taking a diamond-tip drill bit and grinding out some dust from your granite—either from an inconspicuous spot (e.g., from the underside of the counter) or a remnant piece of stone left over from the installation if you have some. You don’t need too much—a teaspoon of dust is probably more than enough. Mix it into your filler before working it into the chip, and it will match up very closely. If you get the proportions correct, this is your best chance for a perfect match.Use a kit. You can also purchase stone repair kits that offer color-matching options. FillaChip kits come with everything you need to repair natural stone with color options, though they can be pricey. If you know the color you need, you can purchase a basic kit and a single color syringe for a lot less, and there are other kits available that offer different color solutions.
For most minor chips and cracks in a typical granite countertop, however, you can fix it using the superglue you have in your junk drawer and a little time. The repair will be almost unnoticeable, and your counters will remain useful and attractive for years to come.
