To fix a small chip in your granite countertop yourself follow these steps.

Purchase medium viscosity CA glue (super glue) from a local hobby store. Should only cost about $4 - $5.

Make sure the chip is clean and dry. Clean with acetone or nail polish remover.

Depending on the stone you may want to darken the affected area with a marker (as cat mom did) or a crayon. For lighter stones, or stones with a lot of quartz this step is usually not needed.

Apply just enough CA glue to completely encapsulate the chip, (you don't want to apply way too much or the next step will take a while) and wait for the glue to completely cure, (CA accelerators are sold which cure the glue immediately for less than $10 but be careful on light colored stones as they can create what we in the industry call a 'bloom' which is an ugly green stain which is very hard to remove.

Take a single edge razor blade and hold it perpendicular to the stone, and with a quick back and forth motion 'shave' the glue off a little at a time until you remove all the excess glue. This process will only take a couple of minutes, and will result in a filled chip undetectable to the human hand.

If desired the completed are can be polished up a little with extra fine steel wool or toothpaste.

Hope you found this information useful. For any questions relating to granite countertops, or hiring qualified pros, check out the Stone Fabricators Alliance Forum.
Alex DiPietro

Here is a link that might be useful: Stone Fabricators Alliance (SFA)

• Granite & Quartz: Microfiber cloth along with one of the following...
  
  • 50/50 mix of alcohol & water
    
  • Hand dish detergent & water (go light on the detergent if your stone is dark)
    
  • "Method" granite cleaner & polish
    
  • "Perfect Kitchen" (sold at BB&B)
    
  • **Warning** Don't use plumber's putty on your marble or granite counters to install your faucets or soap dispensers or with a composite granite (e.g., Silgranit) sink

Question: Do those of you with marble use the alcohol/water mix, detergent/water mix, Method, or Perfect Kitchen?

• Stainless Steel Appliances: Microfiber cloth along with one of the following...
  
  • Weiman SS Cleaner/Polish in the silver can
    
  • Pledge in the brown can
    
  • 3M SS Cleaner and Polish (aerosol spray)
• Stainless Steel Sinks:
  
  • Mild detergent & water
    
  • BarKeeper's Friend (it will also help minimize the look of scratches on the bottom of a sink)
• Nickel fixtures (polished or brushed):
  
  • Mild detergent & water
    
  • **Warning** Don't install a nickel strainer or drain (stick with Stainless Steel or Chrome)
    
  • **Warning** Don't use BarKeeper's Friend or other chemicals on nickel
    
  • **Warning** Don't use bleach on nickel
• Ceramic/Glass cooktops/ranges:
  
  • Ceramic/glass oven surface cleaner
    
  • Razor blade for stuck-on food
• Tile Floors & Backsplashes:
  
  • Hot water should be all you need for most of the time.
    
  • If you need a grease-cutter, use Oxyclean.
    
  • Do not use vinegar or vinegar-containing products. Vinegar works by eating away at the grout, little by little. It'll literally burn the grout away over time.
• Non-Ceramic/Glass top ranges/cooktops:
  
  • "Perfect Kitchen" for spot cleaning the black enamel burner pans on Wolf ranges
• Hardwood Floors:
  
  • Bona Hardwood Floor Cleaner
• Slate Floors:
  
  • TBD
• Slate Backsplashes:
  
  • TBD

Celticmoon, I saw your threads earlier about gel stain on your cabinets, and may I say I was awed and inspired! I rushed right out to get gel stain to refinish these yellow birch cabinets I have.

My first attempt was extremely blotchy. I thought maybe this was because there is very little finish on these cabs, so I put a quick coat of spray poly on and tried again. This version is much better but still not smooth enough. I wondered if you'd take a look and give me some advice?

Here is my photo:

Thanks, Anita