We have new granite countertops. What is the best sealer to use to keep them looking good and stain free?
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Homeowners and fabricators can make the same test. Leave water on a slab for 10-15 minutes and then remove it; if water doesn’t darken the stone when it’s removed, the granite won’t absorb water-based staining material. If you’re shaping an edge on a granite top by working wet, and the stone doesn’t stay dark when the water is removed, it won’t absorb a water-based sealer, either.
You can use a solvent test to see if a solvent- or petroleum-based stain will enter the granite. Simply dab some mineral oil on the slab and leave for 5-l0 minutes. If, after you remove it, it doesn’t darken the stone, neither will a staining agent.
If it does go dark, no worries about damaging the granite with the test; the mineral oil will completely evaporate, leaving the stone its natural color. But, this will tell you that you can use a solvent-based sealer to protect against oil—based stains.
In short, if the granite goes dark with either water or mineral oil, then seal. lf there is no color change alter testing with these two liquids, you do not really need a sealer on your granite countertop