Are Granite Countertops Porous

Granite countertops are porous if left unsealed.

Are granite countertops porous.

To protect your countertop you will need to seal it and re seal when appropriate. However there are some potential weaknesse cons countertop granite kitchen low maintenance options porous prices pros sealing staining. Polishing the stone creates a flat smooth surface that reduces the porosity. All natural stone possesses some degree of porosity.

Even worse germs bacteria and mold can invade unsealed granite counter tops with stains running not far behind. Another way to increase the cleanliness of granite countertops is by choosing a polished finish. Polished granite is the most durable most granite countertops are polished then sealed making them nearly impermeable. Also granite is immune from the damages of most common household acids.

Unlike a honed finish a polished finish seals most of the pores on the surface of the stone. Even when the granite is sealed messes should be wiped up with a cloth as quickly as possible. This makes it even harder for the stone to harbor bacteria. Granite is a porous material.

Granite countertops deliver gorgeous aesthetics in kitchens and bathrooms and have other good qualities. One of the hardest and strongest materials in nature granite originated from the earth s core as liquid magma. Most fabricators will apply a sealer to granite countertops before they are installed which will protect them from absorbing liquids too quickly. Like all natural stone granite is susceptible to liquid sinking into its surface.

Polished granite is less porous than other finishes and repels moisture more easily. While granite is porous there is a way to protect your countertops from liquid damages or stains. Being porous is not necessarily a bad quality. Alas its porous surface is granite s kryptonite.

Because it s porous granite needs to be sealed and resealed every year to help resist stains and bacteria. In fact granite is consistently rated the top performing kitchen countertop material by leading consumer magazines when compared with quartz countertops an excellent countertop material butcher block ceramic tile stainless steel and other manufactured surfaces. How porous your granite countertop is will depend on how it is finished and how it is treated.