I want to go over sealing again: how to seal your countertops, what products to use, and how to feel comfortable that you’re not going to have a stain.
First of all, I want to tackle: what is a sealer and why do you use it?
A sealer is a solvent that will go into the surface, penetrate it, if you’re using an impregnator – which is what we suggest – penetrates the surface, goes into the pores, plugs up the pores to keep your countertop from staining.
A stain can happen if something on the surface stays long enough unwiped and goes into the surface and stains. The shallower the surface stain is, the easier it is to remove it. Therefore, I want to use the best possible sealer. The best sealer that I know of is Dry-Treat STAIN PROOF. It can last up to five to ten years. Of course, you should test that.
I’m going to apply the sealant very simply with a rag or a paint brush. I’m going to leave it long enough to absorb, but I’m going to wipe it earlier, before it dries, so it doesn’t leave a haze.
Now don’t worry; if you don’t do that, you let it sit too long, you can always apply another coat. The future coat will eat into the last coat, will eat the haze up. As long as you wipe it early enough with a microfiber, you will not leave a haze. It’ll be streak-free. The polish will look great, so don’t panic if that happens.
Always use impregnator sealer because you want to go into the pores and you do not want a topical that stays on the surface, that blocks the polish of the granite. You want to go into the pores, let the polish stay shiny, but also provide protection. You can always water-test your granite, that means put water on top of the surface, at any point to determine if it needs to be resealed, or you can just say, “Every six months or a year I’m going to reseal my countertops.”
Every single countertop out there has a different density than another. Therefore, some don’t need to be resealed at all. Others need to be sealed every three months. Or if you put five or six coats on in the front, you may not have to reseal it for 10 or 15 years. The reality is you don’t have to worry. You can always water-test it and find out if you’re blocking anything from going underneath or if you’re actually exposed and you need to reseal.
