Anyone out there have any luck gluing granite? Customer asked me to glue a 1″ granite trim piece back onto the underside of the front edge of his outdoor granite countertop.
Whatever the original installer used has no adhesion at this point and just flakes off.
I’m thinking epoxy; or maybe library paste 🙂
What has worked for you?
BruceT
Replies
Silicone and clamps?
All the granite I've seen installed was in the form of a counter top, so it wasnt going to move anyway, But the installers used a granite adhesive.
All of the granite backsplashes I've removed have been held with silicon adhesive - sturdy enough to stay put, but easiest enough to pull off with a 5-in-1 and pry bar. Not sure if it would be the same deal for under a countertop - but I'm also having a hard time picturing what a 1" piece under an outdoor countertop would look like...
You could likely find some granite adhesive at a good supply house, though. Epoxy might be more trouble than it's worth.
Justin Fink - FHB Editorial
Your Friendly Neighborhood Moderator
I am a granite fabricator with some opinions on this. I use epoxy to glue up my edges but a lot of fabricators are still using polyester resin. Unfortunately they are not compatible so if you want to use one you have to remove any trace of the existing adhesive for maximum strength.
I typically use CA (cyanoacrylate) adhesive aka superglue for emergency repairs like this. I don't know how it will hold up over the long haul but I have had great luck with it over the last two years. i do know epoxy holds up better than it in a wet environment.
Apply the ca glue liberally and hold the piece in place while it sets. You can apply more glue to fill voids and then use steel wool to work down the excess glue flush with the stone. If you need a bit more shine on the glue line apply a bit of paste wax. It won't match the granite polish but it will blend ok.
Using heptane as an accelerator makes the CA much more user friendly, especially for using it to fill pits and voids. One word of caution, if you use too much accelerator the glue will overheat and turn white instead of curing clear. Just mist a bit of accelerator near the glue and it will still speed up the cure significantly. I dont have a remedy if the glue turns white. I have resorted to digging it out with a sharp point, adding an appropriate color from a sharpie pen and then applying more clear glue over it but it is mediocre at hiding the white color.
The big question is why did the piece break off in the first place????
Karl