We just picked up a small granite vanity top for the common bathroom. It was a second and in nice shape, but just as I’m going to install it I noticed a quarter sized scratch (or really) like a smudge. Not as deep as a scratch but noticeable. There has got to be a way to touch this up. I’m thinking along the lines of rubbing compound and a buffer polisher. Does anyone have experience with this?
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Compound might work, OTOH, oil based compound may contaminate the stone and produce a worse result than you have now.
My granite guys would probably attack it with their fancy diamond impregnated sanding pads on a 4-1/2" grinder. I think the grits go down to something like 1500 or 2000 - all I know for sure is that it is shiny when they are done, produces some dust and does not take them virtually any time to complete.
If it is a surface blemish or extremely porous area of stone, they would probably fill it first with a color matched filler.
If I were you and the top was not too big, I would transport it to a granite fabricator and have them repair it in their shop.
Jim
My experience is that polishing out a scratch in granite, is non productive. The touch-up area never matches the factory finish. I've been told it has something to with silicone in the factory polishing.
maybe do the whole top, but I wouldn't
Thanks and a bump for the weekend.
If it isn't deep enough to call it a scratch and you don't have experience polishing granite surfaces I would suggest you try to disguise it.
It would help if you mentioned the color.
Dark colors like black or Uba Tuba you could try using a black or brown sharpie pen to disguise the scratch.
There is a color enhancing sealer called Ager made by tenax that will deepen the color of scratches to a closer match with the surrounding stone.
There is another product called Pectro that is great for blending surface imperfections in with the surronding stone.
Tenax makes the ager and the pectro.
Waxing the surface might help.
If it really is a scratch I would try cleaning it with acetone and a clean rag. Then put a small amount of super glue (thin cyanoacrylate) in the scratched area trying to contain it to the scratch. If necessary tape off the area to define it and contain the glue. Use steel wool to buff down the super glue to a level that matches the stone. Use coarser steel wool initially to remove the surplus glue and finish with a fine steel wool to give the super glue a smoother finish.
Reparing blemishes in granite is a real art and it is difficult to advise someone without seeing it. I doubt it would be a good value to call in a professional for something as small as a vanity.
The color as labeled is antique moss, which is almost black with mixed dark green hews. Thanks again