Repolishing granite...

[nickds1]

Slightly odd one this....

We have black granite highly polished worktops in our kitchen - not solid black - bits of quartz,/mica in there too so it doesn't show grease etc easily - pure/solid black is a nightmare...

So, after 17 years of intensive use, one or two sections have a slight "bloom" on them, e.g. the areas next to the main cooker...

I was wondering if it's possible to repolish /revive the finish with T-cut/mop/power drill or similar?

Had anyone tried this?

 

[robgul]

STOP - don't use a mop/grinder or whatever - it will not work, it'll leave circular marks/scores - so I was advised by the supplier of our granite worktops*

Our utility room has granite worktops that are at least 15 years old and were a bit dull. The advice when I enquired about re-polishing etc was :

You can remove the Limescale deposits with some fine wire wool this won’t scratch the worktops just rub it gently and then seal the worktops with something like Brillo .
Brillo will seal the worktops and also enhance the colour so will make them look a bit darker . Both are available from our supplier CMS .
Wire Wool 1/2lb Pack Fine Grade - Combined Masonry Supplies
https://www.masonrysupplies.co.uk/product/brillo-silicone-polish-and-sealer-for-granitemarble-and-stone-750ml/

Brillo in this context is not the steel wool/soap-filled scourers (are they still available?) but a chemical. I did exactly what Michael said and the result is amazing - smooth and shiny almost like new. Downside is that I only needed about a quarter of a cup of the stuff but had to buy 750ml which cost £15 + £10 delivery + VAT = £30. If you lived nearer you'd be welcome to have some from the can that will certainly outlast me. I reckon once every 3 or 4 years will be ample to retain the appearance.

* the new granite was in the kitchen where we replaced the old granite - the colour/pattern was an awful leopard-print sort of marbling - we now have black. Upside was that I sold the old granite for £500.

 

[baldkev]

don't use a mop/grinder or whatever - it will not work, it'll leave circular marks/scores

You can with the right kit.... ive fitted a few quartz worktops in kitchens and bathrooms, had to cut and polish edges a few times, its all about working through the grits methodically. I used a dewalt car polisher fitted with a backing pad and wet n dry papers, down to 4k.
Heat is bad news, so a variable speed polisher was a must.

# I wholly recommend a soft approach as rob suggests #
My reply was just to illustrate for future searches that it is possible without too much kit

 

[robgul]

You can with the right kit.... ive fitted a few quartz worktops in kitchens and bathrooms, had to cut and polish edges a few times, its all about working through the grits methodically. I used a dewalt car polisher fitted with a backing pad and wet n dry papers, down to 4k.
Heat is bad news, so a variable speed polisher was a must.

# I wholly recommend a soft approach as rob suggests #
My reply was just to illustrate for future searches that it is possible without too much kit

The advice I was given related to the surface/top areas with the Brillo stuff - although I did do the edge too (just a single run about 3m long x ~30mm.

 

[XTiffy]

robgul,
your post is very interesting as I have the whole of a kitchen's Black granite worktops stored away, ready to install in Daughter's house (when it is built). Any restoration that may have to be carried out will benefit from your post. Thank you Had a weekend in Stratford some years ago (naval reunion), lovely surroundings and pubs!

 

[Ollie78]

I have done a bit of granite polishing. I bought a kit of polishing heads for 4 inch grinder. They are a bit like trizact, little blocks of abrasive attached to a velcro backing.
The kit had about 10 grits, you need to use a lot of water and go through the grits. Be gentle and let the grinder sort of float on surface. Took a while but it came up shiny in the end.

Ollie

 

[robgul]

robgul,
your post is very interesting as I have the whole of a kitchen's Black granite worktops stored away, ready to install in Daughter's house (when it is built). Any restoration that may have to be carried out will benefit from your post. Thank you Had a weekend in Stratford some years ago (naval reunion), lovely surroundings and pubs!

Ah - I'm guessing that would have been at what used to be called The Falcon Hotel - they specialised in military reunion events. It's now all changed into an expensive boutique-style place with horrendously expensive restaurant.

The Brillo stuff really was quite remarkably effective on the rather tired granite - still hate the pattern but about £1,800 to replace (+ a new sink) can't be justified - we did fit a new matt black tapand tiled the wall which sharpens it up a bit.

 

[baldkev]

Thank you Had a weekend in Stratford some years ago

I used to go up for the bulldog. Since then ive been up a number of times with the mrs. The m.a.d museum is well worth a visit!

 

[robgul]

I used to go up for the bulldog. Since then ive been up a number of times with the mrs. The m.a.d museum is well worth a visit!

Ah, the Bulldog Bash site is no more - the airfield/drag strip etc is being slowly covered in houses - as is the adjacent army depot.

 

[XTiffy]

Hello Rob,
We didn't stay at the Falcon but some other Hilton type establishment. We did frquent the Falcon though as the attached photo will show. A great shame that these places get destroyed by going "up market". Bye the way agree about Barry Bucknell!

 

[robgul]

Hello Rob,
We didn't stay at the Falcon but some other Hilton type establishment. We did frquent the Falcon though as the attached photo will show. A great shame that these places get destroyed by going "up market". Bye the way agree about Barry Bucknell!

Down by the river - opened as a Hilton, became a Moat House then a Holiday Inn and currently a Crowne Plaza - but everyone still calls it the Hilton

.... and Barry Bucknell . . . the BBC 100 years Harry Enfield spoof programme the other night had a clip of Barry "bringing a panelled door up-to-date" - nailing a sheet of hardboard onto both sides. Those were the days.

 

[XTiffy]

Hello Rob,
Such memories! I remember my Sister and Brother-in-Law doing just that to a flat in South London around 1962, doors and staircase balusters.
Brother-in-Law passed away at 86 last week, sadly my sister died at the age of 61 in 2004. As an antiques Furniture Restorer spent loads of time removing such "upgrades". It all comes back around eventially.
Albert

 

[Fergie 307]

You can with the right kit.... ive fitted a few quartz worktops in kitchens and bathrooms, had to cut and polish edges a few times, its all about working through the grits methodically. I used a dewalt car polisher fitted with a backing pad and wet n dry papers, down to 4k.
Heat is bad news, so a variable speed polisher was a must.

# I wholly recommend a soft approach as rob suggests #
My reply was just to illustrate for future searches that it is possible without too much kit

You can buy glass polishing kits which also work well on granite tops. Just beware that using a regular angle grinder is probably not a good idea, much too fast. Polishers which may look similar actually run much slower.

 

[baldkev]

Ah, the Bulldog Bash site is no more - the airfield/drag strip etc is being slowly covered in houses - as is the adjacent army depot.

Yep, terrible loss. It was a great weekend and the locals seemed to like looking at the bikes in stratford parked up by the river. Mind you, the police took an unhealthy obsession with the festival goers.
The nomads used to do in house security i saw a guy trying his best to pick a fight with a couple of angels, after a while a 4x4 rocked up, they knocked him over, tied his ankles to a rope and drove off up towards the entrance. Im pretty sure he got eviicted ( with heavy gravel rash )
I looked it up a while back and found it'd been sold to developers

We stayed in a 'tree house' in wotton under edge? Last time we went, which was probably 6 years ago now!( basically a glamping pod on stilts up in the trees, with a hot tub on the balcony )
Lovely site

 

[Benpointer]

Slightly odd one this....

We have black granite highly polished worktops in our kitchen - not solid black - bits of quartz,/mica in there too so it doesn't show grease etc easily - pure/solid black is a nightmare...

So, after 17 years of intensive use, one or two sections have a slight "bloom" on them, e.g. the areas next to the main cooker...

I was wondering if it's possible to repolish /revive the finish with T-cut/mop/power drill or similar?

Had anyone tried this?

Not that it helps you Nick (sorry) but I'd just like to say that we've have a solid black granite top on our island unit with a flush inset black induction hob for 10 years and is still looks absolutely gorgeous. Yes, it shows the finger marks but a quick wipe down with soapy water each day gets rid of them. No blooms or discolouration at all.

So I'd say to anybody considering a black worktop, don't discount a solid black one. We'll be fitting another in our next house for sure!

 

[Lons]

I fitted a lot of kitchens before I retired and a fair number of granite worktops, I agree about black btw, looks great if it's cared for and treated with respect.
Just to add to the polishing tool, I never trusted a grinder and not even my ROS so I bought a dual action car polisher which is a lot kinder and will actually stop rotating if you apply too much pressure so less chance of heat damage. I now use the same machine, new pads of course, to detail my car.
You can buy DA machines these days for around £60 or £70 and they sometimes come up s/h on ebay and facebook market place.

 

[Reffc]

I'd agree. I did the same and bought a DAS 6 Pro D/A polisher. As well as paying for itself removing scratches from our cars, it's an excellent polisher for granite workstops. As with car bodywork, the secret to avoiding swirl marks or heat is not to press down on it and use it at a moderate speed setting. You literally only need the weight of the polisher and keep it moving across the surface. I've also found that some carnauba polishes work brilliantly on granite worktops provided they've been worked down the grits to 4000 or so