Hello - We got about a quarter inch round chip in our Uba Tuba Granite
when a glass salt shaker fell from the top cabinet. Does anyone have
any suggestions or home remedies that the do it yourselfer could try
to fill the chip. I noticed there may be some professional granite
fill products, but they seem complicated. I'm not too worried about
an exact color match, just looking for something to fill the hole as
it is unfortunately in a very noticeable section of the counter. I
was thinking like clear silicon, but then thought that may not stick
to it or be good for a food prep area. What is generally done about
chips of this size, or is the answer simply leave it alone and live
with it.

Also, any recommendation on what brand or type of sealer to use on Uba
Tuba granite would be appreciated.

Kind regards to all that help or share their view.

"fishcakes" wrote in message
oups.com...
Hello - We got about a quarter inch round chip in our Uba Tuba Granite
when a glass salt shaker fell from the top cabinet. Does anyone have
any suggestions or home remedies that the do it yourselfer could try
to fill the chip. I noticed there may be some professional granite
fill products, but they seem complicated. I'm not too worried about
an exact color match, just looking for something to fill the hole as
it is unfortunately in a very noticeable section of the counter. I
was thinking like clear silicon, but then thought that may not stick
to it or be good for a food prep area. What is generally done about
chips of this size, or is the answer simply leave it alone and live
with it.

Can't help you, but you made me feel better about not getting granite when
we redid our kitchen.
Granite was beautiful, but corian just seemed more practical. Sorry about
your problem, but thanks for sharing.

On Apr 27, 9:22 am, "Toller" wrote:
"fishcakes" wrote in message

oups.com... Hello - We got about a quarter inch round chip in our Uba Tuba Granite
when a glass salt shaker fell from the top cabinet. Does anyone have
any suggestions or home remedies that the do it yourselfer could try
to fill the chip. I noticed there may be some professional granite
fill products, but they seem complicated. I'm not too worried about
an exact color match, just looking for something to fill the hole as
it is unfortunately in a very noticeable section of the counter. I
was thinking like clear silicon, but then thought that may not stick
to it or be good for a food prep area. What is generally done about
chips of this size, or is the answer simply leave it alone and live
with it.

Can't help you, but you made me feel better about not getting granite when
we redid our kitchen.
Granite was beautiful, but corian just seemed more practical. Sorry about
your problem, but thanks for sharing.

Toller - thanks. We were struggling with granite vs corian or
silestone as well. There really wasn't that much difference in price,
granite a tiny bit more, but the deciding factor was certainly the
appearance but also the contractor told us that granite is also
virtually indestructible and that it just needs to be sealed
occasionally. Well, we learned our lesson, any natural stone is prone
to cracks or chips if hit in the right/weak place. I don't know if
there are different grades of granite, if there is, maybe just got a
bad piece. The contractor wants no part of fixing the problem; said
there is nothing to do about it except replace the piece.....at OUR
expense! I don't want to pursue it with them anyway, I can't imagine
ripping out our entire counter to replace it again and upset
everything else in the kitchen which is brand new. Next kitchen, 30
years from now..Corian or silestone...

According to fishcakes :
Hello - We got about a quarter inch round chip in our Uba Tuba Granite
when a glass salt shaker fell from the top cabinet. Does anyone have
any suggestions or home remedies that the do it yourselfer could try
to fill the chip. I noticed there may be some professional granite
fill products, but they seem complicated. I'm not too worried about
an exact color match, just looking for something to fill the hole as
it is unfortunately in a very noticeable section of the counter. I
was thinking like clear silicon, but then thought that may not stick
to it or be good for a food prep area. What is generally done about
chips of this size, or is the answer simply leave it alone and live
with it.

Probably the best "amateur" fix for this would be to use epoxy, mixed
with small amounts of dye/color (eg: artist dye powders) to make it less
glaringly obvious. 5 minute epoxy would do, but it'd be better to
use one of the longer open time formulations that's not nearly
as thick. The West Systems sample kit (around $10 at marine supply,
canoe builder supply, many woodworking hobby stores etc) probably has
enough material to do the job.

If you use something thick, you'll need to force it level (eg:
wax paper under a wooden block) and squeeze out will be a PITA.
West will self-level. If you end up having to sand it, you'll
have to polish the result to get some gloss back.

After a day or two, the repair will be almost as hard as the rest
of the countertop. Silicone is just too soft.
--
Chris Lewis,

Age and Treachery will Triumph over Youth and Skill
It's not just anyone who gets a Starship Cruiser class named after them.

According to fishcakes :
On Apr 27, 9:22 am, "Toller" wrote:

Can't help you, but you made me feel better about not getting granite when
we redid our kitchen.
Granite was beautiful, but corian just seemed more practical. Sorry about
your problem, but thanks for sharing.

Toller - thanks. We were struggling with granite vs corian or
silestone as well. There really wasn't that much difference in price,
granite a tiny bit more, but the deciding factor was certainly the
appearance but also the contractor told us that granite is also
virtually indestructible and that it just needs to be sealed
occasionally. Well, we learned our lesson, any natural stone is prone
to cracks or chips if hit in the right/weak place. I don't know if
there are different grades of granite, if there is, maybe just got a
bad piece. The contractor wants no part of fixing the problem; said
there is nothing to do about it except replace the piece.....at OUR
expense! I don't want to pursue it with them anyway, I can't imagine
ripping out our entire counter to replace it again and upset
everything else in the kitchen which is brand new. Next kitchen, 30
years from now..Corian or silestone...

Out of curiousity, for the Corian users out there... I've personally
not seen much installed Corian, and all of the stuff I've seen just looks,
er, grubby. Minor scratches - driven in dirt. Ends up looking like
a stained plastic cutting board.

Yes, I know, the scratches can be buffed/sanded out (if you can figure
out some way to match gloss level). And yes, all of the in-use counters
I've seen have been white, accentuating the grubby, and other colors/patterns
would hide much of it.

It just seems to me to be a bit too soft for a countertop. Even white
laminate stands up better.

Still happy with Corian?
--
Chris Lewis,

Age and Treachery will Triumph over Youth and Skill
It's not just anyone who gets a Starship Cruiser class named after them.

If you use something thick, you'll need to force it level (eg:
wax paper under a wooden block) and squeeze out will be a PITA.
West will self-level. If you end up having to sand it, you'll
have to polish the result to get some gloss back.

After a day or two, the repair will be almost as hard as the rest
of the countertop. Silicone is just too soft.
--
Chris Lewis,



I agree with Chris. Silicone is way too soft and epoxy is the way to go. I
have a buddy with granite counters and the pro install. They filled seam
with a pigmented epoxy and it looks really good. I imagine that a granite
pro could fill your chip the same way.

For DIY approach, I would be tempted to go with clear. The natural color
will show through, although the sheen will likely be different. I have used
this approach to fix minor tearout on in furniture construction and it works
well.

To get epoxy to "flow into the hole" warm the stone first with a hair dryer
or heat gun. Not hot, just warm. Warm epoxy has a much lower viscosity. Fill
it just a bit proud of the counter surface

As the Epoxy cures, you will be able to trim it flush with a razor blade.
The key is to catch it at the right hardness, too soon and it will be gummy,
too late it will be tough to trim. When you can barely dent it with a
fingernail, trim.

-Steve



--
Posted via a free Usenet account from http://www.teranews.com

I agree with this method. Get the liquid stuff and add colour. UbaTuba
should be easy to match with it being predominately green. Do you have the
black/green or the brown/green with black and gold flecks? Probably black
would be sufficient for a 1/4 inch round chip. Surround it with thin scotch
tape several layers wide and use a razor blade to level the surface. When it
starts setting and is not fully hard, remove the tape and see if you can
plane off the extra with a razor blade. Buffing afterwards should make it
disappear unless you know exactly where it is. Be sure to thoroughly clean
the area first and make sure it is totally dry before adding the epoxy.

"Chris Lewis" wrote in message
...
According to fishcakes :
Hello - We got about a quarter inch round chip in our Uba Tuba Granite
when a glass salt shaker fell from the top cabinet. Does anyone have
any suggestions or home remedies that the do it yourselfer could try
to fill the chip. I noticed there may be some professional granite
fill products, but they seem complicated. I'm not too worried about
an exact color match, just looking for something to fill the hole as
it is unfortunately in a very noticeable section of the counter. I
was thinking like clear silicon, but then thought that may not stick
to it or be good for a food prep area. What is generally done about
chips of this size, or is the answer simply leave it alone and live
with it.

Probably the best "amateur" fix for this would be to use epoxy, mixed
with small amounts of dye/color (eg: artist dye powders) to make it less
glaringly obvious. 5 minute epoxy would do, but it'd be better to
use one of the longer open time formulations that's not nearly
as thick. The West Systems sample kit (around $10 at marine supply,
canoe builder supply, many woodworking hobby stores etc) probably has
enough material to do the job.

If you use something thick, you'll need to force it level (eg:
wax paper under a wooden block) and squeeze out will be a PITA.
West will self-level. If you end up having to sand it, you'll
have to polish the result to get some gloss back.

After a day or two, the repair will be almost as hard as the rest
of the countertop. Silicone is just too soft.
--
Chris Lewis,

Age and Treachery will Triumph over Youth and Skill
It's not just anyone who gets a Starship Cruiser class named after them.

On Apr 27, 10:01�am, (Chris Lewis) wrote:
According to fishcakes :





On Apr 27, 9:22 am, "Toller" wrote:
Can't help you, but you made me feel better about not getting granite when
we redid our kitchen.
Granite was beautiful, but corian just seemed more practical. *Sorry about
your problem, but thanks for sharing.
Toller - thanks. *We were struggling with granite vs corian or
silestone as well. *There really wasn't that much difference in price,
granite a tiny bit more, but the deciding factor was certainly the
appearance but also the contractor told us that granite is also
virtually indestructible and that it just needs to be sealed
occasionally. *Well, we learned our lesson, any natural stone is prone
to cracks or chips if hit in the right/weak place. *I don't know if
there are different grades of granite, if there is, maybe just got a
bad piece. The contractor wants no part of fixing the problem; said
there is nothing to do about it except replace the piece.....at OUR
expense! *I don't want to pursue it with them anyway, I can't imagine
ripping out our entire counter to replace it again and upset
everything else in the kitchen which is brand new. *Next kitchen, 30
years from now..Corian or silestone...

Out of curiousity, for the Corian users out there... *I've personally
not seen much installed Corian, and all of the stuff I've seen just looks,
er, grubby. *Minor scratches - driven in dirt. *Ends up looking like
a stained plastic cutting board.

Yes, I know, the scratches can be buffed/sanded out (if you can figure
out some way to match gloss level). *And yes, all of the in-use counters
I've seen have been white, accentuating the grubby, and other colors/patterns
would hide much of it.

It just seems to me to be a bit too soft for a countertop. *Even white
laminate stands up better.

Still happy with Corian?
--
Chris Lewis,

Age and Treachery will Triumph over Youth and Skill
It's not just anyone who gets a Starship Cruiser class named after them.- Hide quoted text -

- Show quoted text -

granite countertops sometimes require seams.... they have a special
matching epoxy resin with ground up granite, the mark will disappear,
seams are nearly invisible.

call some local places, you have a large investment, might as well
keep it looking good, and repaired its less likely to spread.

(Chris Lewis) writes:

According to fishcakes :
On Apr 27, 9:22 am, "Toller" wrote:

Can't help you, but you made me feel better about not getting granite when
we redid our kitchen.
Granite was beautiful, but corian just seemed more practical. Sorry about
your problem, but thanks for sharing.

Toller - thanks. We were struggling with granite vs corian or
silestone as well. There really wasn't that much difference in price,
granite a tiny bit more, but the deciding factor was certainly the
appearance but also the contractor told us that granite is also
virtually indestructible and that it just needs to be sealed
occasionally. Well, we learned our lesson, any natural stone is prone
to cracks or chips if hit in the right/weak place. I don't know if
there are different grades of granite, if there is, maybe just got a
bad piece. The contractor wants no part of fixing the problem; said
there is nothing to do about it except replace the piece.....at OUR
expense! I don't want to pursue it with them anyway, I can't imagine
ripping out our entire counter to replace it again and upset
everything else in the kitchen which is brand new. Next kitchen, 30
years from now..Corian or silestone...

Out of curiousity, for the Corian users out there... I've personally
not seen much installed Corian, and all of the stuff I've seen just looks,
er, grubby. Minor scratches - driven in dirt. Ends up looking like
a stained plastic cutting board.

Yes, I know, the scratches can be buffed/sanded out (if you can figure
out some way to match gloss level). And yes, all of the in-use counters
I've seen have been white, accentuating the grubby, and other colors/patterns
would hide much of it.

It just seems to me to be a bit too soft for a countertop. Even white
laminate stands up better.

Still happy with Corian?

Very.

Six years now, the counter is speckled gray.
Looks a bit like stone. No scratches at all.
We had one big crack due to cooking a turkey in a microwave
sitting on the counter.

Corian came in and fixed it.
There is no way to see the repair.

I also like the way the corian sink seems to be
seamless even when it's a different color.

No way I'd have white.

fishcakes writes:

What is generally done about
chips of this size, or is the answer simply leave it alone and live
with it.

Ordinary epoxy loaded with the same stone dust. An installer should have
plenty of dust from sawing. To patch right, you have to overfill and then
grind and polish. Although you might match the color and have a smooth
repair, the fine structural patterns won't match so it won't be absolutely
invisible.

fishcakes wrote:
Hello - We got about a quarter inch round chip in our Uba Tuba Granite
when a glass salt shaker fell from the top cabinet. Does anyone have
any suggestions or home remedies that the do it yourselfer could try
to fill the chip. I noticed there may be some professional granite
fill products, but they seem complicated. I'm not too worried about
an exact color match, just looking for something to fill the hole as
it is unfortunately in a very noticeable section of the counter. I
was thinking like clear silicon, but then thought that may not stick
to it or be good for a food prep area. What is generally done about
chips of this size, or is the answer simply leave it alone and live
with it.

Also, any recommendation on what brand or type of sealer to use on Uba
Tuba granite would be appreciated.

Kind regards to all that help or share their view.

Sorry for your loss...but that settles it for me. Our new countertops
will absolutely be stone-patterned Formica. With kids and clumsy
friends the real stone is just way too fragile. Never heard of anyone
waxing or sealing Formica either. And it won't be too $$ painful to
change either when the real granite fad is old stuff or we just want a
different color.

Joe