Granite, one of the hardest materials, is widely used for counter-tops, flooring, bathroom counters and floorings etc. Even though granites have their own color and shine, they need to be polished regularly to maintain that shine. Polishing also gives the surface a smooth finish, making them much more appealing. The main components of granite include mica, quartz and potassium. It is basically an igneous rock found below the earth’s crust.
Steps in Polishing granite:
- First you must clean the granite with a clean microfiber. Before proceeding, let the granite air dry for some time.
- Once the granite is dry, you must spray granite polish over it. Take care to spray in small sections. Using a clean microfiber cloth, you must proceed to buff the granite. In case the spray looks smeared, let the spray dry a bit and then continue buffing. It is important to remember that to clean granite surface, special granite cleaners must be used as non-granite cleaners consist of harsh chemical compounds that can be harmful for the granite surface.
- Once the polish has tried you must test it b y sprinkling some water over it. If the water forms beads, the polish has been done properly.
- It is important to do granite polishing regularly, preferably once in a year. This helps to reseal granite tiles thus preventing stains.
Even though polishing may not be very easy and involves multiple steps, it is an important process in order to keep the surface glossy and attractive.
- Gives a shining and glossy finish to the surface
- Deters the surface from chipping and scratching
- Helps in making the surface smooth
- Protects the granite from stains
- Helps in diminishing smudges and finger prints
- Once polished, granite surfaces become easier to clean and maintain.
Before you set about polishing granite, a few factors need to be considered;
- Even though polishing is required regularly, it shouldn’t be done at short intervals
- It is important to remove all stains and smudges before granite polishing
- You must take care not to use low quality granite polish as it can in fact make your surface look dull after sometime
- Polishing should be carried out according to the kind of granite used
- In case of larger area or artifacts and monuments, expert granite polishers should be summoned as they have better equipments and larger polishing tools for the purpose of granite polishing.
Polishers are machines used in the polishing process. It consists of rotating heads to which an abrasive material is attached. Finer the abrasive material better is the smoothness achieved. Professional polishers make use of very fine abrasive materials in order to get a smooth and glossy surface. Thanks to the evolving technology, new and better equipments are manufactured which assist in the cutting and polishing of granite surfaces. Polishing is an important step in granite fabrication as it helps to achieve the desired look.
To read more about Granite Polishing Abrasives
