How Do You Repair a Damaged Stone Benchtop? (Homeowner Guide)
How Do You Repair a Damaged Stone Benchtop? (Homeowner Guide)
What do you do when the unthinkable happens? Despite your best care and effort, a heavy item has fallen upon your gorgeous stone benchtop and caused damage. After the initial horror and anger, you will likely be wondering what can be done to fix it. Unfortunately, you’re not alone here as accidents do indeed happen on occasion. So, is all hope lost, or can it be repaired? Breathe easy, as there’s most likely a cost-effective solution to fix it.
My Benchtop is Cracked – Help!
A crack in the benchtop is usually present around a fabrication join, or often we have seen it on the surface of the benchtop itself right on top of where the dishwasher sits. We have even found a few rare instances in which the heat from the dishwasher caused a small hairline crack. Fabricators or stone specialists can often fill these rather easily. There are times, however, when a benchtop remake is necessary.
A crack in the benchtop can also happen when people stand on the benchtop to change overhead lightbulbs. For obvious reasons, we do not recommend standing on the benchtop at any time.
Hot pots straight from the oven onto the quartz can cause cracking. This normally is a gradual thing and can happen over time due to thermal shock when going directly from hot to cold. As a safer alternative, we recommend the use of hot mats or chopping boards to protect the quartz surface. Porcelain is much more resistant to heat so cracking from heat sources should not be an issue at all.
My Benchtop Chipped, What Should I Do?
To be clear, Quartz is robust. Yet, anything can create a chip if hit in just the right spot. We sometimes see chips occurring on the exposed four edges of an undermounted sink, and the edges of the benchtop. Unfortunately, this is quite common and easy to do.
If possible, we recommend keeping the piece that has broken off, especially if it’s a larger size. Often the fabricators can glue the chip back in, then seal and polish it until it looks great again. In those instances where the chip has not been retained, or if the area is small enough, the fabricators can lightly buff, blend, polish it until it blends in. In our experience, surfaces with lighter colours seem to be more forgiving with this method.
With porcelain, however, the colour and pattern do not go all the way through the material like quartz, so a chip won’t be able to be blended in the same way. We still suggest saving any pieces that are broken off for the best chance of repair.
Is it Covered by Warranty?
Chips are not usually covered by warranty as they are generally classified as misuse. For example, a coffee mug was dropped, or something heavy fell out of the overhead cupboard and nicked the edge of the bench as it landed. It should be noted that most homeowners’ insurance policies will be happy to look at these scenarios as required.
Is It Expensive to Repair?
Most chips are relatively quick and inexpensive to repair. We’d recommend a benchtop fabricator or stone specialist for any repairs to quartz and porcelain.
What about hard to remove stains – can Archant help with that?
As quartz and porcelain are non-porous, most marks should only be surface level, meaning they will come off. Hot soapy water and a magic sponge can work well. We recommend using the magic sponge lightly in a circular motion to work the stain out. Never scrub vigorously as this can affect the polished surface of the stone. Once the lustre has been removed there is nothing that can be done to restore this. In one instance, a customer accidentally got a black permanent marker on the benchtop and scrubbed it off at the expense of the shiny lustre on the benchtop. Despite the specialist’s best efforts, it was unable to be remedied.
No One is Perfect
Accidents happen, and no specific material is impervious to damage. Stone benchtops are generally some of the more durable options on the market today. Still, there’s a chance something can go awry. Should it happen to you, just know that we have a team of experienced fabricators who can help. It’s not typically a massive job, nor is it cost-prohibitive. Of course, it’s best to avoid these situations if possible. Make sure to consider our care and maintenance tips when you clean your benchtop.
To recap, here are the top 5 tips to avoid damaging your stone benchtop:
- Use hot mats when working on quartz with hot cookware
- Refrain from standing on top of benchtops
- Never scrub vigorously with abrasive cloths
- Avoid cleaners with scratching compounds like Jif
- Treat stains right away
List of Proven Benchtop Repair Companies in New Zealand
We have several proven repairers should you need a quote to fix your benchtop.
1) Rock Solid Recreations - This is a great resource. They are able to "save you time and money by repairing, refurbishing and maintaining your stone investments so that you don’t have to replace them." They have multiple locations in New Zealand.
Contact by phone at: 022 487 6640 - Ask for Nick or Nicci.
2) JP Wellington Professional Granite Repairs. James Patelu is a stone specialist within the Wellington – Wairarapa - Palmerston North Region. They have over 37 years of experience. You can find them on Facebook here.
Contact James by phone at 021 187 3583
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