Maintaining Outdoor Granite Countertops

by Chris
(Athens, GA)

QUESTION:

I have installed granite countertops in our outdoor kitchen. They look great, but I want to know what I need to do to keep them looking great for years to come. I am getting varying information from the stores and websites.

ANSWER:

First, test the granite countertop to see if it needs to be sealed.

Sealing outdoors isn't as necessary since sun and rain will go a long ways toward eliminating any stains that do occur. Many argue that you should just leave stone alone when outdoors or a wet environment.

Often that is good advice. But test. If the surface is rather absorbent, then seal. If only moderately so... don't worry about it.

If you need to seal I recommend MB-4 Impregnating Sealer .

Otherwise, you can just hose off or wipe off with water and also use MB-5 Stone Cleaner for a good cleaning.

You may also consider periodically (4-5 times a year) using MB-13 Stone Polish to give a little added protection to the polished finish on the granite.

Easy really. For more info on general do's and don'ts check out
our granite maintenance pages.

If the tops are not covered, then you may have to have them re-polished (years from now) due to surface wear from rain, but again you may never have to do that.

Good Luck,
Ryan