Winter Care for Outdoor Kitchen Countertop

by Paul Gesler
(Bluffton, Ohio)

QUESTION:

I have an outdoor kitchen. The Granite covers the entire Island except for the Grill. The Island is 11 feet long by 36inches wide.

Do I need to protect/cover the Granite Countertop during an Ohio Winter? Do I need to protect/cover a stainless steel sink during an Ohio winter?

ANSWER:

Of course, minimizing exposure to rain, snow and weather in general will prolong the life of anything and given the length and severity of winters in your area it wouldn't be a bad idea to have a custom cover made that would keep the whole island dry, but granite and stainless steel will stand up to the elements without much trouble.

In time (years) you may notice that the polish on the granite countertop is getting a bit dull from weather exposure. If this does happen you can have it re-polished or just leave it.

Cycles of freeze/thaw are your biggest trouble maker and you can't do anything about that. It is possible, but not very likely that the granite could develop a crack if you have many cycles of freeze/thaw.

And the sink will expand and contract with temperature, so you may notice some break down in the caulking/sealing around the sink.

I'd keep snow off the surface and use a polish protectant like
MB-13 Stone Polish now and a couple/few more times throughout the winter.

Sealing is not typically recommended on outdoor installations. Sun and rain will get out any stains that occur and sealing can trap moisture in the stone, which you don't want to do.

So... weather will produce signs of wear over time (years), but these are mostly cosmetic issues that won't affect the function or integrity of your island.

Regards,
Ryan

I highly recommend MB Stone Care Products to maintain all your marble, stone and granite countertops and floors in optimal condition. I've used other good products (Stone Tech, Miracle) but found MB Stone Care is the most reliable and effective.