Repair A Stone Countertop with Epoxy

With natural stone counter tops in a kitchen or bath, chips can be a fact of life. Often the edges are most vulnerable. In this video I'll discuss and demonstrate several chip repairs using a color-tinted epoxy. This repair was done on soapstone, but the same principle works on other stone like marble or granite. Professional countertop installers have access to specialized epoxies not sold to the general public, but this epoxy I tried is available online and worked just fine.
To purchase: amzn.to/2FXUqd7

[@gskaminski]

Nice Job! I think I can do almost as well on my quartz repair task.

[@write2yingyc9]

Thank you! This was so helpful!

[@dblake3806]

Thanks, I hope I never need to refer to this video. My kitchen was recently updated with beautiful dark speckled granite. Nice results

[@enduringcharm]

The area that takes the most beating is right by the sink. It's easy to drop a pot or fail to lift it high enough when taking it in or out of the sink, and that's when you catch an edge. All natural stone is prone to this, but at least you know there is a way to repair it!

[@laibanaqvi3074]

What if the chip is really small and we don’t have the piece? Can we use it to just fill?

[@enduringcharm]

Yes, you may just need to shape the repair, that's all.

[@EtienneLeNigen]

When it's totally dry, how strong it is compared to the original "unbroken" corner? Is it like you just drop something on it and it will chip imediatly again?

[@enduringcharm]

It's pretty strong stuff once cured. I've never seen a repair chip again.

[@seamuswarren]

Is there a patching solution when there is a gaping hole remaining accommodating a previous larger sink?

[@enduringcharm]

Not that I'm aware of. Some composite countertop materials can be glued together and sanded, but that is done to join pieces together typically. Even if it could be done for a sink hole I imagine the cost would be as much as replacing the whole countertop. For stone materials I know of no solution. Usually a sink is replaced with the same size as the previous one for this reason.

[@nickcassella2490]

If I have the pieces that chipped, do you think grinding them into a powder and adding them to the epoxy will work for a color match?

[@enduringcharm]

Probably not. However, if the pieces are substantial enough you may be able to epoxy them back in place. You'll still need to color the epoxy, but the repair may appear more natural. Doing a color match using the powdered dye is not as daunting as it might seem. Just sneak up on the color by doing some test batches if you are worried about it.

[@gattosanto1]

Does it dry hard? I want to fill a granite crack 1/8" to 1/4" wide about 10" long. what do you think about mixing granite powder from the same color stone to this or would the granite powder work better if mixed to a clear 2 part epoxy. Thanks in advance.

[@enduringcharm]

Well, what I used in the video is a two part clear epoxy, but with coloring added. 1/4" is a pretty big gap to fill, and if it goes all the way through then you'd need something below to prevent the epoxy from just dropping out. Adding stone dust may not get you the matching color and it may also weaken the bond. I would suggest experimenting first before committing to the repair. Mix up a few batches and see what the color does and how large of a gap it will span. Likely you'd need to do the repair in layers, at least.

[@NickJag]

Did you polish after sanding?

[@enduringcharm]

You may or may not need to, depending on the sheen of the countertop. Work your way up the grits and keep checking for a match. It can certainly be done by hand--no power polishing is likely to be needed.

[@seamuswarren]

Is there any way to make a cutout sink opening smaller or should we replace the whole counter top section?

[@enduringcharm]

Well, generally you replace an existing sink with the same size to avoid such a dilemma. If you wish for a smaller sink for some reason, there aren't many options. Some man-made countertop materials can be glued to more of the same material and sanded, but not easily while in place and not generally for large areas. I'm not aware of any inserts or transitions to make an opening smaller in a stone or laminate countertop. If you must have a smaller sink you're probably looking at a new countertop.

[@elizabethcrespo100]

Where did you get the color

[@enduringcharm]

You can also find that on Amazon. Search for "pigment powder" or "epoxy color" or "universal color".

[@jasonsmith9094]

What if you cant find the chip?

[@enduringcharm]

Within reason you can fill in the missing area with epoxy. You may need to do several layers. If the chip is in the middle of the counter rather than an edge, it's best to mask off the unaffected area.

[@emhob5865]

where did you get the sand

[@enduringcharm]

The sandpaper? All you need for sanding is common woodworking sandpaper. I put a link in the comment section if you want to buy the epoxy I used from amazon, and they have the coloring too.

[@emhob5865]

@@enduringcharm The package of black sand??, the clear pouch you have on the counter to color the epoxy? Appreciate all your help!!!!! Thank you.

[@enduringcharm]

Yes, available on amazon. Look up "pigment powder" or "epoxy color" or "universal color".

[@smitm108]

... need some music to "epoxy by"? :)

[@enduringcharm]

Yeah, I thought about that, but laziness won out this time!

[@smitm108]

Yup, flu bug (or whatever) will do that ...