Filling The Void

The first and foremost thing to remember is that a chip repair needs to blend in enough with the countertop to not be an eye-catcher, or it’s not worth doing. Ms. Jones does not want the repair to be the first thing her friends see when they walk into her kitchen.
Also, whoever caused the chip doesn’t want it to be a daily reminder that their expensive countertops will never be perfect. If you’re not confident you can make the problem area go away (so to speak), find a qualified stone professional who can. (The Marble Institute of America or Stone Fabricators Alliance could recommend someone in your area)
This is especially true with a larger repair that involves gluing a chip back into place. You really only get one chance with that type of repair, and botching the first try through inexperience can be nasty. When in doubt, hire it out.
In order to successfully complete a repair, you need to create a step-by-step process and follow it consistently. A repair job often involves the presence of the homeowner; it can be embarrassing to forget a step in the process when you’ve got an audience. If getting it right means printing off a checklist and marking it as you go, so be it. It’s well worth it.
Step One: Take a picture. Take several. Take a picture of the countertop around the area you’re repairing as well, and let the homeowner watch you do it. This is cheap insurance in case Ms. Jones has a scratch or stain she’d like to pawn off as collateral damage.
If you find an additional issue like this, point it out before you begin working. That way, it can’t come up at the end as a ‘new’ problem, and you may get some on-the-spot billable work for taking care of it.
Step Two: Remember where you are. You’re working in someone’s home. This is no longer a jobsite where a reasonable level of mess is acceptable. Request that anything of value near the area of repair is removed so it doesn’t get bumped. Cover up the installed countertops if you are going to set things on them (see ‘Step One’).
CA (cyanoacrylate) glue can be drippy and smelly, so create a ‘catch’ for it out of tape and protect the cabinets, floor and dishwasher. Open a window if needed. If the repair process requires you to get out the grinder and polishing pads, cover up the cabinet faces and floor, and make sure the water from your pad spray can’t fly everywhere.
Step Three: Correctly prep the repair. The repair area needs to be clean and dry in order to form a long-lasting bond with whatever medium you’re using. Wipe the area down with denatured alcohol to eliminate surface dust that may weaken the bond.
If the chip is around the sink area, the countertop may be wet. Get out your heat gun and dry the area prior to making the repair. Just remember to let the countertop cool back down first; a hot countertop is the perfect tool for causing adhesive to cure more quickly than you’d prefer, making it brittle and giving you nearly no working time.
Lastly, if the chip is large, make sure to use a small wire brush on the chipped area and on the chip you’re reinstalling. If a granule of countertop material is loose, it’s possible for it to turn and prevent the chip from seating in the void. This is especially true of ‘sugary’ granites and can be a real nightmare if the chip sits higher than the top of the counter. You’re left with the nearly impossible option of starting over, or moving from chip repair to top polishing and ruining your day.
Step Four: Have the correct repair materials and tools on hand. CA glue from Chemical Concepts or Satellite City’s Hot Stuff®, along with Bonstone’s Chip and Fill kit are my favorite solutions for chip repair. Polyester will work; however, it shrinks as it cures, making it more difficult to hide a top edge repair with it.
CA glue comes in a couple of different consistencies, and trying to do an edge fill with the water-like CA glue can be frustrating. Use the CA with the consistency of cold maple syrup; it flows much more slowly and works a lot better on an edge. (But don’t be fooled – it’s no good on top of pancakes.)
Bonstone’s Chip and Fill kit has different colors of granite powders, and the repairs work better when you’ve got the right color for the chip you’re trying to fill.
Always check your supplies before you head off to do a repair. A return trip is not in the budget for a repair job if you’re missing part of your kit. Razor blades, a very fine metal file, tin oxide, and a polisher with a full contingent of pads are all the tools you should need to complete a repair.
Next month, we’ll finish up with some actual replacement, along with a different slant on repair from another fabricator.
Jason Nottestad, a 15-year veteran of the stone industry, is National Customer Service Manager for VT Stone Surfaces; he’s now on his third year of “The Installer” columns for Stone Business. He can be reached at JNottestad@vtindustries.com.

This article first appeared in the May 2009 print edition of Stone Business. ©2009 Western Business Media Inc.