Granite stone filler epoxy

Granite epoxy is an epoxy resin solution made up of two components to repair voids, cracks, chips, and seams in granite surfaces. Unlike most other traditional fillers found at local hardware stores, granite epoxy was specifically formulated for permanent adhesion to any granite surface through the creation of a structural bond while matching the natural characteristics of your granite surface.

Granite epoxy as compared to traditional fillers, has been invented to resist yellowing and staining making it an excellent choice when restoring or repairing granite countertops and floors or when finishing installation of granite.

Granite epoxy consists of epoxy resin and hardener, two components mixed together producing a rigid thermoset bond as a result of the chemical reaction that occurs between them, resulting in a permanent bond to dense, non-porous granite. The majority of manufacturers of standard two-part epoxies sold in retail hardware stores do not produce products that bond to granite, due to the following reasons:

– Low bond strength
– Differences in compatibility between the two materials resulting from differences in the amount of thermal expansion experienced by the two materials.

While both types of granite epoxies contain flexible formulations, each contains specific additives that enhance the bond between the two components (the epoxy resin and hardener) during the curing process. These specific additives will ensure that the cured product does not peel, crack, or shrink after it has been cured completely.Granite epoxy is also used to:

Fill in emperor’s fissures in granite.
Replace chipped edges in granite.
Seal seams where two pieces of granite are connected; and
Fix voids in the top of granite .

The most familiar applications of granite epoxy include the following:

Kitchen countertops,
Vanity tops in bathrooms,
Granite flooring; and
Granite stone veneer that is installed outside of a home or business.

Benefits of using epoxy to fill in the space between granite:

Establishes a long-lasting, waterproof bond between the filler material and granite pieces, preventing existing cracks from widening;

Will not shrink during curing and also will not exhibit yellowing during curing, resulting in an original-looking granite surface over time;

Hot liquids (coffee/oil), acidic liquids, or excessive quantity of liquids can be spilled on granite epoxy after they cure and will not damage the curing process, making this an appropriate choice for high volume traffic countertops;

Can create custom color matches; made of powdered stone pigment; allows user to replicate stone’s various colours that exist as difference in vein coloration/tonality; thus results in creating invisible repairs;

Can be sanded/polished after cure; so may achieve the same finish (glossy/matte) on all areas of countertop surface as granite has.by epoxy filler viscosity type

epoxy filler viscosity
for a successful project, a professional needs to use the correct viscosity for that project.

1. Low Viscosity Epoxy: Low viscosity epoxy has a low viscosity so it can easily flow into hairline cracks and pinholes in granite. This type of epoxy will flow deep into the granite’s small fissures and thereby make a mechanical connection on the inside of the fissure which allows for repairs to be done to the invisible structural integrity of the granite caused by internal cracks.

2. High Viscosity Knife Grade Epoxy: High viscosity, knife-grade epoxy is a thick, paste-like material that is used to fill in larger holes or gaps in granite. This type of epoxy does not run or sag so it can better fill and shape the voids left where broken pieces of granite are.

3. Colour Matching Stone Epoxy: There are two types of colour matching stone epoxies: pre-coloured or colour pigment ready. These types of epoxy are mixed with stone dust from the same stone as the granite you are repairing. They can be mixed with a wide variety of colours to match a wide variety of granite colours (i.e. black, white) . When using resins and hardeners to make a bond, always follow the manufacturer’s mixing instructions on the resin and hardener. Most resins and hardeners should be mixed together at a 1-to-1 ( by volume or weight ).Combine the two products’ materials using a disposable mix cup and proper mixing stick (at least one time per day). Combine for 60-90 seconds, or until the material has no visible streaks. To make sure the color of the mixed material is the same as the granite, create a blend of the materials together before adding granite powder or other pigment to create the desired color.

Continue filling in all small cracks with low viscosity epoxy resin so as to flow completely through the small cracks. For large holes and gaps, fill in large holes or gaps with knife grade epoxy resin (so as to slightly overfill) so that the resin has room to shrink while curing.

Once the epoxy is applied, using a putty knife or a flat piece of wood, smooth out the filled area using still wet epoxy before drying.

Allow the filled areas to cure free of excessive dust and moisture. The cure time of most granite epoxy is, in general, tack-free within 24 to 48 hours (but may vary depending on humidity, room temperature, and all other factors) and is completely cured within 24 hours. Keep moisture, heat, and heavy items away from cured area during the curing process.

Once the cured process is completed, the final step of a granite repair is to use progressively finer grades of sand paper (240, 400, 800, and 1200) to create the same finish (smooth and shiny) that is present on the surrounding granite.

Items That Should Be Avoided During the Repair Process:

* Improperly mixed hardener and epoxy resin (wrong ratio) leading to incorrect curing ratios which result in a sticky or incomplete cure or a weak bond.
* Insufficiently prepared surfaces – Insufficient surface preparation as a result of dust and grease; it is important to have prepared surface before starting granite repair because insufficient surface preparation can impede the interface binding of two surfaces (thereby causing gas bubbles to travel out into the bond or peeling off the concrete surface).
* Not using a correct viscosity (thickness) – For filling large voids, if a lower viscosity epoxy is used it will run out of the void before it fully fills. Conversely, if you use a higher viscosity epoxy for filling small fine cracks there will be sufficient epoxy resin to fill the crack during repairs.
* Not polishing out the repaired area – If the area that has been repaired does not have the finish polished out there will be abnormalities and/or visible repaired areas which will detract overall appearance of the granite.

Granite epoxy stone filler is best suited for:
Cracked or chipped granite kitchen countertops
Seams and joints on installed granite slabs
Repairing broken granite tiles or walls
Touch-up fills for voids, pinholes, and finish imperfections on granite surfaces
Strengthening previously broken granite