We had granite countertops installed in our kitchen over a year ago. The installers neglected to polish the edge of the granite. They came back several times to polish this but it still looks dull. Is there a way that I can polish this myself? I have purchased many different products for granite polishing and I have had no luck in making the edge look the least little bit shiny. -Trish

Hi Trish,
Polishing the edges of a granite countertop can be pretty labor intensive and requires a delicate touch. If you decide to give it a try, you’ll need to use a grinder or stone polisher equipped with various grit diamond pads (these may be rented at tool rental centers). The pads start at 50 grit and go up to 3000 and more. If your granite has already been partially polished, you can skip the lower grits.

Be sure to wear the proper safety equipment including a dust mask, safety glasses or goggles, and ear protection. You can read more about polishing granite on our website at How to Install a Granite Tile Countertop

Good luck with your project,

Tags: , granite

11 Comments on “How to Polish Granite”

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1. Amie Says:
   January 6th, 2009 at 1:46 pm

   The granite installers lacked both experience and skill if they were not able to shine the edge. I would not recommend a homeowner trying on their own because it does take a huge amount of skill and good supplies. You may just want to call another company to fix it which will probably cost the same amount as you buying supplies to do so yourself.

2. Linda Says:
   May 7th, 2009 at 12:22 pm

   Our granite tile has pits in it, is that normal and can we polish them out and how? The tile came that way.

3. Craig Says:
   June 2nd, 2009 at 7:26 am

   I bought a cheap granite polishing pad set off ebay for about $45 shipped. Fits right into my 4″ hand held angle grinder. I’ve never done granite work before and was able to polish the edges of my tile just fine. Couple passes with each pad working from 50 grit up to 3000 grit then the buff pad. Mist some water before each pad on the edge. Not hard at all, unless I’m missing something, but they look great. BTW… this is on a tile granite countertop in my kitchen that I installed.

4. 

   Ben Erickson Says:
   June 2nd, 2009 at 7:33 am

   Hi Craig,
   Thanks for the feedback on polishing granite. Glad to know it worked well for you.

5. Julie Says:
   December 12th, 2009 at 9:12 pm

   I used Lime Away on my bathroom faucets and now the granite countertop has lost its shine and is flat where it was exposed. Any way to fix this?
   Thanks,
   Julie

6. Sheri Says:
   January 7th, 2010 at 8:32 pm

   Trish, applying a color enhancer to the edges may be the fix that you’re looking for. You may have purchased a granite that was pre-sealed when the slab was cut and polished (i.e., in Brazil), especially if the granite was porous. Later, when your fabricator cut the slab, the freshly-cut edges were dull and less colorful than the top. I have had good results with Mira Matte Color Enhancer by Miracle Sealants Company. Be sure to blue-tape the top in a nice, straight line before you apply the enhancer to the edges. Good luck!

7. Jan Kuburich Says:
   March 22nd, 2010 at 8:10 pm

   We have a new granite counter top for vanity in bathroom. It has some pits. Sealing didn’t fill them in. Is there something to use to fill them? Thanks.

8. L. Says:
   April 5th, 2010 at 5:11 pm

   Hi,

   I have granite in my bathrooms with hard water damage around the faucets. I have installed a soft-water heater but would like to re-polish the granite. I’ve tried a few brands of granite polish but they don’t work. Will an enhancer work for this problem? Any ideas would be appreciated. Can a granite company polish it back to it’s original finish. Thank you.

9. Bruni Says:
   April 13th, 2010 at 1:53 pm

   I bought a black with marble granite and is dull in the edge and in the surface . The owner from the company he came polished and he said it shines but was dull then I ask to another person he make it shine but not as I want. I used some granite products but still not shine as I want.

10. gary perkins Says:
    March 16th, 2011 at 11:13 am

    i just had granite installed and had full bull nose on the edge and it is dull looking, the installer said it was the granite {tropical bronze} and nothing they did wrong. do you think they did not polish this correctly

11. Mark Says:
    April 22nd, 2012 at 8:57 am

    Had new outdoor kitchen installed with granite tile countertop. Wife used Kaboom on it to clean the grout and everywhere the kaboom was sprayed on the granit it left a cloudy shadow. The granit is light colored so it is hard to see when looking straight down on it but when the sun is shining and you are looking from an angle you can see the cloudiness. Is this going to require someone stripping down the entire countertop or can it be polished out along the edges where the cleaner was sprayed?

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