Moisture Barrier Failed Causing Granite Crack

Crack Along the Front of the Kitchen Sink

Homeowners in Phoenix, Arizona gave us a call to schedule granite crack repair services after the granite along the front side of their kitchen sink cracked. What began as a hairline crack just kept expanding, creating an unsightly chasm.

Moisture, which is the number one reason for a stone installation to fail, found its way past the moisture barrier around the sink. A metal rod in the countertop began to rust and expand, and the pressure split the granite. In the stone industry, this problem is called rod jacking.

The homeowners were sure that, left unchecked, the damage would only get worse. We informed them that they were correct in that assumption. We did a very similar repair project for clients in Scottsdale where the sink actually became loose.

Precision Granite Crack Repair

Although we are pretty good at containing our messes, we always protect the surfaces surrounding our work area.

Our first step was to remove enough granite to expose the problem area. We removed the rusted metal rod so that it could no longer expand and create more damage. The rod was only necessary to prevent damage during transport, and since this countertop wasn’t going anywhere, it no longer was serving any purpose.

We cleaned and neutralized the area of any residual rust.

We replaced the portion of granite we removed, using strong professional adhesives designed specifically for this type of repair. To repair cosmetic damage, we used color-matched epoxy to fill in any voids. We also applied new caulk and new sealer to keep moisture from finding its way into the stone again.

Finally, we honed and polished to match the finish of the surrounding stone and applied a high-quality impregnating sealer.

The homeowners were glad they would no longer have to helplessly watch their granite countertop self-destruct. They were impressed with how difficult it was to notice where the granite had been previously damaged.

To learn more, visit our Granite Services page.