Crack in Granite Egg Table...

KiterTodd · July 2020

I bought this table used and it had a crack in the granite. It seemed to have gotten wider last winter, I suppose due to freeze/thaw. You can see a chip off one end, don't recall if that was off when I purchased it or not.

In any case, it is structurally sound, but I obviously don't want it to get any worse.

Any tips for cleaning, filling or sealing it? I haven't done anything to this top since I got it other than wipe it after cooking.

Thanks!

Image: https://media.fotki.com/2v2HiY222xvn42L.jpg

Image: https://media.fotki.com/2v2HiY233xvn42L.jpg

Mattman3969 · July 2020

My guess is that the fabricator embedded a piece of steel rod on the bottom side to strengthen the cutout and moisture has reached the steel and caused rusting. Look on the bottom side and see if you see a straight slot filled with an epoxy. If that is the case I can help you make it better.

Edit - I can help either way but we need to identify the problem first

SonVolt · July 2020

I'm not sure what caused it, but it could be natural "veining" that separated due to free/thaw cycles etc. As far as repairing it, my local fabricator recommended clear Gorilla glue for filling seems in granite used outdoors. It dries clear and will hold up to the elements better than what they would typically use in a kitchen. I'd imagine it would also work well for cracks like yours.

speed51133 · July 2020

is there anything under the granite? take a pic below

Mark_B_Good · July 2020

Easy to fix with resin. Go to any granite shop, and they'll probably have the resin you need, they repair stuff ALL the time. It will cure hard, so you want to try and get it as smooth as possible before it sets. Also you can probably do some color blending in. Because that is granite, and marbly looking ... you probably can try a colored resin and blend that in. If you don't care about ascetics, then go with clear resin.

Mattman3969 · July 2020

@KiterTodd - do yourself a favor and look for the rod slot I mentioned before you move forward on any repairs mentioned above. I don’t know about these other guys but I’ve been in the granite fab industry for 15+ yrs and can help you by experience and true hands on.

SonVolt · July 2020

Mattman3969 said:

@KiterTodd - do yourself a favor and look for the rod slot I mentioned before you move forward on any repairs mentioned above. I don’t know about these other guys but I’ve been in the granite fab industry for 15+ yrs and can help you by experience and true hands on.

Out of curiosity, why would they embed a steel rod inside the granite instead of just spanning a steel flat across the opening for support, like they do when laying brick above windows? I'm sure you're right, I'm just curious...

Mattman3969 · July 2020

Most times a 1/4x3/8 groove is cut in the bottom of the stone at any cutout and a reinforcement is epoxied in. Cold rolled steel and all thread used to be popular then stainless rods. Each of those will rust if not totally encapsulated in the epoxy. I’ve even seen the stainless rust on the cut ends. For the last few yrs we’ve used carbon fiber because of the rust issue.

Back to your question. It is embedded for structure and also not be visually distracting. It helps move the piece without breaking If installed properly it will increase strength to prevent cracking (generally front to back) and help keep stone together and more repairable if the dreaded break does happen. Unfortunately when not done correctly you will get what is pictured above regardless of being in or outside of the house.

KiterTodd · July 2020

Mattman3969 said:

My guess is that the fabricator embedded a piece of steel rod on the bottom side to strengthen the cutout and moisture has reached the steel and caused rusting. Look on the bottom side and see if you see a straight slot filled with an epoxy. If that is the case I can help you make it better.

Edit - I can help either way but we need to identify the problem first

@Mattman3969 ! Wow, you nailed it. I had never even seen the underside of this when they guys moved the table over here. Maybe that was intentional (they put the top on before I could look... as the crack had already started).

In any case, here are some pictures of the underside. I've never noticed it before. I can't slide it any farther forward without taking my egg out of the table right now. I understand I may have to remove the egg to repair it.

There looks to be some sort of white colored metal rod running the length, and you can see the crack has made it all the way to the underside along the edge.

Yech! Certainly doesn't look like a quality fabrication. I don't mind how it looks up top, though. As long as there is a way to prevent it from getting worse, I'm okay with it.

Mattman3969 · July 2020

Can you tell if that rod is metal or fiberglass? Looks like maybe fiberglass If it is I’m betting the grove was cut too deep and we can fix from the top. If it is some kinda metal we will need to get it out or it will keep rusting and eventually blow the from of your granite off. If you want to take it offline hit me up via pm and I’ll shoot you my number

KiterTodd · July 2020

@Mattman3969 as far as I can see, it is a white rod. I lifted up the top and had my son take some pictures so I could get a better look at it. I don't see any rust.

Pics below - I'll be away for the next couple weeks so will check back in then and PM you. Don't mind if you share repair information here or we chat on the phone. I'm sure others will benefit from it down the road. Heck, it's made me think about an opening I had widened in my kitchen counter tops when I moved in that I know they did not reinforce! It was to fit a pop up vent behind the gas range... making the rear of my island countertop and even thinner piece of granite.

In any case, pictures below. (they should get larger if you right-click, view-image) Let me know what you think;

Image: https://media.fotki.com/2v2HiSARgxvn42L.jpg

Image: https://media.fotki.com/2v2HiSA7Lxvn42L.jpg

Image: https://media.fotki.com/2v2HiSAYCxvn42L.jpg

I tell ya, sometimes you don't know how bad something has progressed until you take a closer look at it! I didn't realize this crack was spreading as much as it is. (Surface crack pic1 pic2)

Mattman3969 · July 2020

I believe that is fiberglass rodding. I’ve never seen anyone paint a metal rod before. If you can’t see rust that’s good. I would use a thin to med bodied cyanoacrylate (super glue) and build it up in layers. I say thinner so it can soak into the stone and attach in the pores of the stone. Try to keep the final layer flush but if it is proud of the surface you can shave it with a safety razor once it dries. For the chip I would use packaging tape on the edge to build a dam and razor when dry. This won’t make an invisible repair but will keep rain and ice from penetrating and making the issue worse.

If you do find rust you will need to remove the rod and fill the slot with a good epoxy. Judging from the pics of the bottom I see missing epoxy so I don’t think it will be very hard to dremmel the bad out.

KiterTodd · August 2020

Fantastic. Thanks @Mattman3969
super glue... that is indeed an easy repair! I’ll build it up in layers as you suggested.

After that is all complete, do you recommend anything to seal the entire granite? I see them selling cleaner and sealer, but never knew if it was actually required.

Mattman3969 · August 2020

A good cleaning with something like lacquer thinner or acetone then a couple of thin coats sealer wouldn’t hurt a thing. If your table stays in direct sunlight the UV will kill the sealer so you may wanna do it a couple times a year.

I would say a general purpose sealer like Miracle 511 Enhance and Seal would be fine. You can find it in the flooring section in Lowe’s or HD.

Crack in Granite Egg Table...

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