Outdoor Granite Countertop Restoration

This outdoor kitchen sits along the tidal salt marsh in Linwood, New Jersey. Because the home faces the bay, the granite countertops take a beating from direct sun, salt air, moisture, and changing weather year after year.

Over time, the surface lost clarity and shine. In several areas, the stone looked faded and uneven, especially where the sun hit hardest. Additionally, the outdoor exposure slowly wore down the original finish.

Interestingly, the project also turned into a small hometown reunion. The homeowner recognized the Fenske name immediately and shared stories about knowing Fenske relatives, and the cast of character friends they had. Although decades ago, it was worth a few laughs as Chris assessed and gave the client the estimate.

The work and outcome.

Of course on the day of job there was no chance of rain. But instead it got to about 95 degrees, and was mostly in the full sun. Predicting that we took a pop up canopy to help as the work took place. However, as far as capturing good picture aftershots, that was a challenge (but trust us, the counters looked fantastic once we were done)!

To start, our crew of three spent the entire day carefully grinding and polishing the granite to restore the finish. In total, the restoration took nearly 18 hours of detailed surface correction and polishing work.

As a result, the countertops regained clarity, reflectivity, and a smoother appearance across the outdoor kitchen granite surfaces. Although photographing polished stone in direct sunlight can be difficult, the restored finish was highly visible across the surface, especially in the reflective areas near the sink and serving spaces.

The takeaway.

Because this kitchen sits directly along the marsh, or any outdoor kitchen is exposed to the elements we recommend protecting the stone in the off season. Perhaps covering it in plastic or even having a canvas company make you a cover would be good. Doing so will help protect the restored finish and extend the life of the polish for years to come.