A guide to kitchen countertops, including choosing, installing, replacing, maintaining, and fixing wood-slab, stone, and composite countertops and more
Kitchen Countertops: Featured Article
A dark and dreary kitchen becomes a sun-filled showpiece and gathering spot… more
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Q: The laminate countertop in my kitchen has a separate 4-inch laminate backsplash attached to an exterior wall. There's a 1/4-inch joint between the two surfaces, which I've caulked a couple of times, but unsightly cracks still open up. How can I fix this?
—Patricia Smith, Hartville, OHIO
To get stains out of marble, apply a poultice of one part salt, four parts flour, and just enough water to make a toothpastey mix. Let dry, scrape off, and rinse. To clean paint off marble, use regular paint solvent and scrape with a razor blade. Then sand the surface wet with 120-grit paper, either by hand or with a random-orbit sander (not a belt sander), and polish wet with 220-grit and 400-grit paper. Protect the clean surface with a penetrating sealer containing silicone. Don't use oil, which can darken marble.
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