The water test is a quick, simple way to check your natural stone countertop seal.

First, pour a small amount of water (about 3”-4” inches in diameter) onto various counter sections and wait for a reaction. You can tell if the water has been absorbed into the stone if the stone darkens, but it will darken more quickly if the seal has worn down. Suppose the countertop darkens before the 30 minutes are up. In that case, we recommend applying sealer immediately once the counter has dried thoroughly, meaning the dark spot should be gone or as faded as you are comfortable with. If you use the sealer with the stone still wet, you will seal the water in the stone.

Your counter still has a strong seal if it doesn’t darken within 30 minutes. It’s normal for a natural stone sealant to allow water to penetrate the stone eventually, but ideally, it should take at least 30 minutes before a puddle of water darkens.

In the end, you can’t over-seal a countertop, even if your countertop passes this water test it doesn’t hurt to apply an additional coat of sealer.

At Romarts, we will typically use various products of the Miracle Sealant line (511 Impregnator and 511 Pourous Plus), but anything rated for your countertop material should typically work.