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How often you need to reseal marble countertops depends on the quality and color of the stone, the traffic on the surface, and the type of sealant. Sealing at least once a year is the general rule of thumb. However, if your large family loves to cook or the countertops are in a busy family bathroom, you might have to reseal them every six months (or more). The surfaces of your rarely used guest bathroom might not need resealing for a few years.

A mason lays brick or stone together, sometimes with mortar in between the bricks and stones, and sometimes without mortar, also called a dry-stack or surface bonding. Examples of work masons do include:

• Brick, stone, or cement block houses and buildings

• Freestanding stone or brick walls

• Chimneys with wood-burning fireplaces

• Cement block basement or crawl space walls

The first step to resealing is a thorough steam cleaning of the tile and grout. You can do this by renting a tile and grout cleaner for $80 a day. Once you’re done cleaning the floor, it’ll cost $30 to $40 per quart for sealant. Or, you can hire a pro who will charge $1 to $2 per square foot for cleaning and resealing services.

You generally cannot change the color of the natural stone, such as making granite countertops darker or lighter. Some people claim that certain chemicals will lighten or darken granite, but those will damage the stone and not provide uniform, expected results, so it’s better not to try. Similarly, some people ask whether they can stain over granite. Granite is beloved for its stain-resistant finish, so you probably won’t get the best outcome if you try to stain over granite to make it darker.

Instead, consider honing, painting, or applying another material over the top of the granite to make it appear darker.