How to Do a Satin Finish on Granite

Use scissors to cut up plastic garbage bags so that they open and lay flat at the seam. Lay the garbage bags across the work table you are using for the project. Cover all spots of the work table so that the bags provide a waterproof barrier. Place the granite stone on top of the garbage bags on the table.

Fill a 12-quart bucket up with water. Pour some water over the granite -- enough to wet the surface of the granite, but not so much that the granite becomes drenched. The amount of water you pour is determined by how large the slab of granite is.

Attach a 100-grit sandpaper disc to a 6-inch electric sander. When it comes to finishing granite, courser sandpaper produces a matter texture, whereas finer sandpaper creates a more polished and reflective appearance. Since the satin finish is more matte than glossy, 100-grit sandpaper is the appropriate sandpaper weight to start with for this project.

Turn the electric sander on and sand the surface of the granite. Work from the top to the bottom, and from left to right, keeping the directions uniform to avoid streaking. Once you get to the end of the slab, pour more water over the surface. The water washes away the dust and residue left behind from sanding, as well as coats and saturates the granite in preparation for the next round of sanding.

Detach the 100-grit sanding disc and replace with the 500-grit sanding disc. The 500-grit sanding disc produces a finer finish, which, when adding on top of the matte finish, creates the desirable satin look. With the slab still wet, sand the granite from top to bottom and left to right.

Wash the surface of the granite down with more water. The water combined with the dust from the sand produces a milky substance, which must be rinsed off. Dry the granite with towels.