Yes, natural stones need resealing from time to time. It will depend on which stone you use, where you put it, and how often it gets wet. Check with a local stone shop or designer to get an idea of your specific maintenance requirements! We also have some maintenance notes on this website at Care and Maintenance, which also has a link to the Marble Institute of American.

Keeping grout clean depends on whether it was sealed properly after being installed – also, you may have to reseal it if you clean it a lot or with aggressive chemicals. Properly sealed grout should resist stains, and always remember to wipe down the surface as soon as you can after splatters occur, to give the staining materials less time to penetrate.

@Procera

I’m afraid I don’t have any personal experience with stainless steel backsplashes, although I have heard that they are difficult to keep shiny. Rather like a mirror, I gather; so if you’re using your stove top every day, and it gets dirty, it might be hard to keep looking like new. Does anyone else have any information on this?