sealing/care of crema marfil

[heather516]

Hello there!

I've been browsing this site and it is such a fabulous resource. I'm so glad I stumbled upon it! My husand and I are buidling a brand new house, so we have lots of different issues with tile and stone. That being said, I will try to stick to one topic in this thread (but, I'm sure I will be starting lots more threads). :)

Against my better judgment, we are using crema marfil marble on our kitchen countertops (honed). I know crema marfil is probably a poor choice in the kitchen (especially with three small children), but the counters will be installed on Friday, so it's too late for me to pick something else. Soooo, does anyone have any tips/hints for taking care of the counters? Should they be sealed? I am totally clueless, so any help would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks in advance!

Heather

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[Stonehenge]

Hi Heather,

Your honed Crema Marfil should be sealed, in the TYW store link above you will find Stonetech Bulletproof, an oil resistant impregnator. I believe you should also keep some stone cleaner at arms reach so you can attend to spill accidents ASAP. A cutting board and felt pads beneath countertop appliances will help a little as well.

Good Luck,

Michael

[teeitup]

As an added precaution that is important but not very practical on a counter, you CAN NOT allow anything acidic to come into contact with that counter. That means almost all fruit esp. citrus fruit, and veggies like tomatoes etc. Don't forget about wine and remember that plates and glasses will have juices that find their way over the edge and onto the bottom rim, they will leave a ring that you may not be able to remove short of re honing or polishing.

It would be a good idea to find what is called bar top dressing and use it on the counter. That is what is used on commercial liquor bars. It is a lot like car wax, and will need to be redone often. It may create a slight sheen but that is better than etch marks.

Good Luck

[heather516]

Thank you both very much for your help! The counters were installed and they look great - only problem is that my fabricator didn't hone them!! Arrrggghhh. Now he has to come back and hone them ASAP!

[Trask]

You could just lightly etch the whole top with a mild acid or acidic cleaner.
We have plenty of clients that opt for a more "casual" stone top. Soapstone , Carrera and Crema Marfil Honed or many other anitqued marbles head up the list. They are fully aware that it will scratch and "Patina" in time, but that is the look they want. Something akin to the old working farmhouse feel that has a sense of history and permanence rather than the sterile and institutional( although practicle) Granite top many of them feel is all too common anymore.

So you can resolve to let it do it's thing...Seal it as best you can and don't lose sleep over it. In short order it will look like it's been there for a couple of generations and your guests will all agree it looks very charming.


That's the Romantic version...But it's real if you will only believe it :clap2:

[heather516]

That's exactly the look we are going for - the "loved by many generations" look. :) I was debating whether to have the marble honed by hand or to use an acid on it. Is there a big difference between the two?

Thanks so much for your help and comments. I really appreciate them!

[FctryRep]

Even if you hone it, it will need to be well sealed, both initially and yearly thereafter with a quality, penetrating sealer. We generally recommmend Aquamix Gold for our stones but there are many good ones out there.

Good luck!

Dan