Lost polish on blue pearl marble

[petewlintz]

I have a recently installed bathroom in blue pearl marble. In front of the commode I have lost the initial high gloss, pre-finish on the marble due to urine. No discolor, just the loss of shine.

How can a DIY'er get the polished look back to the 12 x 12 tile?

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[Davestone]

Practice practice. :bow: Anway a kit might be in order for you, you can get kits such as my link and they even have instructions, you need to clean the stone with an enzyme type urinebgone,and rinse before polishing...http://www.marble-cleaning-products.com/Marble-Refinishing-Kit/

[Steven Hauser]

Hi Pete,

I'd check and see if a residue is on the rock. Take a razor blade almost flat to the stone and see if something scrapes off.

Blue Pearl normally isn't a marble and typically isn't bothered by uric acid.

[Trask]

It could be a Marble with a priopetary name "blue Pearl"..although I've never heard of it.

If your not picky a color enhancer can mask the etching to some degree. It won't be a perfect fix to be sure but it's far easier than buffing it out. Along the same lines you night just conceed that it's gonna happen again and again so why fight it. Take a diluted acidic mix and evenly etch or hone the whole surface. Then enhance it to get some color back. This could be done with a honing powder too or a combination of light acid and powders.

Bringing back a high polish might be chasing your tale in this application (if it is in fact a marble)but it can be done. Practice and more practice is good advice as it takes some learning to get it right.

[Davestone]

:yeah: I'm startin to slip i think,yeah it's a granite,never mind,now i gotta get back to my Christmas tree. :gettree:

[petewlintz]

I had the marble name incorrect. It is Temple Gray marble 12 x 12's. They are not discolored, just the manufacturer's finish or polish is gone...

[Davestone]

AHA!! I'm back in the game,check out my previous eronious post :D .

[doitright]

Hi Pete, Welcome! :)

You have definetly etched your stone.

[petewlintz]

Thank you... now I know what the problem is, etched temple gray marble in a very small, but noticeable area.
Is there a gloss restorer you would suggest, and then what would be used to protect (seal) this area?
Pete

[Trask]

There are a number of polishing and honing compounds available..(I actually just ordered some from StoneTech about an hour ago) Some are powders others are liquids or paste..They come in various grits from 180 or less to finish polish..some will have secret ingredients like Oxalic acid in them to aid in polishing so follow directions carefully.

There is nothing really available to stop etching..some very premium sealers will slow down the process and even minimize damage to marbles but in the end marble will etch if it's exposed to acids. I've heard some top coat sealers and waxes will act as a sacrificial layer..but I'm not sold on coatings especially on floors.

Others here have a great deal more expirience at this than me and I expect they will have some to add.

[doitright]

Hi Pete :)

On occasion, when specified by our client, we have used a topical coating to protect a stone from etching around toilets/urinals. Depending on the traffic/usage will determine how much additional maintenance may be required.

[Trask]

John what topical sealer/coating is working best for you. We have occasions where I believe it might also apply but I'm hesitant to use a coating. Mira Matte and Akeimi's "enhancer" I believe are both essentially topical..those are the only two I've tried.

[doitright]

Hi Trask :)

I've had excellent results with Prosoco's Gloss n Guard. I try to pick a grout joint as the stopping point. I've also only used it on polished marble (as it's sheen would defeat the look of a honed product. Dry Treat has a product called Acid Proof that was first designed for protection of acid damage to honed stone. It does leave a topical film taking away from the natural look of the honed stone. They were working on a similar product for polished stone, but I haven't checked if it ever came on the market.

[Trask]

Sorry to steal your thread Pete.. Thanks John that gives me some more to look into.

[doitright]

Hi Pete :)

Sorry we got derailed here. First you need to repolish the areas that are etched. There are some DIY'r products available, but depending on the size of the area, you may want to call in a restoration pro. Then you can move forward with with Trask and I were talking about for topical protection.

[Trask]

Nicely brought back into context John :bow: