new limestone floor-help

[sunnybrook 16]

I just had a "porto beige" 24" tile honed limestone floor professionally installed in my kitchen remodel. It has been sealed with an impregnating sealer. We have not even begun to use the space and already there is an 8" splotch on one of the tiles where the finish looks worn or etched. The rest of the surface is not shiny, but this area looks duller than the rest. I (stupidly?)believed that the "honed" surface would prevent the etching issue. Can you give me some advice if there is any way to restore this area? Thanks.

[KChurch1]

Trying to match an existing honed surface can sometimes be tricky. There are honing powders available and with practice you may be able to match the hone on your limestone. Maurizio has an excellent honing powder, Stone Tech does too. I use a 7" hog hair pad on a Fein Random Orbital variable speed polisher set between 1 and 2... makes less of a mess.... You might also be able to get similar results, if the area isn't too big, with just the hog pad and honing powder using a little elbow grease... I find the little 3 inch center that is normally cut out of the larger 17 inch floor pads makes an excellent hand pad.
With a limestone floor in the kitchen, it might we worth the investment to get the polisher and powders. My guess is that you will need to start with a 400 grit powder and maybe go up to 600 or 800 grit.

Dear Sunny:
The only sure way to eliminate the visual effects of etching is to have the floor finished with a totally flat hone. The factory hone-finish is always something "in between"; therefore, etching will always be noticeable.
Karen's right with her advice, but I think that starting with 180 grit and then finish at 280 (or 400) should work better.
Ciao and good luck,

[Michael Meyer]

Hi Sunny, In this circumstance you may actually consider replacement of the single tile. Michael of Stonehenge

Dear Michael:
Well, I don't want to go into a debate with this one, but don't you think it's a bit too extreme?
I do understand where you're coming from, but we're talking about a kitchen floor here! Acidic spills will keep happening! What is Sunny supposed to do, replace the damaged tiles every time some etching happens??!
Don't you think it would be much better if he finds the "formula" for fixing those surface damages!
Ciao and good luck,

[Michael Meyer]

MB, I believe that large scale replacement for a limestone kitchen has been discussed before. Michael

[doitright]

Hi Sunnybrook, Welcome!

You have a two fold issue here. You mentioned the floor was sealed and impregnated. Replacing the tile is not necessarily going to gaurentee a matched finish, without duplicating the procedure that was used by the installer (depending on the products used).

If the sealer/impregnator added any type of sheen to the floor, then when the floor was etched, it ate right through the sealer/impregnator, thus creating a splotch, right off the bat.

As Karen and Maurzio mentioned rehoning would do the trick. I have matched factory honing using either 600 metal bond diamond pads, or silica carbide pads. The most consistent finish for the whole floor is accomplished with the honing powders, as suggested. Anything over 400 grit will be prone to showing etch marks again.