Water stains on marble counter

[Tom in Phoenix]

Hi all,

I installed 12" cream colored polished terrazo type marble floor tiles on my kitchen counters last year, when the guys at the "big box" store told me as long as it was sealed I would have no problems. Unfortunately, I started getting water spots/rings from condensation off cups, etc., almost immediately. I have tried multiple coats of sealer to ward them off, but to no avail. It looks as if the polish is etched off in these areas. The only minor success I have had is buffing VERY briskly with a white nylon pad -it has not removed them but seems to have lightened the "etch." Any ideas? Thanks!

[John Bridge]

Hi Tom, Welcome aboard.

The real restoration experts will be along shortly.

If you mean terrazzo tiles, they are made from cement with chunks of stone embedded. It's possible you've etched the cement. Or maybe you are actually talking about marble tiles, which are solid stone. Or you could be talking about a different man-made marble product called agglomerate. Try to define the product a little better.

[doitright]

Hi Tom, Welcome!

It does sound as if the tiles are etched, no matter what they are made of.

Trying to polish out etches by a first timer is not recommended, nor easy. There are some marble polishing compounds available that will probably remove the etches. If you're not up to hiring a professional, get back with us, and we'll try to help.

[Tom in Phoenix]

Thanks for the help. I called Lowe's today (where I bought it). It is called Perlatto Royale. I described it as "terrazo type" because to my untrained eye, it looks like chips and slices of stone. Also, I am not afraid to try anything myself repairwise - rebuilding fixer-uppers is sort of my hobby.

[KChurch1]

Aqua Mix has a marble repolishing system for about $15 at Lowes that will remove light etches. It's two parts, powder and liquid that you use with a white 3m scrub pad. I have recommended this product to some of my clients and they have used it with success. If the etches are deep, they will need to be honed out with diamonds and repolished....for that you need a professional or more training... but it's not impossible for a DIY... it's just sometimes less expensive and less frustrating to hire a pro.

Dear Tom:
Perlato Royal is a solid compact limestone from Sicily, Italy, traded as marble. It doesn't absorb a darn thing: therefore all the impregnator you've been applying has done good only to its manufacturer and the store that sold it to you! That stone is extremely sensitive to acidic spills (as you already found out the hard-way for yourself! )
If the etching is all over you countertop, I highly doubt that you will be successful at removing all your etches yourself.
For a few accidents here and there, yes, Karen's suggestion is good indeed, but I'm afraid that you countertop is way beyond the "few accidents" thing by now.
Most importantly, however, is the following question:

Why bother fixing it?

There is nothing that you can use to protect polished marble from etching, and unless you stop using your countertop altogether, it is going to get like that again in a matter of a few months. That is why polished marble does not belong in a kitchen, no matter what the "guru" at the store told you about the sealing business and all!
Ciao and good luck,

[Tom in Phoenix]

Thanks very much to both of you!. I suspected that it was a poor choice in stone. I think I will try the mix Karen recommended and get a little more time out of it before replacing it - I'd feel a little better getting at least a few years out of it if possible.

Thanks for having the info available on this site - I'll be checking it frequently to learn more!

Tom

[Tom in Phoenix]

Hi again, Maurizio,

I just visited your web-site. Would one of your products be worth trying - it looked like MB-11 is made for floor tiles like mine, even though they are on a counter. I appreciate your help and would rather support someone who really knows their business rather than the big box boys. ( I understand that this would most likely be a temporary solution until I replace the counter).

Tom

Dear Tom:
Thank you for visiting my website!
While I always guarantee 100% all my products, I can't do that with MB-11. While an excellent performer, there's only so much that a polishing powder can do when it comes to repair of etched surfaces. Medium to light etchings will be repaired completely on Perlato Sicilia. If they are more severe than that, then honing must precede the polishing. I needed to make this very clear.
Having said that, if you are kinda handy guy and have access to a little hand-held buffer, you could even pull it off - at least a good 75% of the whole thing! A power-tool does increase the performance of the product itself.
You will need some technical assistance before you start using the product (the directions on the jar do not include the use of a power-tool), but I'll be glad to give it to you over the telephone, if you can cope with my Northern Italian accent!
Ciao and good luck,
Maurizio Bertoli

www.mbstone.com

MB Stone - Educatione before any sale!

[jvcstone]

Why not just hone the entire top and be done with it?
JVC