Q. Can I remove etching from my stone?
A. Maybe. If it is polished marble or travertine or onyx, then there's hope. If it is hone-finished marble or travertine, or hone-finished slate (like a chalk-board), or mixed "granite" then you'd better hire a professional stone restoration contractor. If it's a cleft-finished slate (rippled on its surface), then a very qualified pro may be able to hone it with powders and apply a good quality enhancing sealer.
Concentrating now on the case of polished marble or limestone or travertine or onyx, if the etch is severe (deep to the point that it looks and feels rough), then you do need a professional stone refinisher. But if the etch is light (the depth is undetectable by the naked eye, and it looks and feels smooth), then there is a professional grade product that is user-friendly enough for the do-it-yourselfer that should do the trick for you. Go to www.Stonecarecentral.com and look for Etch Remover and Marble Polish. Just follow the directions on the container.
If you do need the services of a PRO, visit the Find a PRO section at www.stoneandtilepros.com to locate a qualified contractor in your area.
John Freitag Director The Stone and Tile School www.thestoneandtileschool.com
ETCHING Occurs when stone is eaten (or neutralized) by an acid. It often looks like and is mistaken for a watermark. GRANITE A very hard, crystalline, igneous rock, gray to pink in color, composed of feldspar, quartz, and lesser amounts of dark Ferro magnesium materials. Black ’granites’ are similar to true ’granites’ in structure and texture, but are composed of different minerals LIMESTONE Sedimentary rock originated mostly by the decomposition of marine organism composed primarily of calcite or dolomite. The varieties of limestone used as dimension stone are usually well consolidated and exhibit a minimum of graining or bedding direction MARBLE A metamorphic crystalline rock composed predominantly of crystalline grains of calcite, dolomite, or serpentine, and capable of taking a polish ONYX A variety of quartz in crystalline form of calcium carbonate. It is characterized by a structure of parallel brands each differing in color or in the degree of translucency POINT Chisel drawn nearly to a point POLISHED The finest and smoothest finish available in stone, generally only possible on hard, dense materials. Or, a glossy finish which brings out the full color and character of the stone RESTORATION Work performed, including cleaning, repair, and finishing, returning the stone to its original character, finish, and condition SLATE Low-grade regional metamorphism of pelitic sediments of shale, mudstone or fine-grained tuff TILE A thin modular stone, generally less than ¾ inch thick TRAVERTINE A variety of limestone that is a precipitate from hot springs. Some varieties of travertine take a polish and are known commercially as marble. ASTM C119-03 classifies travertine in both the limestone and the marble groupings
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