Category » Cleaning, Sealing, Maintenance and Restoration

There were 134 questions found in this category:

1. How should I perform routine maintenance for my granite countertops?
   Granite Countertops will give you a lifetime of easy to maintain elegance if you use the right products -- and don't use the wrong products -- and follow some simple guidelines. It is always best to use quality products designated safe for natural stone. Avoid products with soap as you don't wan ...
2. I am confused about if and when to seal / reseal my granite countertop. Do I need to have an expert do the sealing and if not what product should I use? How often should granite be resealed?
   Q. I am confused about if and when to seal / reseal my granite countertop. Do I need to have an expert do the sealing and if not what product should I use? How often should granite be resealed?A. First off, understand that contrary to what you may have been told, not all granites need to be seal ...
3. I have a granite top on our bar with several "ring stains." Can I use a marble polishing compound for polishing them out?
   Q. I have a granite top on our bar with several "ring stains." Can I use a marble polishing compound for polishing them out?A. A marble polishing compound can sometimes be used and shouldn't do any harm. However you may need to use a granite polishing compound. If that doesn't work you will need ...
4. I have Ubatuba granite & it is filmy, looks dull & leaves water spots on it when I wipe it. How can I fix this?
   Q. I have Ubatuba granite & it is filmy, looks dull & leaves water spots on it when I wipe it. How can I fix this?A. It is not the stone itself that is the problem but something on the surface of the stone. You may have either a dish soap residue build up, in which case we recommend that you cle ...
5. A cup of lemonade was left on my marble vanity and leaked. It completely etched the spot - sealer did nothing.
   Q. A cup of lemonade was left on my marble vanity and leaked. It completely etched the spot - the sealer did nothing to prevent this.A. Unfortunately, no sealer in the world would have done anything to prevent this from happening. Sealers are intended to fill the voids underneath the surface onl ...
6. Are you aware of whether stripper would damage/weaken the grout between the tiles?
   Q. Are you aware of whether stripper would damage/weaken the grout between the tiles?Yes, it is possible for certain types of strippers to ruin grout over time if they are continually used. You can use them but just make sure that the floor and the grout are throughly rinsed. The best strippers ...
7. black spots on travertine shower
   Q. My master bath was remodeled approx. 8 months ago and we used honed and tumbled travertine. It was professionally installed and moisture barrier was used in shower. Approx a month ago, I noticed a few black "dots" on the floor of the shower (they are 2x2 tumbled durango), just below the showe ...
8. Can ceramic tile be recolored?
   Q. I am interested in buying a house but don't like the ceramic tile in the foyer and kitchen. It is a light color and I would like it to be darker. Can tile be recolored or only the grout? Tearing it up and replacing is out of budget right now.A. Unfortunately ceramic tile cannot be recolored.
9. Can enhancing sealing be removed?
   Q. The installer of my granite countertop used a color enhancing and impregnating sealer. I wish he would have asked if I wanted the deepened color. Is there any way to return the granite to the original color and then reseal with non enhancing sealer?A. Your question was submitted to our netwo ...
10. Can I change the color or stain my travertine slate a darker color?
    Q: I just purchased an extremely light colored travertine slate for my front room, but would like a richer, darker color for the slate. Since it has not yet been sealed, can the slate be "colored" or "stained" before it is installed?A: Travertine can be darkened, but I would not recommend darken ...
11. Can I remove etching from my natural stone?
    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 i ...
12. Can travertine be polished after it has been sealed?
    We recently had travertine cross cut torren placed in our kitchen foyer and hallway the floor was sealed by the installer. However we would prefer to have more of a shine to the floor then we presently have. Can we, now that the floor is sealed, have a product such as MB Stone Care Pro MB-12 Pol ...
13. Can you please provide some definition of Sealer for Stone?
    Q. Can you please provide some definition of Sealer for Stone?A. Excellent question! For starters, when referring to stone, the word sealer is wrong. Well, technically it is not, but the reason why I said that it is wrong is because sealers for stone are totally different from any other sealer ...
14. Can you polish Mexican pavers?
    Q. Can you polish Mexican pavers?A. No. Mexican pavers typically have a patina applied at the factory. This patina is very thin and any attempt at polishing could remove it. I would recommend if you want it to shine apply a topical coating made for this type of tile.Dr. FredFred M. Hueston, PhDC ...
15. Can you recommend a good sealer for my granite?
    Q. Can you recommend a good sealer for my granite?A. Stonecarecentral.com has excellent high quality sealers that are effective and easy to use in their Stonecare PRO Signature line. You will first want to determine, do you want the color to remain the same or are you looking to enhance (i.e. d ...
16. Can you recommend a grinder/polisher that will work and has enough rpms for using MB Stone Care MB-12?
    Q. Can you recommend a grinder/polisher that will work and has enough rpms for using MB Stone Care MB-12?A. Most of our PROS use and recommend the Flex, Makita or Stonecare PRO Signature right angle grinder.
17. cat urine smell
    Q. My cat peed on the carpet, and it soaked thru to the concrete. The advice I've gotten included dousing the area with a water/bleach combination, "Enzyme D" product, or soaking the area with hydrogen peroxide then painting over it with Kilz oil based primer. Which of these methods, if any, do ...
18. Cleaning Hard Water Stains on Granite Vanity Top
    Q. Do you know of a product that will get rid of the hard water stains on my granite vanity top (it's really bad around the faucet fixtures)? I look forward to hearing from you.A good quality, stone safe soap film remover will be effective at getting rid of hard water deposits as well as soap sc ...
19. Cleaning Marble - Etching, Rings and Damage on Marble Surface
    Q. I have a marble countertop in my bathroom. In a panic I put comet on a stain and took the finish off. How can I get the finish back? Also, I have a few ring marks. How get I get rid of them. Thank you EvelynA. If the damage to the surface is not too severe, you can repair it yourself using a ...
20. Cleaning mineral deposts on marble
    Q: I am wondering how to clean the marble step into our bathrooom shower. It has a lot of dark brown crud -- I'm assuming it's mineral deposits -- that have built up over the years where the aluminum frame of the shower door meets the marble. Any suggestions? I've tried baking soda but that bare ...