Discolored Marble Stone Fireplace
by Paula and Ken
QUESTION:The fireplace floor to ceiling is made from "white marble round stones from 1984." The Hearth and sides are deep yellow. It looks like a sealer has turned the color. Bottom of fireplace stones are yellowed and smooth, white stones throughout are rough and not discolored. does it need to be sandblasted like brick? can this be repaired? Desperate. Thx.ANSWER:The yellowing seems like a topical coating that may be wearing and turning color... possibly because of heat, but could just be old.A typical modern impregnating sealer will not do this, but there are topical waxes and acrylics, etc. that would. You should never apply a topical coating to marble or any stone. Just creates additional maintenance issues and can cause structural problems for the stone. Marble sealers are not topical. They absorb into the stone and work below the surface allowing the stone to breath. Not to worry though... The great thing about marble and natural stone in general is that it can almost always be repaired or restored to look brand new. In this case I'd recommend you contact a marble maintenance and/or restoration professional. Contact some stone warehouses and fabricators first for a recommendation. Have a few come take a look, interview them about their experience, get references, ask what they think the problem is and get a bid. You may be able to resolve it yourself by removing whatever is on the marble fireplace (if indeed that is the issue) by stripping it off with SCP: DEEP CLEAN Stripper/Degreaser. But, without seeing it in person or at least a good picture it's hard to know exactly what may be occurring, so call in a couple/few pros to take a look. Good Luck, Ryan P.S. Get all the facts, answers, explanations and simple solutions with step-by-step instructions for any issue, problem or question with our Granite & Marble Maintenance Manuals. |
