Dull Marble Floor
by Hopi Curiel
QUESTION:I used a cleaner for marble floors that i was given by home depot and then a polish spray and still is dull.ANSWER:Well many who work at Home Depot are knowledgeable and can be helpful, but I've yet to find one who knew anything about stone or properly cleaning marble or marble maintenance.But unfortunately many people who actually work in the stone industry could use a little more education about marble maintenance. So, you tried some products and your marble floor is still dull. Was it meant to be "dull"? In other words, was it installed with a honed or tumbled or otherwise non-polished, non-reflective surface? Many floors especially in homes are not shiny because the polish wears quickly and requires far more marble maintenance to keep in shape. So, if they were not polished to begin with, nothing you apply to the marble floor will make it shiny. The shine on a marble floor does not come from a product applied to the surface. Marble slabs and tiles are polished on big machines using intense friction. Thus, if the marble floors where never polished to begin with, you'll have to hire a professional to re-finish the floors. On the other hand... if the marble floors were originally polished and shiny, but now are not you have to figure out why. If the entire floor is now dull, then the wrong product was used for cleaning marble. You can't use common or name-brand household cleaners on marble. You should only use products safe for cleaning marble. Marble is reactive with acids found in many foods and too alkaline cleaning products, which is most of them. When in contact with marble such substances will etch the marble. Etching is chemical corrosion of the surface, which will destroy the polished layer exposing the more dull marble underneath. If the marble floor was repeatedly cleaned with damaging cleaner, then the etching may be severe and you'll need a pro to make it shine again. If you just have some dull spots here and there and the marble floor was originally polished, then you can use SCP: Marble Polishing Paste to repair the etching and restore the shine. 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. |
