Polishing Matte Finished Marble
by David
QUESTION:Can matte finished marbled be polished so that it looks glossy/shiny? I've tried many polishes without success.ANSWER:Yes, matte finished or honed marble can be polished, but it will require the work of a professional with special abrasives.You see, the shine on marble or any stone does not come from a bottle. It is a process similar (but requiring much more skill) to sanding a piece of rough wood to a silky smooth finish. You always start with rough or raw marble. Then you continue to finish the surface with ever finer abrasives. You can stop anywhere in this process depending on how rough or smooth or shiny you want the surface to be and there are variations of technique and procedures to achieve different looks like tumbled or flamed, etc. Typically this is done at the factory when the slabs are run through a big machine that grinds down and polishes the marble. But if a marble is honed or tumbled when installed, you'll have to hire a marble maintenance pro to finish and polish the surface into a shine. Now, you'll see some products on the market name "marble polish." It this case it is used in the same way as a "shoe polish." It's more of a topical coating that if enough is applied, you can buff it to a bit of a shine. Confusing I know, but in reality none of these products will make a honed/matte marble shiny. However, there are products like SCP: Marble Polishing Paste that will make a dull etch mark on a previously polished marble shiny again. This is a special case where the marble is already polished, but the surface layer has been slightly damaged by an acidic substance which destroys the very thin shiny layer making the spot look dull compared with the rest of the surface. So, in this case the Marble Polishing Paste is effective because it basically mimics on a small scale the final step in polishing marble. But even this paste will not make honed marble shiny. Honed or matte marble is not finished enough for the paste to make it shiny. 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.
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