Restoring Cultured Marble Bath Vanity

by Joan Comeaux
(Baton Rouge, LA)

QUESTION:

How can I remove yellowed finish on counter. I think it was refinished with clear polyurethane or other in the past. I tried stripper not much luck and now I'm sanding with palm sander. Very slow work.. Can you help? Thanks so much. the white is where I sanded.

ANSWER:

First, cultured marble is not real stone and thus not my area of expertise.

However, a cultured marble countertop is a mold of marble and synthetic chemicals with several coatings, coloring and finally a protective gel coat.

So, the product is not consistent all the way through. You can't just sand or grind away a blemish like you can with stone.

And the yellow may be the original color, or it may be a change that has occurred with age that cannot be corrected.

Now, I do believe that cultured marble can be restored, but you'd have to know how to reapply the top coatings, gel coat, etc.

Usually once that gel coat is damaged repairs are difficult and replacing the countertop becomes much more cost effective than trying to restore it if possible.

So, I suggest contacting a cultured marble manufacturer or installer for advice.