Soot & Water Stain on Marble Fireplace
by ina barry
QUESTION:I have a white carrara fireplace that is about 130 years old.The house had rising damp and it seems that for decades the damp has been infiltrating the marble, taking the soot from the back of the fireplace with it. Now it has large brown discolouration patches that seem to go right through the marble. I have tried poultice with undiluted bleach which doesn't do much, and also lightly sanding it doesn't make any difference as the stain goes through the marble. The fireplace is currently detached from the wall, so i can get to the back of it, if that is necessary. Please help! ANSWER:Based on the picture I'm not surprised that nothing you've tried has worked so far.You tried methods that can work for light burns and smoke damage, so good thinking there... but the damage is just too severe for DIY methods. This marble fireplace needs to be professionally restored. The damaged marble must be ground away and removed. But from the looks of it and your report that the staining and damage is possibly full thickness, even professional restoration may not yield satisfactory results. Obviously, a pro needs to be able to grind down to fresh undamaged marble in order to restore it. So, you best option may be to replace the damaged piece if possbile and then restore the rest that is less damaged. 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. |
