Marble Staining - Marble is definitely on the high end of design. People love this natural stone with its endless possibilities for home design ideas. Marble though, as with travertine and limestone, comes with two worrisome and stressful companions......staining and etching. Many customers shy away from using these stones in their homes because of staining and etching. And for the vast majority of homeowners they do not understand what staining is versus what etching is.
What is staining? And what is etching? What is the difference and what causes both? These are important questions to understand.
WHAT IS STAINING:
One of the most important things to remember about your marble surfaces is that the stone is highly absorbent, reacting to spills like a sponge. Liquid spills seep into the pores of the stone and can cause your marble to discolor. Staining occurs when a liquid or other substance is absorbed by the stone and trapped beneath the surface. As a general rule if the affected area is darker in color than the natural color of the marble than it is likely a stain. When this occurs many homeowners sometimes panic and begin to try one cleaner after another in an effort to remove the stain. Unfortunately this usually ends up making the problem considerably worse, and many times ends up in with etching in addition to the staining.
WHAT IS ETCHING:
Etching is caused mostly by acidic substances that eat away at the finish of the marble resulting in dulled or etched look. It literally takes mere seconds for etching to occur when acidic spills occur on your marble. As a general rule if the affected area is lighter than the natural color of the marble then it is likely etching.
THINGS THAT CAUSE STAINING AND ETCHING:
Coffee, tea, cooking oil, wine, rust, cleaners you purchase from the shelves of your local supermarket may contain pigments and solvents, carrots, squash, cantaloupe, apricots, and some peppers rich in beta-carotene, citrus, citrus-based products, alcohol and alcohol-based products, sodas, ink, and hand lotions… to name a few.
WHAT TO DO?
Stains and etching on your marble should typically be left to a professional to remove and/or repair. After removal and/or repair the best thing you can do for our Marble is make sure it is sealed with a high quality sealer. Thanks to technological advances in the stone finishing/re-finishing industry, a new sealer has been developed that actually works in protecting these luxurious stones from etching and staining for years.
Sheerstone is the name of the new sealer, and it is the newest innovation in stone finishing/re-finishing. Whether on new or existing surfaces, Sheerstone can be applied by a certified technician to kitchen countertops, vanities, etc., and be ready for use immediately after the technician has completed the job.
