Dear John:
I wish that every question were that easy!
First off, just to set the record straight, what you have are not stains at all, but marks of corrosions (etching), which are actual surface damages: like shallow chemical scratches. That duly said, to eliminate etch-marks from a hone-finished surface like the one you have, all you need is some good ol' metal grade sand-paper. You can use it by hand, but you'd be better off if you had a small buffer to use it with. Hit the etch-mark with a 120 grit to start with, and then follow up with 240 and 400 grit. This will usually get a result pretty close to factory finish (or maybe the 240 will do). If it doesn't, don't worry too much: a few weeks of foot traffic will take care of producing a perfect blending. Don't be happy with a few strokes: work each grit intensively and make sure to widen the area you're working on of at least 1” all around each grit. Pretty easy, wouldn't you say?...
J
If the stone had been sealed with an impregnator, it may need to be sealed again in the areas you worked on.
May I ask you now to please read and e-sign our Statement of Purpose at:
http://www.marblecleaning.org/purpose.htm?
Ciao and good luck,
Mauri
Article ID: 1003
Created On: Sun, Jan 6, 2008 at 3:18 PM
Last Updated On: Sun, Jan 6, 2008 at 12:00 AM
Authored by: Maurizio Bertoli [mail@mbstone.com]
Online URL: https://marblecleaning.org/knowledgebase/article.php?id=1003