My Husband and I are about to buy a new house that has two large islands with white carrera marble. Are they really going to be horrible to live with? I want to enjoy them, and don't mind if they have a "worn in" look. I read that polished marble can not be sealed. Is that correct? There is so much information out there, I don't know what to believe. The builder says they can be sealed, but is he just saying that? Do they, or can they get re-polished if they get really messed up? The counters around the islands are black granite. Thanks for your help. Linda

 

Dear Linda:

 

“ Are they really going to be horrible to live with? I want to enjoy them, and don't mind if they have a "worn in" look. ”

 

If they are currently polished, they are never going to have a “worn-in” look. They will look terrible, period.

 

“ I read that polished marble can not be sealed. Is that correct? ”

 

Yes, it is correct. Not even if you use my own legendary sealer… J

 

“ There is so much information out there, I don't know what to believe. ”

 

This is not worded correctly. There a lot of “gurus” out there expressing opinions that in all too many cas es turn out as being misinformation and/or plain myths. At any rate, you believe whomever you want: it's your prerogative.

 

“ The builder says they can be sealed, but is he just saying that? ”

 

If you ask me, yes, he's just saying that without having the slightest idea of what an impregnator (improperly called sealer) is, how it works and what it can do for your stone. But you don't have to take my word for it: tell him to show you how he can seal polished White Carrara marble using a piece of scrap. And once it is “sealed” and cured (24 hours), you will spill some white vinegar or lemon juice on it, let it sit 15 seconds or so, and then wipe it clean. At that point, with the damage right before your very eyes, you will ask him what kind of “sealing” he did!... L

It will be interesting, I promise!... Not to mention that in that way you won't have to believe anybody: only the facts.

 

“ can they get re-polished if they get really messed up? ”

 

Indeed they can be restored to their pristine conditions. But it is certainly not anything that you can do yourself (and neither can your GC); it is going to be a very expensive proposition all the time and, if you use your kitchen rather intensively, a few times a year.

But… you could put a big sheet of glass custom-cut to match the size and shape of your islands… That is the only “sealer” that would really work! J

And BTW, since you mentioned your black “granite” countertop: I sure hope they did not “seal” those! (It could create problems.)

Now remember, it's never too early to think about the proper maintenance of your stone. The issue of what you'll be doing day in and day out to your stone is – as it should be intuitive – vastly more important than its sealing (if and when possible and/or advisable) and it's all too often neglected. As you can tell by reading many of this site's postings, you're not likely to get good information about routine care from your dealer or installer. Don't become another statistic! By logging into the Helpful Hints section of our website at:   http://www.mbstone.com/HH_promo/helpful_hints.htm , you will be able to get the short version of our maintenance guidelines at no charge. The full version of it – a 7-page document considered by many as an industry benchmark – is available in pay-per-download format in our Educational Literature section at:   http://www.mbstone.com/literature/literature.htm .  

And remember, every single penny of the cost of the literature will be used to support this site and its cause: your cause.

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Thank you  

Ciao and good luck,

Mauri z io Bertoli

 

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