Dear Natasha:
“
is it really possible that it will start to look shiny and polished only in places, over time?
”
Oh yes indeed: maybe between the next 100 to 200 years or so…
J
“
How do I tell if it's sealed?
”
I don't know. That stone is such a “sponge” that even if they applied the impregnator only once (and maybe not the right type of impregnator) it may look like it was never sealed. Apparently, by your saying, it does not appear as they sealed. For sure, they did not seal it well.
If you log on at:
http://www.mbstone.com/HH_promo/helpful_hints.htm you will find a very revealing and useful article about a good sealing job.
“
How do I seal it myself as part of the regular upkeep and how often?
”
Buy a good-quality impregnating sealer like MB-4 and then follow the directions printed on the bottle (plus the ones that you will find in the article that I indicated to you before). Keep in mind, however, that if for any chance they did apply an impregnator once to your stone, the new one may not work properly because of the presence of the other one. As for the frequency of applications, if MB-4 will work (should you decide to buy that), it should go a good few years.
As for the removal of the current oil stains, When it comes to stain removal, either you buy one of those expensive “Professional kits” (that true professionals seldom use!) at a stone retailer near you, or you can spend less money and get our comprehensive guidelines on how to remove stains by using inexpensive and far more effective means that you may already have in your household! Such impressive piece of literature will also tell you how to tell stains apart from “stains”, and what to do about the latter! It does carry a small price tag, and you can order it by logging on at:
http://www.mbstone.com/literature/literature.htm.
It's available in pay-per-download format and it's much cheaper than any kit on the market! Not to mention the little and much needed support you'd be giving to the cause –
your cause - since every single penny of the cost of the article will be used to support it.
Also, will you please read and e-sign our Statement of Purpose by logging on at:
http://www.marblecleaning.org/purpose.htm? By spreading the word about this valuable site among your friend & family and the stone trades' people you've been dealing with, you will be rendering everybody a valuable service!
Ciao and good luck,
Mauri
Article ID: 1199
Created On: Wed, Feb 13, 2008 at 12:21 PM
Last Updated On: Wed, Feb 13, 2008 at 12:00 AM
Authored by: Maurizio Bertoli [mail@mbstone.com]
Online URL: https://marblecleaning.org/knowledgebase/article.php?id=1199