Maurizio our renters allowed their dog to use the marble dinning room floor as a toilet (urine) and left it. there is a 6 foot patch in the middle of the room that is white and calcium crusty. We are wondering if we have it proffetionally restored will the urine smell come back up through the floor. or is it smarter to save the cost and replace the floor and sub floor?

 

Dear Robin:

Well, let me start by saying that black marble is one of the most difficult flooring to care for that money can buy. One should think twice before having it installed in a rental property. And again: did you give the renters precise guidelines on how to properly maintain a polished marble floor and what to watch for? If you – the landlord – are not supplying them with the proper intelligence, how can you sensibly expect them to know?

Be that as it may, the ureic acid etched you floor. Was it absorbed by the stone? No, it was not: black marble does not absorb anything; so I wouldn't worry about possible odors.

Under the circumstances, the best course of action is to hire a bona fide stone restoration contractor who will lightly grind (hone) and polish your stone to match factory finish.

Now, you'd better watch out! I consider stone refinishing as the very pinnacle of all the activities related to stone from a professional point of view. Unfortunately, there are a lot of quacks on the loose out there!

How could you tell a champ from a chomp? Could you trust the recommendation of your local stone distributor, or contractor, or your interior decorator? Hardly!

I did write a very comprehensive article on how to select a bona fide stone restoration contractor, which will give you all the intelligence you need to make a competent choice. It does carry a small price tag, and you can order it by logging on the Educational Literature of my website: http://www.mbstone.com/literature/literature.htm. It's available in pay-per-download format

Should you have any other question, ask away: you're in direct contact with me now.

Ciao and good luck,

Mauri z io Bertoli

 

http://www.mbstone.com