We had a polished marble basketweave floor installed in our new bathroom. The contractor did not return to clean the grout haze for 2 weeks. He then wiped it with a dry towel and used a sealant. The floor has dull streaks all over it that I cannot get up. I am assuming it is grout haze? Now that I have been reading online, I see that the grout haze should have been cleaned up next day. Any suggestions???

 

Dear Kelly:

 

“ Now that I have been reading online, I see that the grout haze should have been cleaned up next day. ”

 

This information is wrong. The grout should have been cleaned at the time of the installation before it got dry.

 

“ Any suggestions??? ”

 

It's a very difficult situation. You have a residue of grout film and on top of that your “Michelangelo” applied an impregnating sealer that you needed like a hole in your head.

Now you have to remove both, and neither is going to be easy.

I really don't consider that job a DIY project. My advice is for you to hire a professional contractor specializing in tile and grout cleaning that has some experience with cleaning marble tiles – not just ceramic.

After that, 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.

While you are in the “Helpful Hints” section, do spend some time reading all of the interesting FREE articles you'll find in there!

Finally, keep in mind that we need your support to help us helping you!

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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!

Thank you  

Ciao and good luck,

Mauri zio Bertoli

 

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