Hello, We are working with our builder to try to resolve a problem that occurred when someone used acid to clean a marble countertop that has a brushed, not polished finish. (Not sure why they did that.) The surface is not a smooth surface, it has some relief. The result is an uneven, splotchy, smeared look that won't go away. The stone is supposed to be Negro Marquina. The countertop is installed in a completed kitchen. What can be done and how do we find someone who can do it? Thanks!

 

Dear Bob:

Of course, the acid corroded (etched) the surface of your stone, and hence the “blotchy things” that won't go away. Well, they don't need to go away: they went away already! Some of the marble, that is, went away eaten by the acid. L

Could that surface damage be repaired?

Hard to answer.

I, for one, despite all my vast field experience, wouldn't know if I could do anything about it. I never worked on a particular finish like that, and I don't know of anything that could duplicate it in the field. However, even if you were fortunate enough to find a stone restoration contractor that could pull that off, the question that begs to be asked is: Why bother?

I mean, no matter what, every time you will spill anything acidic (think of something liquid that you have in your kitchen this side of water and it is acidic) it will happen again, and again, and again, and again… L

You asked, “ (Not sure why they did that.) ” making reference to the “brilliant” idea of acid washing that stone.

The real question that begs to be asked is, “Not sure why someone thought of putting that particular stone with that particular finish in a kitchen.” (Please don't tell me that someone told you that it would be “sealed” and everything would be all right…) That inconsiderate acid washing only brought the problem into the open sooner rather than later.

The best advice that I can think of is that you get a piece of scrap of that slab and try to acid wash it uniformly with a solution of 3 : 1 of water (3 parts of water) and Hydrochloric Acid (a.k.a. Muriatic Acid). That might produce a uniform black finish and, if implemented on the entire countertop, could represent the only possible “solution”.

I won't even encourage you to learn some basic stone care, etc., like I always do. Unless the muriatic acid treatment works, it's a lost cause no matter what.

 

Needless to say, if marblecleaning.org could have its ways, situations like this one would not exist. But we can't do anything by ourselves. We need the support of the consumers to succeed. On that spirit…

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 zio Bertoli

 

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