Q. My question is I have a Carrera polished marble bathroom floor, shower, and shower Floor. My vanity is Honed Carrera Marble. I noticed that when I brush my teeth or wash my hands, there are dark water spots that must have dripped down and are clustered in the same area on the floor. I do blot them up if I notice them but there are still spots there that I must have missed. When it was installed, the installer sealed the floor with a sealer from Home Depot called Tile Lab. After looking into that sealer, they recommend resealing after 6 months. I'd like to switch to a better sealer and reseal the bathroom floor, shower wall and shower floor. But would like to remove those water spots on the floor first. What do you suggest? Also on the shower floor where there are hexagon carrera marble tiles, some of the hexagons have turned all white rather than the grey or white with veining. Why is that? Is that o.k.? Do I seal that in or is there anything I should do on the shower floor first before I seal it? Thank you very much for your help. Sincerely, Karen

 

A. It is first important to confirm that water is what is causing the dark spots. If it is water they should go away when the tiles have completely dried. Try this: sprinkle a little flour on the area and leave it overnight. The flour should wick up any moisture and the dark spots should vanish. (If the dark spots still remain, it is possible that something else penetrated the surface leaving a stain. You may want to refer to the Stone Care Guide which will give you information on treating stains.)

 

You will want to seal the stone with a good quality sealer, such as MB Stonecare MB4.

 

As for the hexagon tiles, it sounds like efflorescence or mineral deposits is the problem. Use a good quality soap film remover such as MB Stonecare MB-3 Soap Film Remover for Stone. If that doesn't resolve the problem, you will need to call in a professional stone restoration contractor. Do make sure the problem is resolved before you seal the stone.

 

Dr. Fred

Chief Technical Director