We have just installed a fossil slate as a worksurface and it is marking terribly! We have spilt lemon juice on it and it has etched - how can we deal with it. The surface is unsealed and matt. We would also like to seal it now if possible - what with. Kind Regards

 

Dear Sally:

Fossil slate???... I never heard that one before!! How slate (which is a metamorphic rock) could possibly be a fossil stone is beyond comprehension… But perhaps your stone was delivered by NASA that brought some back over its latest mission on the red planet!!... :-)

Having said that – which goes to prove the amazing stone “knowledge” of the merchants who sold that stuff to you – even if you apply an impregnating sealer to it, it wouldn't do the first thing to prevent the acid etchings you're experiencing. Applying a topical sealer like urethane would help only marginally, plus it would represent a difficult to solve problem in itself when the thin layer will start wearing off in a spotty way and restoration time will come knocking at the door.

If your etch marks “disapper” when you wet the stone surface, then your only sensible option is to make friends with a good-quality stone color-enhancer/impregnator, like MB-6, which is not sensitive to most common acidic substances.

Make sure that you don't screw up the whole thing by using inappropriate cleaning products, and try to make the most of what you got, until you will get tired of it.

And, BTW, don't forget to send a heartfelt thank-you note to your “knowledgeable” merchant for having advised you to buy this… fossil slate thing for your kitchen!! :-(

 

May I ask you now to please read and e-sign our Statement of Purpose at: http://www.marblecleaning.org/purpose.htm? It is only with the support of consumers like you that have been taken by specifically ignorant or unscrupulous brokers that we could try to put order in the stone industry house and help avoid situations like this one.

Ciao and good luck,

Mauri z io Bertoli

 

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