Hi! We have a black slate hearth that has many marks on it. They do not seem to be stains in the cence that they are coloured but rather they are like water marks. My wife has tried to protect the surface over the years with spray polish. I have tried to take the slate back to original by cleaning small patches with 1. Warm soapy water 2. Methylated spirit & 3. Turps substitute but none of this has worked. Please can you help? Many thanks in advance. Frank

 

Dear Frank:

Nothing will work, this side of a restoration project. All the “water stains” you have on your stone are marks of corrosions (etchings) made by various acidic or other pH active liquids that became in contact with the surface of the stone, i.e.: drinks, vinegar, salad dressing, lemon juice, tomato sauce, orange juice, some generic cleaning product and so on through a long list. There's no product on the marketplace – sealer or what-have-you – that could prevent such surface-damages from happening. You will need the services of a bona fide stone restoration contractor, who will have to hone and re-finish your stone.

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,

Maurizio Bertoli

 

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