Resurfacing marble at home -- can be done

12 years ago

Our marble slabs were originally polished when they were received by the fabricator. Those who read previous threads know that when we received them they were horribly botched -- uneven rough patches and very visible swipe marks. Looked like acid was used, and a very poor job of it.

I had been wary of choosing marble because of the possibility of etching. Now, we were confronted with marble that had been unevenly and severely etched all over, and we had to decide how to proceed.

We did recover some funds from the fabricator.

And then DH rehoned the marble himself. He used 5 inch diameter 320 grit Abranet pads on an orbital sander. He followed by going over the surface with pumice. It took about an hour for the first pass and then we went over some of the areas again. The marble became silky smooth and even, while retaining the matte honed appearance. We finished with two coats of sealer.

I'm posting because I was one of many who feared getting marble in the first place because of the etching. There is no doubt that it will etch in future, but I wanted to share that it can be resurfaced.

I love the Danby marble. I feel much less worried going forward seeing how it can be brought back to a perfect smooth honed surface. Just wanted to share this with others who want marble but are concerned about etching.

Comments (9)

missstella
12 years ago
Thanks for the info. I've saved to my clippings. Could you post before and after photos?
juniork
12 years ago
yes, photos, please! Also, he did this without using any chemicals? Sounds like he basically sanded, then repeated until smooth, then you sealed it? It was polished, and now it's honed? Any way to get it back to polished?
Sorry for all the questions, but this is fascinating! I currently have crema marfil bathroom counters that are etched (I think it was the contact lens solution, of all things!), and I'm wondering if I could do this as well...
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corrie22
12 years ago
sayde, I'm not scared of marble any more either.

I had our tile guy pick up three big marble scraps, all different.
I put them on my counters and I've been using them just like I would use a counter top.
No problems with them at all.
I've used bleach, Clorox spray cleaner, Comet, Windex,....
..any cleaner I've always used.

In the new kitchen, I'm putting marble counter tops...
Stacey Collins
12 years ago
sayde, THANK YOU for posting this! I'd heard this could be done, and that helped me decide to get marble counters a couple of years ago. (We have always intended to sell fairly soon so every decision had imminent resale as a consideration, and I knew marble was a concession for ME, rather than strictly for resale, since it would certainly be etched well before putting the house on the market!) I'm thrilled that this can be done at home. DH is a boatbuilder and skilled with powertools and all that, so I'm pretty sure we can also DIY this. I've clipped this post... Yay!!!! That made my day. Thanks!! :)
sayde
Original Author
12 years ago
Hi, just to clarify -- marble was polished when slabs came from Marble & Granite in Massachusetts to the fabricator. The fabricator "honed" them -- I suspect using just acid. The acid etched them very unevenly.

So they came to us matte but very rough in places with splotches, drip marks and swipe marks. I think one of the keys is to use the Abranet fiber disks that we used and to go over it lightly, again and again. I was just amazed that we could get all the swipe marks out and get it even. Go around and around, not back and forth, and keep the touch light.

I am ashamed to admit that I still cannot figure out how to post but I promise that once we get the backsplash and island done I will make pictures available -- may-be someone will post for me? I do have a few pictures from before we did the rehoning and you can see the ugly marks -- all gone now.
lavender_lass
12 years ago
Sayde- That's wonderful news! You must be so happy and relieved...it sure is nice to have a talented DH, too :)
westsider40
12 years ago
Sayde, Good for you and good for me. As I mentioned, I am getting Danby Olympian and am happy to hear that all I need is a bitty bit of grit!
breezygirl
12 years ago
This is such great news! Oh boy, you are my new best cyber friend! I, too, really really really want pics.

My slabs are honed already, but still have a fair amount of shine to them so I know there will be etching. My sample etches like crazy.

What kind of sealer did you use?
sayde
Original Author
12 years ago
OK-- sealers. I was planning to buy a solvent based sealer. I did research that said that the solvent based sealers have a slightly smaller molecule so might penetrate deeper if the stone is porous. But there were many articles that said that the good water based sealers are now just about as good. In the end I went to The Tile Shop and bought their Premium Gold Sealer for Marble and Onyx. (The Premium is clear and intended for white stone. It does not enrich color and is not an enhancer. It is Water Based). We applied two coats. I think you need to choose the sealer based on the type and color of the stone, but no matter what you still have to be vigilant about drips because the sealer will guard against stains but cannot prevent etching. And you have to reapply from time to time. This sealer is supposed to last "at least" five years, but YMMV as they say. Right now, drops of water bead on the surface and do not get absorbed. I guess you just have to repeat this test every so often.