From everything I've read about marble, the products that prevent etching make the stone look plasticy and fake. It would have to be an awfully thick coating to prevent etching. I would want to see a decent sized sample of sealed stone in order to see and touch for myself.

ask if it's the same product as "hydroshield". I've seen that and it's not at all conspicuous and provides excellent protection. it was about $12-15 per sq. ft. so not cheap.

Hi from Clearstone Australia yes it has taken some time to get over to the USA with our product, the research and development has been slow and expansive however it is now here in the USA , and it works, you can have a look at the Australian web site www.innovativecomposites.com.au for more info also have a look at www.marblecarerestoration.com it shows a kitchen top in West Palm Beach FL which was coated in May this year, Clients are very happy with the out come, and now all they need do to keep this looking good is clean it with a damp soft cloth, and furniture polish now and than.

I would ask to contact the people in West Palm to see how it affected the texture. I used a sealant that protects against stains but not etches. It has a lifetime warranty. I did two thanksgivings - one for 17 and one for 31 and had no stains - plenty of spills - but no stains. And we served a pomegranite cosmo for the drink.

Yes clearstone is a credible coating for calcite based stones such as marble,limestone,travertine etc.
The coating itself can be mechanically polished or honed.
It has a good warranty as well.
I have never been big on coatings as a stone refinisher we always like to attain natural polishes and matte finishes.
We have gotten to know the folks at clearstone and they are very reputable.The picture is a st laurent gold marble tabletop that was coated with clearstone.There are pros and cons to any type of coating. This coating is expensive and not for everyone but It will find a place in the american market.
Stu Rosen

I have never had much of a stain problem with my marble counter top--and it is Thassos. It etches like crazy, though. Cranberry glop left overnight after Thanksgiving left a new etch, but no stain. The marble was sealed with 3 coats of Hydrex in early November--first sealant used in 6 years. Cost about $60 in materials.

Hi Staining and Acid Etching two total different things, it is hard to Stain Marble, Limestone, etc, it is easy to etch them and that is what we protect against best, we had a Motel try 25 different sealers on their marble coffee tables not one worked, they are now coated with Clearstone.

Every stone has its own composition and structure.
Some stones are very porous in nature some arent.
When these type of stones are polished they are more resistant to staining than when they are honed.

So has anyone tried this product yet? The only thing holding me back from doing a Calcutta or statuary counter top has been the etching. Hopefully this product does what it claims.

Yes clear stone is available on most of stone and marble stores. It makes your stone more shinning and increase its life.

Here is a link that might be useful: Marble Restoration

You might as well get laminate as coat marble with plastic. It diminishes the depth of the stone and reduces it's tactile appeal. Seriously, the Formica laminate version is about equal to real marble with a plastic coating. And about a dozen times cheaper.

^^Yes, that.

hollysprings and greenhaven:

Have either of you seen and felt Clearstone in person?

No, sir, I have not. That shine would turn me off in a New York minute, but I freely admit to that being a personal preference. If I put in marble I want the patina. To spend the cost of marble and installation then the cost of the sealer on top of that it would be very difficult to justify the expense for a look I would hate.

I've seen a piece. Treated 50/50. The marble WAS "duller" in depth, but it wasn't etched like the other half, which was a heck of a lot "duller" than where it started out honed. My fabricator was considering dealing with it but doesn't do enough marble to justify. The location where I live wouldn't support the extra costs it brings to the table either. Maybe somewhere with more money, like NYC or LAX would be able to keep busy applying the stuff, but not here.

And no, I didn't like it. Even compared to the etched marble, I didn't like it. I'd rather have etched real marble than something that looked "just not quite right". IMHO.

For those who can't deal with marble's patina, truly, just don't get marble. If you still want the look, there are plenty of other surfaces that will give you the look without the headaches.

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I wasn't planning on Clearstone when we purchased our marble tops but I happened upon one of the two or three fabricators in my state at a local tile store.
I had it applied to my small marble laundry room countertop. LWO is correct, the marble appears duller, the veining less vivid. It still looks like marble though, not one of the faux marbles. What I didn't like is that it made my very white marble dingy looking, giving it a slightly gray haze. I'd rather have etching than the discolored look. It may be fine on a different colored marble but I'd advice a large "test piece" as it is expensive to have applied & most likely expensive to have it removed.

Live wire, if you know something that looks like marble, I'd so love to hear what it is so I can stop searching already. I've looked at everything I can and not found anything yet. There are no quartz or marbles I've seen that can be so white. I do not want Formica, laminate, etc. If you have another option that's nice and white with subtle movement in it, please let me know. Thanks

Hanstone Tranquility

sorry but the fake marble looks fake. I actually am one of those that likes her marble shiny- THE SHINER the BETTER.. High polished look.

I hate the look of patina, yes it's wear and tear but to me it looks dirty and sloppy.

I'm hoping since this thread this product is available nationwide and I can purchase it protect my shiny marble :)

Hi crusader10,

Is possible for you to post some photos about scratches ?

I really like to see it. I am looking for solutions for Calcutta black for my countertop now. I almost sold about clearstone until i saw your posting.
Please share thanks

To Crusader10

Something is a miss with your story to start with if you had Quartzite installed as your tops why would you want it coated Quartzite in its pure form is harder than glass , and has no problem with etching and staining, also it is very rare and expansive, so why than are you going to remove it and put something else in its place, why not remove the Clearstone and repolish the tops.We don't hide the fact that Clearstone scratcher's and chips it dose the same as marble , however it is much easier to repair than marble and cheaper, we have returned to kitchens here in Australia where the marble was coated 6 years earlier and re sanded and repairied any chips and deep scratcher's , and it looks new again the clients could not had been happier, it takes a lot to scratch it however it will happen , i have seen stainless steel tops with a lot of scratching.
Im sorry you had so much trouble with your top i would like to see it can you post a photo.

Mikileica - I did the Clearstone on my laundry room countertop as a test run for my kitchen counters, white Danby Imperial marble with a 2" Ogee edge. The Clearstone gave the white marble a slight grayish cast which is very noticeable with the whiter Ogee edge. Clearstone was not applied to the vertical surface of the edge as Clearstone can only be applied to horizontal surfaces. I much prefer the look of my natural white marble to the marble with the Clearstone. For me, it is all about the color change. I'm not familiar with Calcutta Black but if it is not white, you might not notice a color change.
My laundry room top is bulletproof with no significant scratching. There is another GW member, Duffydawg, who recently had Clearstone applied to his white marble & is happy with the result. You might reach out to him for his first hand experience. Google "Clearstone duffydawg gardenweb" & you should be able to find his post.
As far as Crusader10's post, Clearstone can be removed. It was one of my first questions when I was considering it. Not an inexpensive process but likely cheaper than countertop replacement.

I have had Clearstone on my countertops for the past three years. I was obsessed with the look of marble, and yet, I couldn't stomach the idea of patina. If I had to do it all over again, I would put up a marble backsplash and have white quartz countertops. I was sold on the idea that once the Clearstone is applied, there is little to no maintenance. With this in mind, the very high cost seemed justified. I also was led to believe that the Clearstone was completely clear. Just like Romy718 reported, there is a definite grayish cast that is more apparent in some lighting situations than in others. In addition, there is a yellow-ish cast that has developed. Around my sink, the product began to come up. Water began seeping underneath the coating, and it looked, for lack of a better word, gross. I called the original installer, who extolled the virtues of the product a year before, and he told me that he no longer applied Clearstone due to these issues. He stated that the company did not stand behind the warranty for the delamination which was frequently occurring with his customers. I began covering up the areas with towels- a constant reminder of the expensive mistake! About a year later, I found another installer in my general area. He agreed to fix the damage and reached out to the company to cover the cost, which they did. While he was at my home, I had him buff out the scratches on all the countertops. This cost 700.00. Not cheap considering what I had already paid for the original installation! Also, where the product was replaced is a different color from the original product. The installer has no idea why and think it may blend in time, but the original application has a yellow tint and the new application is more clear. Time will tell if this will change. I do love my countertops, but they have been a much bigger expense and headache than I planned when I stumbled upon Clearstone thinking I had found the answer to my prayers!

I was at a marble store the other day. They mentioned a product called Tough Skin that sounds similar. I forgot to see their sample. Could check into that product too.

Buying a natural stone material and then stop it from what it does naturally usually never works out that well. If you want something bulletproof you really need to do the research and get either a super tough natural or man-made product.

I agree-get samples and test them-buy a product that is suited to your lifestyle.

There are plenty of materials to chose from-just be an educated consumer.

I work with clearstone-along with its pros and cons it has a place in the market.

It isn't for everyone for sure-this is a picture of a clearstone coated onyxtable top done in a mall.

In this case it quite natural looking-check out the edge work.

Anyone have experience with limestone? I have dark green kitchen countertops that I have had sealed repeatedly and etching is driving me nuts! I can't seem to find another material that matches my counters as well (fruitwood stained Cherry) but I can see why I was advised not to get limestone. I was considering Clearstone but the reviews are unimpressive.

I meant cabinets are fruitwood stained.

Roy,

Sealing your limestone will do nothing to prevent etching.Impregnating sealers live beneath the surface of the stone. As long as calcium is exposed anything acidic will etch the surface. Unless you put a topical sealer/coating on the stone you will have etching. Putting a coating on stone has its pros and cons as well. Most coatings look and feel like plastic,will require maintenance and in many cases just simply fail. Clearstone is expensive but is one of the better coatings. It can be honed or polished but certainly has its pro's and con's. I recommend to our clients to hone the stone to a very deep matte finish. This works well with lighter stones but with darker stones the etches can impact the darker color and the etches still show. Send a pic of your countertops.

I have white carrara marble dining table. High polish. When it came from the dealer it stained and etched. Small stains could be reduced at home by using rotary tool with jewelry paste to polish those off. I used Mellerud made in Germany. I cleaned top with warm water and dishwashing liquid. Polished off all small water stains and then sealed with this liquid several times. I use just a regular clean sponge and cover surface with Mellerud spread it around evenly let it soak and then apply more to remove the surface remains or move them around to create even coverage. Every time you add more liquid it will reactivate and move the excess liquid that has dried on top that will allow you to remove the unneeded excess of sealant. I repeated this about 4 times. Let it dry overnight and then repeated the same process in a few days. After about 7-8 coats the table become unstainable. Water just wipes off without leaving marks , same with oils or wine. Of course you don't let any spills sit on the surface for hours but 10-15 minutes of exposure will not harm my marble top anymore. I am sure I would have to repeat the sealing in a few years , but so far it has been liquid-proof. Do not ever assume that the marble you get from the store comes properly sealed- lesson I have learned the hard way. BTW, this sealant does not affect the color of my top at all, I have not noticed any shade or haze of different color.

Let some orange juice set on your top for a minute and get back to us please.

mikileica, did you end up using Clearstone for your dark marble? If so, how did it look? We are in the same boat in loving the look of a very dark marble but are wanting to protect it as best as marble can be protected...

Weekkeye:

In that case you want Stoneguard. (Www.stoneguardusa.com). I just completed my dealership training on Monday and I'm even more impressed. There is nothing comparable on the market. It does not change stone color:

Does it scratch?

Lisa:

If you make an effort it will scratch, but it's pretty tough stuff. Mario, my trainer, said he's removed light scratches from Stoneguard.

has anyone used "more anti etch" product?

I have used MORE Anti-Etch, it's an excellent product. What city are you in Carmen? There are certified applicators spread across the U.S., Australia and Canada and growing.

I live in Canada and actually looking for certified applicators for More Anti Etch. Do you know some in Canada? How about the cost?

Stoneguard is the way to go