Q. A tile merchant told me that you re-seal polished marble yearly and after 2 to 3 years you have to have it acid washed. Considering marble for bathtub surround walls and floor. Is travertine any less care? Live in hard water area.     A. The... Read More

The white deposits are salts, which are bleeding through from the grout joints or from the mortar. An acid wash will be required to remove the salts. If the deposits are heavy, try scraping them off before washing the slate with acid. Several acid... Read More

If a stone fountain has a copper basin, chances are the stone may get green discoloration. The hard, green deposits are a combination of calcium deposits from the water and copper from the basin. The easiest way to remove them is to use a pressure... Read More

Q. My home is approximately 1 year old. And the main floor has porcelain tile. Over the past few months we noticed the grout changing color (darker) in only some spots throughout the home. The spots are about 1-1/" in length. Since we are still under... Read More

Q: I had my ceramic tiles acid washed with a mix of 2 parts muriatic acid and 2 parts water. It cleaned up heavy  clacification but tiles remain  smokey  and cloudy. Do I have options to improve the finish other than polishing? Would a... Read More

Someone recently commented on SurpHaces social media, asserting that Grout Color Sealer cannot be considered a permanent solution. Here is their comment and our response. Comment: Grout Color Sealer is Topical. Will peel or uplift sooner than later.... Read More

This white cast is very common with Mexican tile. Hard water and chlorine from your swimming pool are depositing a white salt on the surface. To remove this white haze, a mild acid washing is necessary. Use a mild acid such as sulfamic acid ... Read More

The acid has etched your marble, which will now have to be polished or (possibly) honed. Depending on how deep the marble is etched it may require a heavy grinding. Perform a test in a small area to determine what grit diamond will be required. Make... Read More

Q. Hi, I recently acid cleaned my granite tiles using a 1:20 hydrochloric acid to water solution. The problem is I didn't wet the tiles first so now the tiles look spotty. Is there any way I can remove the acid from the granite tiles? I am keen... Read More

Q. How can I remove drip stains caused by hydrochloride acid that was mixed 10:1 with water?? I was washing the walls and only left the acid mix on for no longer than 5 mins but the lower tiles have drip lines on them. A. What is the tile is... Read More