Q. My unfilled, but sealed (with a lithofin product) travertine needs a good clean before resealing. What is the best technique for this? There is dirt in the holes, which is obviously worse in heavy wear areas. Thanks A. The best way to clean... Read More

Q. I bought an onyx marble pen and pencil set that had an engraving plaque on it. I removed it and of course dulled the shine when trying to clean the glue off. Any way to restore this to new? It is an old Scheaffer marble desk set. The slab is about... Read More

This is a common problem with many of the marble polishing powders because they all contain oxalic acid. Acids of course will etch marble. To prevent etching you need to wet the areas you are not working on with water and the addition of either a... Read More

There are several reasons you may be getting stray scratching check the following: Do the grout joints contain sanded grout? If the grout joint is wider than 1/4 inch, the chances are you have sanded grout. If you do, then the grout is becoming... Read More

There are now available many course abrasives that can grind a marble floor flat in a hurry. These abrasives are called lippage plates. They work exceptionally well. Be sure to test in small area before grinding the entire floor. Some of these plates... Read More

Q. I have Italian Marble in my foyer and my daughter spilled orange juice on it and etched it. Can it be fixed or does it need to be replaced? A. In most cases, light etching can be fixed by using a marble polishing powder or compound and following... Read More

Q. We tiled our backsplash with tumbled marble subway tiles. We DIDN'T seal the tiles first (DUMB MOVE). Then we grouted half the kitchen and found that not only did we hate the grout color but it colored our light tumbled marble stones a... Read More

Of course you can use an oscillating sander but an oscillating sander tends to leave a stray scratch pattern that can be difficult to remove. I have found the best method is to use a rotary polisher for best results. TIP If the top is large enough... Read More

Q. Travertine floor was cleaned and holes filled w/ dia-glo traverfill. I used razor blade but what is the best way to remove the excess that got on tile? Just buff out then hone and seal? Thanks!A. If the travertine is polished you can polish with a... Read More

  Efflorescence - Removal and Prevention   By Frederick M. Hueston www.stoneforensics.com The crystallization of soluble salts in Historic masonry causes severe deterioration of the substrate. This crystallization is called subflorescence. These... Read More