Cloudy Marble Due To Microscopic Etching
My new marble countertop in bathroom has some cloudy spots in it. How can this be fixed and what causes this? Please help because I don’t know if it is my fault or if Contractor(stone) did not seal properly. I have only had them for a month. – Jerelyn
Hello Jerelyn,
The elegance of the soft deep brown background and while veining of the Imperator Dark marble that you have installed is truly beautiful. However, what you really have on your countertop is a metaphoric calcium carbonate based natural stone that must be sealed with a silicone/siloxane sealer in order to prevent acid chemicals from reacting with it. Common bathroom items such as hairspray, makeup, and even toothpaste contain small degrees of acids that react with Calcium Carbonate minerals. The result is microscopic etching due to corrosion of the stone. The only way to repair it is to re-polish it. The only way to prevent it is to seal the stone so that the acids are blocked. The dark color of the marble also accentuates the etching.
There are products that claim to ‘fix’ such dull marks and some are reasonable remedies if your expectations are not that high. Search, ‘Stone Care’ on Google and you should find a do-it-yourself product that you can order.
January 31st, 2009 at 8:02 pm
Hey– great site– thanks for all of your time…
We had a new marble installation put in our bathroom/shower area 6 months ago… rojo alicante, if that matters… all marble was sealed w/Porrous Plus 511. Our contractor used sanded grout, which of course upon application ended up scratching the entire surface, so we had a marble restorer come out, hone all of the marble down, and then polish it all back up again, working out the little scratches/etchings. He re-sealed the marble…it came out beautifully, but now 6 months later, we have a stubborn prominent “haze or fog” layer over all of the surface that was restored. We take care to squeegie and wipe down the surface frequently, so we are at a bit of a loss here– any ideas or comments would be greatly appreciatied!! Thanks again, Jeff
July 19th, 2011 at 10:18 pm
We inherited an antique small tab with a black and gold veined marble inset. The marble has numerous cloudy spots on it. I don’t know the age of the table but would say it is at least 100 years old. Is there anything I can do myself to rid the marble of these spots? This was an end table so not sure what was placed on it over the years. Thanks!