DIY Marble Restoration: How to Refinish Marble

This article is a follow-up post to our previous article on DIY Marble Restoration: Why You Need a Marble Refinishing Kit.

If you do not have a marble refinishing kit, we suggest reading the previous post to ensure you have the tools you need to complete the following process.

Preparing the Marble Surface for Refinishing

First you'll want to analyze the condition of the marble surface by using a bright lamp. Focus your vision on the dull spots on the marble and look for the outline of the light bulb in order to determine the severity of the scratches or etch markets.

Next, create a border around dull areas with tape. This border should be at least one or two inches away from the effective areas on the marble, allowing for some space to buff over the dull spots.

Starting the Marble Refinishing Process

Now you'll want to start the actual marble refinishing process of honing the marble with the sand discs and buffer machine.

Begin the honing process with a lower grit sanding disc, such as a 220-grit disc. After thoroughly refinishing the marble surface with a low-grit disc, continue the process sequentially with finer grit sanding discs, such as a 400 grit, then 600 grit, and lastly, an 800 grit disc.

Note: Keep in mind while buffing the marble to overlap the target surface area by a half inch each time you move on to a new sanding disc grit. It's also important to stop the buffing machine every 20-30 seconds and clean the surface of the disc with a wet sponge. Check the surface of the disc with your fingertips to ensure that the abrasiveness is still well intact. If the disc is smooth to the touch and has lost its abrasiveness, the disc should be replaced with a new one.

Polishing the Marble Surface

After the marble refinishing process is complete, you can move on to the marble polishing process. Keep in mind that the after mentioned marble refinishing kit accessories do not apply to this process. You will need to acquire a marble polish compound, polishing pad, as well as a marble sealer for the next process.

With the marble polishing pad and compound, polish the entire marble surface that was refinished, along with any outlying areas that were not honed by the buffer. In order to successfully restore and refinish marble to its original gloss appearance, it may be necessary to polish the marble two or sometimes three times (after each layer has fully dried.)

If you own any of the following marble species, you may need a specially formulated marble polish. This is because the following marble species have a unique mineral composition, requiring a marble polish compound with the different chemical make up.

• Thassos (pure white) marble
• Breccia Nouvella (dark brown) marble
• Verde Antique (dark green) marble
• Belgium Black (absolute black) marble

Sealing the Marble Surface

After refinishing and polishing the marble surface, you'll want to protect the marble with a marble sealant product. There are several marble sealants that you can find on the market and most all types are pretty good at protecting the marble from moisture and minor scratching.

First, apply a generous amount of the marble sealant over the entire surface area and allow the sealant to penetrate and set for at least one hour. Next, apply a lighter coating of a marble polish compound and begin to buff-out the residue from the marble surface. This is best achieved with a microfiber polishing bonnet.
Continue this process as many times as you feel appropriate. Usually two or three light coats of marble polish will finish the job.

DIY Marble Restoration: Why You Need a Marble Refinishing Kit

Marble is a soft natural stone that is sensitive to scratching, etching, staining and discoloration. Over the life of marble, the surface is bound to encounter these damages.

Homeowners that have marble flooring, counter tops, showers or vanities can significantly benefit from in owning a marble refinishing kit. Although there are professional services for marble refinishing and restoration, these services can cost several hundreds of dollars, depending on the project.

When you really look the process, refinishing marble is a straightforward task of buffing, polishing, and sealing the marble using the proper compounds. With the right tools, virtually any homeowner can get the job done, and save a lot money in the process. The key is to invest in the right set of refinishing tools and marble care products.

The first decision in buying or putting together a marble refinishing kit is whether or not you need an orbital buffing machine. If you do need one, look for a buffer with at least a 0.5 amp motor (or one that generates 4,000+ orbits per minute).

Next you'll need to ensure you have a few sanding discs that are of varying levels of grit. As you refinish the marble with the buffer, you can increase the grit-level to sand the marble more deeply. The most essential to acquire are 220, 400, and 600-grit sanding discs. For more extensive marble restoration projects, you may want to have a 800-grit sanding disc on hand.

You'll also want to invest in the proper compounds to clean, polish, and seal the marble during the refinishing process. As mentioned from the start, marble is soft and sensitive. Using the wrong products can actually harm the marble, causing etching on the surface. For that reason you'll want to be sure to buy a marble cleaner compound that's specifically formulated to be safe on marble.

In addition to the buffing tools, the other essential care products that you'll need to efficiently refinish your marble include a:

• deep-penetrating cleaning compound
• marble polishing compound
• water or solvent-based marble sealant
• mesh/microfiber polishing pad

Once you have these marble care products, along with a buffer and sanding discs, your marble refinishing kit is complete.

Stay tuned for our next blog post when we actually discuss the process on how to refinish marble.

Choosing the Right Cleaner for Marble Stain Removal

If you are seeking stain removal solutions for your marble, finding the right marble cleaner or poultice is very, very important. Selecting the proper marble cleaning agent is critical to not only remove stains from marble, but also to ensure the marble stone surface is not harmed during the process (for some household cleaning agents can seriously damange marble.)

In most situations, you can take-on marble stain removal yourself and save a lot of money in the process. Although there are professional services for marble cleaning and restoration, the cost of these services can be hundreds of dollars, depending on the amount of work that needs to be done in removing the stains.

The first step in do-it-yourself marble stain removal is determining the type of marble you have. There are number of different marble species that have verying levels of porosity. For instance, Breccia Nouvella (a dark brown color) and Verde Antique (a dark green color) are two types of marble that require a more deep penetrating marble cleaner or poultice. These forms of polished marble may require a specially formulated marble cleaner or restorer product to produce the original high gloss finish.

Once you've pinpointed the type of marble you have, as well as the general level of the marble's porosity, you'll then be able to determine the type of marble cleaner to use in removing those ugly stains. Because some of forms discoloration may be more severe than others, the chemical make-up of the marble cleaner or poultice you elect to use is an important consideration.

Standard marble cleaners will generally be well-suited for minor stains. These types of stains are typically from dirt that accumlates over time. Such standard marble cleaning products are often less dense with chemicals, but are still highly effective in removing minor discoloration.

For instances of sever discoloration, such as stains deriving from oil, wine, or coffee spills, a more robust marble cleaner may be needed. Situations like these often call for a marble poultice. A poultice typically has a more hefty blend of chemicals designed to deeply penetrate the marbles surface and lift the stains deep within the marbles pores. Although these types of marble cleaners are more expensive, they are still far less costly than investing in marble restoration services.

It's important to keep in mind that not all cleaners and stain removers are compatible with marble. Marble is sensitive stone that can only handle select cleaning products low in acidity or alkaline make-up. Additionally, educating yourself on proper marble care and maintenance can help you prevent stains and discoloration from occuring in the first place.

D.I.Y. Marble Polishing Tips

For some people who have marble surfaces in their home, the marble polishing process might seem like an overwhelming chore.

How frequently should my marble be polished? 

What kind of polisher should I use?

What does the marble polishing process entail? 

These are some of the questions that may cross your mind. Being conscious of these questions is good, because polishing marble incorrectly could end-up ruining your marble surface.

If you use the wrong polishing agent (typically a high-alkaline polish,) you could end up damaging the marble permanently.

So, why is polishing marble such a tricky affair?

When you compare marble to other natural stones, you will find that it's much softer and sensitive to chemicals and common cleaning agents. That is why it is pertinent to find a marble polish that is suitable specifically for marble.

It's equally important to note that there are different species of marble, each offering different characteristics. The minerals composition of each type of marble will react differently to different polishing products.

For this reason, the minerals contained in the marble are ultimately what determine the best way of polishing it, without leaving it susceptible to damage. Colored marble surfaces tend to be quite pure. This means there are very few minerals that have been added to it's composition.

For example, some species of marble, such as Breccia Nouvella (dark brown), Verde Antique (dark green), and Belgium Black (absolute black) require a more refined marble polish that suits its mineral make up. If you own marble like one of these species, you'll need to find a marble polish with a chemistry that renders a more glossy finish.

In addition to polishing marble, it's also important to seal your marble to ensure it's protected from the elements. Many homeowners believe that polishing marble is a sufficient way to protect the surface from staining or etching, however this is a major misconception.

Highly porous marble will require aggressive sealants so as to provide it with the utmost protection, whereas the less porous types of marble may only require a shallow sealant. The main point to keep your marble looking its original quality is both clean and polish marble on a consistent basis.