I have a large marble insert surrounded by a pine wood floor. The marble needs to be refinished, but I am concerned that any water will ruin the wood floor. Do you have any suggestions?

This is a difficult problem, since water is usually required to refinish marble, and water will warp the wood. But there are several options. First, consider refinishing the marble using dry abrasives, such as sanding screens; these will create dust, but will not warp the wood. If the use of water is absolutely necessary, it may be possible to dam the wood with plastic and seal the plastic dam with silicone caulking. Whichever option you choose be sure to hire a reputable contractor to do it.

TIP If the marble is not in too bad a shape, you may be able to recrystallize it. The recrystallization process is somewhat dry eliminating the danger of warping the wood. For further information on recrystallization refer to the other questions in this book.