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

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

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

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

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

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

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

A common problem with limestones and some marble buildings is that they get a brownish yellow hue after cleaning. Most of the time we find that there is a high content of iron in the water used to clean the stone. Use a chelating agent in the wash... Read More

Q. My pickling vinegar bottle (7 percent acidic) leaked on my flagstone (limestone?) floor. I made a paste of baking soda and applied after washing the floor with Marbalex stone floor cleaner. I let the paste sit for the afternoon to no avail. I... Read More

Q. Our limestone fountain is dyed on special occasions. The purple dye is penetrating the limestone at the bottom of the wall. How can the purple dye be removed from the limestone? I have tried acid and chlorine. Any suggestions?   A. Thank you... Read More