Q.Four years ago I had a saltillo floor installed in my kitchen. The tiles were not presealed. The kitchen design company and I sought advice from the tile company that supplied them as to how to install and seal them. Both are highly regarded... Read More

Stone Myths By Frederick M. Hueston www.stoneforensics.com Over the past 20years I have heard many stories about the reasons stone will fail, turn color, fade or what ever. Many of these stories are funny and almost all of them are just plain... 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

If you’ve worked on dolomitic marble before, you already know it’s not the same animal as your typical calcite marble. On paper, it looks like marble, feels like marble, and most homeowners call it marble, but when you put a machine on it... Read More

Graffiti Removal Procedure for Stone, Masonry, and Tile Surfaces By Frederick M. Hueston, www.stoneforensics.com If your beautiful building, wall, or other surface has just become the unintended canvas for graffiti, your first reaction might be to... Read More

Q. Hello. I just received a new quartzite install, and there is a crack at the sink extending to the hole for the soap dispenser. The fabricator claims it does not affect integrity of the stone, since apparently it's not a full-depth crack. The... Read More

Q. Does grout turn darker when wet and lighter when dry even with color seal? A. Unsealed grout has tiny pores that absorb moisture, which can give unsealed grout lines a darker appearance. Once the moisture evaporates (assuming the moisture is... Read More

Q.  I just finished putting in a new black marble shower wall, literally giving it its first cleaning. I had no idea that some bathroom cleaners would immediately etch into the marble finish. Please, for the love of God, tell me there is something... Read More

Step-by-Step Guidance to Achieve a Wet or Polished Look on Slate: 1. Understand the Surface Finish You Have If the slate has a cleft (rough or layered) finish, polishing in the traditional sense is not practical. If the slate has been ground flat... Read More

What Impregnator is Supposed to Do Ideally, when impregnator is applied to stone, it penetrates into the pores of the stone. However, this isn’t always the case.  What Causes Impregnator to Bead Fred Hueston, Chief Technical Director of... Read More