Marble, travertine, limestone & onyx are all soft materials prone to marking because of their calcium carbonate structure. Acidic liquids react with calcium carbonate and literally eat away a tiny piece of the polished/honed surface, creating dull spots typically called an etch. Contact from acidic materials like lemon juice, wine, coffee, fruit juice, etc., can create an etch. The more acidic the liquid, the faster and more profound the etching occurs. Etching can not be “mopped away” and calls for professional intervention.
An etch is not a stain; it changes the stone’s surface like a scratch. Etching generally appears as a light, dull mark or splotch. Penetrating sealers cannot stop etching as they are beneath the stone’s surface and not a physical barrier between the acidic liquid and the stone.
Why Seal?
Calcium-based stones have three main factors related to maintenance; they are porous and etch and scratch easily. Although a penetrating sealer cannot stop etching and scratching, it can reduce the stone’s porosity, improving its stain resistance and making repair easier.
How to Repair an Etch?
If the etching is minimal (you can see it, but it is not rough enough to feel), you might be able to polish it out using a marble polishing creme. If the etch is deep and you can feel the surface is rough, you will need to have it mechanically removed. Tru-Clean Surface Care performs hundreds of etching jobs annually, and we know the best procedures to make the “ugliness” go away!
Tru-Clean Surface Care is a Certified Partner with the prestigious Institute of Inspection, Cleaning and Restoration Certification (IICRC), a Stone PRO Certified Professional, and a SurpHaces Certified PRO Partner. We are A+ Rated with the Better Business Bureau and an eight-year-in-a-row winner of the coveted Angie’s List Super Service Award. Our cleaning solutions are allergen-free and safe for food preparation surfaces, infants, and pets.
From cleaning natural stone surfaces such as travertine, marble, and granite to manufactured porcelain and ceramic tile, Tru-Clean Surface Care has the skills and certification to deliver a phenomenally clean and polished surface.
As the “cleaner of choice” to many of our areas leading interior designers, floor-covering specialists, and homeowners desirous of a quality cleaning, our technicians deliver quality and customer service.
For more information about Tru-Clean Surface Care, visit us online at https://trucleansurfacecare.com/ or give us a call any time at 239-541-4888 – Cape Coral and Lee County, 239-206-1935 – Bonita Springs, Naples, and Marco Island, or 941-621-2198 – Punta Gorda and Port Charlotte, Florida. You can also visit us on our Facebook Page at https://www.facebook.com/TruCleanSurfaceCareFL/
Tru-Clean Surface Care services all of Lee, Charlotte, and Collier County, Florida. For a FREE estimate, give us a call any time.