Expert tips for removing stains from and repairing etched, scratched, cracked, or broken stone countertops.
Stone countertops are beautiful and durable, but they can be stained by certain foods and chemicals and become scratched, etched, or even cracked and broken. Considering the expense and permanence of stone, it’s important to know how to handle these types of problems. The following tips will help:
How to Remove Stains From Stone Countertops
If you have a stain that is difficult to remove with ordinary surface cleaners, start by polishing it with a non-abrasive cream sold for this purpose.
All types of stone are porous, and some stains can become embedded in the surface. If polishing cream doesn’t get out the stain, there are non-solvent, non-toxic poultice powders sold for specific types of stains (rust, oil, ink, wine, etc.).
Poultices re-absorb the stain out of the stone. Their effectiveness often depends on the surface texture and the stone itself—marble, granite, limestone, slate, etc.
Food spots, water stains, and dull patches can be prevented in the future with an application of wax or a commercial sealer.
How to Repair Broken Stone Countertops
If a small section of stone countertop breaks off, you can use epoxy to glue it back in place. Many kinds of stone are variegated in color, and this helps to hide the repair. There are also clear and colored epoxies that might closely approximate the color of the stone.
If small chips are missing and you can’t get the repair to mate precisely, you can try using colored wax to fill the cut line after you epoxy the break.
Large pieces, or sections that have to support their own or other weight, are more difficult to glue successfully. Professionals sometimes drill into the fractured edges and insert metal pins to hold the pieces together. This takes skill to prevent making the damage worse, so consider your experience carefully before you attempt this repair yourself.
How to Repair Etched or Scratched Stone CountertopsStone polishing cream can remove minor scratches from many types of stone, especially the softer marble, limestone, and terrazzo.
Harder materials such as granite, slate, and stone agglomerates may require a more aggressive abrasive compound such as pumice, jeweler’s rouge, or “honing powder,” made especially for stone.
Any stone surface that has been etched by food acids or crystallization must be re-polished. Start with a more abrasive compound to smooth out the surface damage and then finish with a polishing cream to remove fine scratches. Finally, wax or seal the surface.
How to Remove Scratches From Cultured Marble Countertops
“Cultured marble” is actually polyester resin, which means that you can buff out light scratches using the same supplies and techniques a Corvette owner would use.
At an auto parts dealer, buy a buffing pad that fits an electric drill, medium-cut rubbing compound, and paste wax made for fiberglass cars. Buff the surface with the compound and buffing pad, and then rinse, apply the wax, and buff until shiny.
If the surface has severe scratches, look up “Bathtub and Sink Refinishing” online or in your telephone directory; these companies will sand the surface and re-coat it with a special acrylic urethane.
