Paul Chick talks about protecting your marble counter tops.
In a recent interview Paul was asked whether installing a marble bench top in a new kitchen is a good idea.
“It’s a great idea but only if you take the extra step of fully protecting the surface of the bench. Marble is an amazing natural product because there is such a wide range of colours and patterns to choose from. Depending on the mineral content of the stone and the impurities present during its formation, you can choose from almost pure white through pinks, greys, browns to greens and blacks. In many cases marble is the ultimate building product . . . but it does have its limitations!”
What sort of limitations?
“In ‘stone talk’ marble is a relatively soft stone and it contains some minerals which have never reacted with other substances – these are called ‘free minerals’ (calcium is the most common). If you pour acid onto the surface of the marble it will immediately start to react with the calcium and you can end up with some pretty ugly ‘etch’ marks on the surface”.
“So in a kitchen you’ve got lemon juice, vinegar, beetroot, red wine and a whole bunch of other acid based products that can create havoc with the surface of your beautiful marble benches. This means you have to find some way of protecting the bench top from all of these potential hazards!”
Is that sort of protection possible?
“It certainly is through a treatment process called Clearstone!” “Clearstone is the ultimate sealer because it also protects against etching. Once it has been treated your bench top CANNOT be stained and CANNOT be damaged by acids. And because the Clearstone process involves grinding the surface to remove all stains, it’s also the ideal way to rejuvenate old, worn and tired looking marble.
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