1 Feature Articles D•I•R•E•C•T•O•R•Y

	Natural Marble Care Made Easy - Now it is Possible by Stan Zimmer Marble shines brightly in every show room and brochure. The beautiful colors and veining have tremendous appeal to interior designers, architects and owners. We all know that much of the marble has become scratched and dull - either because it's not cared for or because it is cared for poorly. Marble is made of calcium carbonate crystals which are "intergrown." The degree of interlocking, the amount and type of "veining" plus other elements affect the strength, porosity and workability of the stone. Limestone has the same chemical composition of marble except the crystals are not interlocking and are an aggregate of unrelated particles cemented together into one mass. Marble is also a relatively soft material. It typically has 3-4 "mols of hardness". Chalk has "1 mol", diamonds have "10 mols", granite and quarts typically have "7 mols" of hardness. The softness of marble explains why so much marble you see is badly scratched, and why it needs to be protected from abrasion. Before protecting marble, it needs to be cleaned and polished. With new products now on the market, this is easier to accomplish: 1. First, you need a cleaner that will not just break up the dirt, but will "float" the dirt "up and out". To find out if a cleaner can do this, look at the porous grout and see if it is still dirty. The cleaner must also be NON-ACIDIC so it won't etch the stone. (never use ammonia!) 2. Polish the marble to emphasize its shine. You need a polishing cream that does not recrystallize. Something which uses acids to change the calcium carbonate into calcium fluoride. It is the chemical in the cream that transforms some of the calcium salts into calcium oxalate which is then deposited to fill the scratches and pores of the stone. Unlike waxes which trap dirt, turn yellow and eventually crack, the cream method does not need frequent aggressive stripping which can damage the stone. 3. Now that the marble is clean and shiny, it's time to protect the shine. Get a non-acidic "hardener" so there is no danger of etch. In addition to conferring shine and hardness for protection, add a stone hardener polish product to add slip resistance to meet the new ADA standards. 4. Regular cleaning with the right cleaner is the last step of natural refinishing and non-wax protection of marble. Whether you care for the marble daily or whether your clients do it, the cleaner must again break up and float the dirt out to be mopped away. It also must not dehydrate the stone. Don't be fooled by stone soaps. Remember, if dirt remains on the surface, even the best program of care will not work. (Stan Zimmer is the owner of Marble Shine Services in Sac City, Iowa. For efficient products on Marble Restoration and Care call Stan at 800-417-2934 or (712) 662-3211)