marble needing acid washing for care

Q. A tile merchant told me that you re-seal polished marble yearly and after 2 to 3 years you have to have it acid washed. Considering marble for bathtub surround walls and floor. Is travertine any less care? Live in hard water area.

A. The frequency of sealing your marble is going to depend on the use of the stone. It may need sealing once per year or even every two to five years. The best way to tell is to do a simple test by placing water on the stone. If the stone darkens then it is absorbing the water and it needs to be sealed.

As far as acid washing? Never use an acid on the stone. There is no need to acid wash the stone. 

Travertine is a limestone and if it is not polished will require less care, but all stone is going to need regular maintenance. I would suggest your download the Stone and Tile Care Guide for maintenance info.

Dr. Fred

Chief Technical Director

ACID WASH
A treatment applied to the face of a stone to achieve a texture or finish that is distressed. Chemical treatments are more effective when applied to calcareous stones than to siliceous stone types. Recently, the use of acid and other types of chemical treatments has lessened due to environmental and disposal concerns. Chemical processes have been replaced by mechanical methods for the texturing of the stone face

LIMESTONE
Sedimentary rock originated mostly by the decomposition of marine organism composed primarily of calcite or dolomite. The varieties of limestone used as dimension stone are usually well consolidated and exhibit a minimum of graining or bedding direction

MARBLE
A metamorphic crystalline rock composed predominantly of crystalline grains of calcite, dolomite, or serpentine, and capable of taking a polish

POLISHED
The finest and smoothest finish available in stone, generally only possible on hard, dense materials. Or, a glossy finish which brings out the full color and character of the stone

SEALING
1. To make a veneer joint watertight with an elastic adhesive compound. 2. Application of a below surface treatment to retard staining

TILE
A thin modular stone, generally less than ¾ inch thick

TRAVERTINE
A variety of limestone that is a precipitate from hot springs. Some varieties of travertine take a polish and are known commercially as marble. ASTM C119-03 classifies travertine in both the limestone and the marble groupings

WASH
A sloped area or the area water will run over