Matt marble polishing: the best work of the month of October

Today we want to present the polishing of a facade in matt French red marble. The marble cladding in question belongs to the Prada boutique in Forte dei Marmi and was carried out by a company specialized in the treatment of natural stone surfaces.

A dull marble is unsightly. What can be done?

Forte dei Marmi is a very prestigious seaside destination. For several decades it has been the meeting place of a clientele accustomed to living in luxury. This is why ‘Forte’ is home to the most prestigious boutique brands: Louis Vuitton, Rolex, Gucci, Prada and others. In such an environment, glitz is a must: gilding, polished marble surfaces and metals. But all this requires maintenance and if it is not treated properly, the effect is lost! In the case of the intervention dealt with in this article, we were dealing with one of the most common problems of polished exterior marble. When this stone is exposed to the elements for a long time, it begins to wear. The surface erodes at a microscopic level and loses all its lustre. The result is a dull appearance, which has nothing to do with the prestigious effect of polished marble. In the photo below you can see quite clearly the consequences of the dulling of the marble and the contrast with the shine of the sign:Thanks to its experience the company Paolo Di Marcantonio, professional treatment and cleaning of marble, was able to step in and restore shine to this marble now tarnished. To perform this work, the craftsman chose Marbec, that with its products guarantees a professional performance and high quality finishes. But let’s see how the work was carried out.

Outdoor marble toning process

When laid outdoors, marble tends to get damaged. If you have a marble windowsill, you know what I am talking about. Weathering and smog make the surface of marble rough and uneven, causing a decrease in light reflection. The result is a dull marble that loses all its lustre. Moreover, in this case, another problem arises: the marble’s pores open up and allow microparticles of smog and dirt to penetrate into it, which, in the long run, stain and ruin it. An impregnating and polishing treatment is what is needed in such cases. A polishing finish restores the marble surface to its lustre and also protects it from further damage by atmospheric agents.

Here’s how to revitalise marble

Reviving marble is an uncomplicated operation. However, it is difficult to choose the right products and apply them correctly. The risk is choosing impregnating products that create a film that does not allow the marble to breathe, that distorts its natural colour or that over-greases it. Let us go into detail and review the tools and products that have been used.

The recommended tools

Here’s what you need in order to revive a dull marble:

• Cloth: this will be used to spread the impregnating agent.
• Impregnating agent for marble: the contractors used OIL WET, an impregnating agent for natural stone that we have already seen at work in other interventions on this blog.
• Solvent for the impregnant: a product that leaves no residue is needed to dilute the product. DILUOIL is the suitable product.

Matt marble toning treatment

Performing a polishing treatment for marble is easy with the right products. Meanwhile, let us see what condition the marble was in before the intervention: As is evident from this photo, the marble had lost its beautiful shiny red colour and had become completely dull.The treatment is carried out by dabbing the surface of the marble with a cloth impregnated with oil until it is absorbed by the surface. The impregnating agent chosen was OIL WET. This impregnating agent is ideal for performing impregnating treatments on natural stone. In fact, OIL WET can be diluted to obtain different concentrations to suit the type of treatment. This product enhances the qualities of the stone. It does not create films or films but protects the pores of the marble, preventing the infiltration of degrading agents. At the same time, it restores naturalness to the surface on which it is used.
For this intervention on red marble from France, OIL WET was diluted 30% with DILUOIL, a specific solvent for impregnating products. But what precautions must be taken to avoid damaging the marble surface? The secret to polishing marble is one: do not use too much impregnating product. Marble is a porous surface like leather. Impregnating marble with an impregnating and protective treatment is like rubbing moisturising cream on your hands when they are chapped. You should only use the amount of cream that the skin is capable of absorbing. If you put too much on, you will end up with greasy hands. It is the same with marble. Its pores can only take in as much impregnating substance as is needed. Putting in too much will grease the surface and have the opposite effect: you will go from a dull surface to one that is too bright. Therefore, the advice for performing this type of treatment is to dab the surface with the product little by little, without overdoing it.

Note the difference between the polished and unpolished surface:
Also, carrying out the operation in this way takes a lot of time. But what results! See the surface before and after: the marble has acquired all its lustre again and looks as if it has just been sanded and polished.