The DIY Marble Repair Guide

Proven Solutions for Stains, Etching, Scratches, Chips & Cracks 

Marble repair is not as troublesome or difficult as you might imagine from what you read online or even hear from some stone sales people and fabricators.

Beware of the many myths that are endlessly passed around about repairing marble, as noted on our introductory cleaning marble page.

Some of these are simply mis-interpreted or mis-applied, but plenty of plain wrong advice is floating around about repairs and how to clean marble.

Below you'll learn about the most effective, simple and cheap DIY methods for the most common marble cleaning and repair issues.

Tried & true solutions for removing stains, marble etching (dull spots), glass-rings, chips, pits, scratches are detailed along with advice about cracks and links to more in-depth information.

Damage to marble (or any natural stone) is rarely permanent, and for most marble maintenance issues the homeowner / do-it-yourselfer can save the day with a simple remedy.

Now, in some instances hiring pro is the best option to return your countertop, floor tile or marble shower to it's previous or original condition.

Depending on the degree of visible damage, you may choose to go straight to a pro, however, it is usually far cheaper and easier to exhaust all DIY methods first.

A crack is the one exception. Professional stone restoration is the only option(more below on this issue).

But for all other types of damage it may not even be possible to know if a pro is necessary until the correct DIY methods failed to yield satisfactory results.

The key word in that statement is "correct" methods. Many people "try" all kinds of things or unknowingly follow wrong advice, which can lead to more damage or is the cause of damage in the first place!

So, the first and most important step is to acquire the correct information and learn how to clean marble the right way and apply the effective marble repair when needed. And again, professional help is not commonly required, if you know what to do.

Plenty of info is available to you on this site, however, the Cleaning Marble Secrets e-book is the bible providing comprehensive information on everything you should know about protecting marble, marble cleaning and maintenance including detailed, step-by-step solutions for all the problems noted below and many more. 

Marble Stains

Contrary to what you may have read or been told, marble does not stain easy. People confuse "staining" with "etching" (see below), which does happen easily.

The procedure for marble stain removal depends on what substance actually caused the stain and etching can complicate it.

The Removing Granite & Marble Stains e-book (or the "Cleaning Marble Secrets" e-book noted above) contains a comprehensive explanation along with step-by-step directions for the only effective methods of removing all types of marble stains.

You can also check out the marble stains page for more info.

Etch Marks

Etch marks are the dull spots and glass-rings that result from a chemical reaction to acidic foods, drinks and harsh cleaning products that contact your marble countertop or floor.

This is a common issue and usually occurs because the marble owner simply was never educated about the properties of marble, marble maintenance and protection or how to clean marble the right way.

The best solution for etch marks depends on the type of surface finish: polished, honed, etc. You'll find a complete discussion of this issue (too many details to go into here) along with discussion about prevention options in the Removing Etch Marks e-book. (or in the "Cleaning Marble Secrets" e-book noted above).

Go to Marble Polishing & Removing Etch Marks page for additional information on this topic.

Chips & Scratches

Marble repair for chips and scratches will vary. Depending on the size and depth of the blemish a couple products are very effective, although again in some instances professional marble repair, restoration or re-finishing may be necessary.

Light Surface Scratches

For light surface scratches that can be seen, but not really felt or only barely so, then this Marble Polishing Paste & Etch Remover works very well on polished marble.

Using it on a honed or non-polished finish may turn the matte honed surface into a shiny finish.... which will likely be much more obvious than the scratch.

For removing scratches or etching on a "honed" marble surface, see the "Cleaning Marble Secrets" or "Removing Marble Etch Marks" e-books (links above). 

Chips & Pits

Chips and pits can be filled when deep enough and not too large. Your fabricator can do this with an epoxy, but it is usually a pretty obvious repair.

You can do-it-yourself with a color-matching epoxy as well, but these require mixing, can be messy and difficult to use, color never quite matches and again, leave an obvious marble repair. Epoxies used to be the only way, however.....

**We highly recommend using one of these new acrylic Granite & Marble Repair Kit for chips and pits as the simplest and most effective solution.

These kits are far easier to use than epoxies or resins, no mess, cure quickly and don't require mixing or color matching!

The acrylic dries clear allowing the natural color and pattern of your marble counter tops, floor or tile to show through for a virtually invisible granite repair or marble repair.

It's available in a flowable gel for horizontal countertop and floor surfaces or in a paste for vertical walls and edges.

The chips and pits need to be deep enough into the marble for the acrylic to bond. So again, light or shallow scratches you'll need to use the above-mentioned Marble Polishing Paste or they may require professional refinishing in some cases.

Save on marble repair products with your Countertop Specialty coupon code. 

Repairing Cracks

Cracks in marble or granite are typically the most difficult repair issue. Cracks come in several varieties from a "hairline" crack, to a fissure, a surface separation, to a full-thickness break.

The type of crack will dictate the potential choices and options for repair.

A hairline crack is usually stable, do not get worse and do not cause any problems except irritation at its existence!

Professional repair is possible for separated cracks. Cracks can be filled / glued and the surface re-finished and re-polished for a nearly-invisible repair in many cases. 

The degree of success depends on size, depth, length and location of the crack. More importantly, an effective and aesthetically pleasing repair depends mostly on the skill of the stone repair and restoration professional. So, choose wisely. References and experience count more than a good price. 

Click here for a complete discussion about the nature of cracks and possible fixes (this page deals with granite, but the same applies to marble). Or, here's another page specific to cracks in marble.

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