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Marble Tile Dilemma Sue 01-10-2007
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Posted by Sue on January 10, 2007, 11:23 pm


My master bathroom is finished with marble tiles. Sometime last year I
believed my housekeeper had use some caustic cleaner that took the shine off
the tiles and left a dull surface on the floor and the step into the roman
tub/shower, a bench in the shower area, and about a foot up from the tub
floor along the wall opposite the step into the tub. I had the tiles
polished ($450.00) and took all the 'caustic' cleaners and put them in
cabinets she would not access to. The only cleaners my housekeeper then had
available to her were 'Method' products, Softscrub and Windex. Method is a
brand name of a environmentally friendly line of household cleaners that
clearly states they are safe for granite and marble. And which I have used
in the master bathroom for years with great success.
Several months have passed and the tiles have been damaged in the exact
areas in the exact way they were previously. And I believe by something the
housekeeper is using because I noticed it a day after she had last been
here. It was not immediately visually noticeable -the damage is more
noticeable when I squeegee the area after showering. The squeegee drags on
the dull, damaged area where it glides over the shinny, polished, undamaged
area.
In an effort to determine what was going on I used an extra tile that I had
and poured Tilex, chlorine bleach, Windex, Method Bathroom & Tile Cleaner,
ammonia full strength onto the extra tile. And I left the agents on the
tile far longer than my housekeeper would in the process of normal
cleaning - the only agent that did damage was the Tilex (which remember she
doesn't have access to) and it didn't leave a dull finish as I have
described. It simply left the outline of the 'puddle' of the product that
was placed on the tile.
Any suggestions as to what is happening here?



Posted by on January 10, 2007, 11:51 pm



Sue wrote:
> My master bathroom is finished with marble tiles. Sometime last year I
> believed my housekeeper had use some caustic cleaner that took the shine off
> the tiles and left a dull surface on the floor and the step into the roman
> tub/shower, a bench in the shower area, and about a foot up from the tub
> floor along the wall opposite the step into the tub. I had the tiles
> polished ($450.00) and took all the 'caustic' cleaners and put them in
> cabinets she would not access to. The only cleaners my housekeeper then had
> available to her were 'Method' products, Softscrub and Windex. Method is a
> brand name of a environmentally friendly line of household cleaners that
> clearly states they are safe for granite and marble. And which I have used
> in the master bathroom for years with great success.
> Several months have passed and the tiles have been damaged in the exact
> areas in the exact way they were previously. And I believe by something the
> housekeeper is using because I noticed it a day after she had last been
> here. It was not immediately visually noticeable -the damage is more
> noticeable when I squeegee the area after showering. The squeegee drags on
> the dull, damaged area where it glides over the shinny, polished, undamaged
> area.
> In an effort to determine what was going on I used an extra tile that I had
> and poured Tilex, chlorine bleach, Windex, Method Bathroom & Tile Cleaner,
> ammonia full strength onto the extra tile. And I left the agents on the
> tile far longer than my housekeeper would in the process of normal
> cleaning - the only agent that did damage was the Tilex (which remember she
> doesn't have access to) and it didn't leave a dull finish as I have
> described. It simply left the outline of the 'puddle' of the product that
> was placed on the tile.
> Any suggestions as to what is happening here?


I suspect you are on the right track , something is attacking the
marble.

I would find out if it is possible to get the marble sealed in some
way. I seem to remember an option for kitchen countertops where marble
was an option but sealed in some way to protect it.


Perhaps ask the housekeeper just what she is using , and maybe have her
leave the area alone for a few weeks. Clean it yourself and see if any
damage occurs.


Posted by Bob F on January 11, 2007, 2:21 am



> My master bathroom is finished with marble tiles. Sometime last year I
> believed my housekeeper had use some caustic cleaner that took the shine
off
> the tiles and left a dull surface on the floor and the step into the roman
> tub/shower, a bench in the shower area, and about a foot up from the tub
> floor along the wall opposite the step into the tub. I had the tiles
> polished ($450.00) and took all the 'caustic' cleaners and put them in
> cabinets she would not access to. The only cleaners my housekeeper then
had
> available to her were 'Method' products, Softscrub and Windex. Method is
a
> brand name of a environmentally friendly line of household cleaners that
> clearly states they are safe for granite and marble. And which I have
used
> in the master bathroom for years with great success.
> Several months have passed and the tiles have been damaged in the exact
> areas in the exact way they were previously. And I believe by something
the
> housekeeper is using because I noticed it a day after she had last been
> here. It was not immediately visually noticeable -the damage is more
> noticeable when I squeegee the area after showering. The squeegee drags
on
> the dull, damaged area where it glides over the shinny, polished,
undamaged
> area.
> In an effort to determine what was going on I used an extra tile that I
had
> and poured Tilex, chlorine bleach, Windex, Method Bathroom & Tile Cleaner,
> ammonia full strength onto the extra tile. And I left the agents on the
> tile far longer than my housekeeper would in the process of normal
> cleaning - the only agent that did damage was the Tilex (which remember
she
> doesn't have access to) and it didn't leave a dull finish as I have
> described. It simply left the outline of the 'puddle' of the product that
> was placed on the tile.
> Any suggestions as to what is happening here?
>
>
Is the damage everywhere she cleans, or just where you walk?

Bob



Posted by on January 11, 2007, 11:05 pm


The damage is both where one could walk and where one could not walk -
or does not walk.
The damage is not even everywhere I would expect her to clean!
Sue

Bob F wrote:
> > My master bathroom is finished with marble tiles. Sometime last year I
> > believed my housekeeper had use some caustic cleaner that took the shine
> off
> > the tiles and left a dull surface on the floor and the step into the roman
> > tub/shower, a bench in the shower area, and about a foot up from the tub
> > floor along the wall opposite the step into the tub. I had the tiles
> > polished ($450.00) and took all the 'caustic' cleaners and put them in
> > cabinets she would not access to. The only cleaners my housekeeper then
> had
> > available to her were 'Method' products, Softscrub and Windex. Method is
> a
> > brand name of a environmentally friendly line of household cleaners that
> > clearly states they are safe for granite and marble. And which I have
> used
> > in the master bathroom for years with great success.
> > Several months have passed and the tiles have been damaged in the exact
> > areas in the exact way they were previously. And I believe by something
> the
> > housekeeper is using because I noticed it a day after she had last been
> > here. It was not immediately visually noticeable -the damage is more
> > noticeable when I squeegee the area after showering. The squeegee drags
> on
> > the dull, damaged area where it glides over the shinny, polished,
> undamaged
> > area.
> > In an effort to determine what was going on I used an extra tile that I
> had
> > and poured Tilex, chlorine bleach, Windex, Method Bathroom & Tile Cleaner,
> > ammonia full strength onto the extra tile. And I left the agents on the
> > tile far longer than my housekeeper would in the process of normal
> > cleaning - the only agent that did damage was the Tilex (which remember
> she
> > doesn't have access to) and it didn't leave a dull finish as I have
> > described. It simply left the outline of the 'puddle' of the product that
> > was placed on the tile.
> > Any suggestions as to what is happening here?
> >
> >
> Is the damage everywhere she cleans, or just where you walk?
>
> Bob


Posted by Not@home on January 11, 2007, 2:02 pm


Marble is porous and must be sealed to give a lasting shiny surface.

You don't say if the tile was resealed when you had it polished, but it
sounds like, even if it was resealed, the resealing was ineffective,
which is not uncommon as there are often compatibility problems between
the original sealer, some of which often remains, and the resealer.

My suggestion is that you have it polished again, and resealed, but be
willing to pay for a very skilled workman who will have the training and
resources to be certain that the resealing will last, and guarantee his
work.

Sue wrote:
> My master bathroom is finished with marble tiles. Sometime last year I
> believed my housekeeper had use some caustic cleaner that took the shine off
> the tiles and left a dull surface on the floor and the step into the roman
> tub/shower, a bench in the shower area, and about a foot up from the tub
> floor along the wall opposite the step into the tub. I had the tiles
> polished ($450.00) and took all the 'caustic' cleaners and put them in
> cabinets she would not access to. The only cleaners my housekeeper then had
> available to her were 'Method' products, Softscrub and Windex. Method is a
> brand name of a environmentally friendly line of household cleaners that
> clearly states they are safe for granite and marble. And which I have used
> in the master bathroom for years with great success.
> Several months have passed and the tiles have been damaged in the exact
> areas in the exact way they were previously. And I believe by something the
> housekeeper is using because I noticed it a day after she had last been
> here. It was not immediately visually noticeable -the damage is more
> noticeable when I squeegee the area after showering. The squeegee drags on
> the dull, damaged area where it glides over the shinny, polished, undamaged
> area.
> In an effort to determine what was going on I used an extra tile that I had
> and poured Tilex, chlorine bleach, Windex, Method Bathroom & Tile Cleaner,
> ammonia full strength onto the extra tile. And I left the agents on the
> tile far longer than my housekeeper would in the process of normal
> cleaning - the only agent that did damage was the Tilex (which remember she
> doesn't have access to) and it didn't leave a dull finish as I have
> described. It simply left the outline of the 'puddle' of the product that
> was placed on the tile.
> Any suggestions as to what is happening here?
>
>

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