A friend to help carry those heavy countertops! Based outside Atlanta, Ga., Shala Munroe has been writing and copy editing since 1995. The first step is to prepare the marble surface by cleaning it thoroughly. But that said, the amount of exposure you could get from polishing your countertop one time is utterly negligible, and marble doesn't even have much silicon in it (granite does, however). Apply a thin, even layer of countertop wax or fiberglass polish with a soft cloth if artificial marble looks dull. When the cloth gets too dirty with polish, use another one. Only wet-polish your countertop, i.e. Here's what my freshly-washed countertop looked like before I started. Here's how to restore the color and shine to your marble countertop or vanity sink. Marble tops offer a sophisticated, durable alternative to formica, laminate and wood. Are your marble countertops looking dull, perhaps with light scratches in the surface? Polishing makes the stone appear shiny and reflective. Sarah | Jan 2, 2019 at 2:13pm . This meant that any finishing we needed to do was mostly just around the cut edges. Making and Using Your Own Polish. Adjust the angle grinder's speed to 2,800 r.p.m. There are other times when stone materials like granite and marble may be polished by a fabricators as well. Will a Diamond hole (core) saw cut through wood? It is commonly used for countertops and is often mistaken for marble or granite. If you are not quite satisfied, you can correct small errors by re-applying tape and cutting again. This will make the surface of your cultured marble countertop look better. Spray a penetrating stone sealer on the marble countertops until the surface is wet. Then, using a rotary saw and masonry blade, you will cut the cultured marble using standard technique. You should notice a slight shine to the edge after using this disk. Make sure to immediately clean up any excessive glue from the … Change to a 400-grit diamond disk to begin polishing the edge of the marble. The polish or shine on marble doesn't come from the application of any wax or product. In this blog post, How to Make Granite Shine, there is a section on how to fix light etching. AsktheBuilder.com: Marble floor polishing can remove small scratches. Before polishing cultured marble, you’ll want to clean it as well as possible. The shiny polish seen on marble slabs, countertops, tile, and other stones is achieved by high friction on huge stone polishing machines at the factory long before it gets to a stone warehouse, showroom, or to your kitchen or bathroom countertop. Mix up a Baking Soda and Water solution (3 tablespoons of baking soda to 1 quart water). Step 3: Measure the Area You Want to Cut Use the ruler or tape measure to confirm the area that you will want to make the cut in. They sometimes don't know the exact grit-size of what they're selling, but if it's called "polish" and is used in the final stage of rock-tumbling, then it will work fine for you. That keeps it out of everyone's lungs. While you can’t remove deep scratches that go all the way through the gel coat, it is possible to restore the surface and shine using extremely fine sandpaper and polishing compounds. Meanwhile, a router can be used on the edges if you cut a little too wide while using the circular saw. If you have removed the existing faucets like we have, you may need to use a heavy-duty degreaser to clean those areas. DIY How to Cut a Sink Hole in Granite, Marble or Engineered Quartz . When you’ve finished polishing, use a dry cloth to wipe away excess compound and wait 24 hours. For example, if you are installing a kitchen countertop, use a circular saw for the lengthy section, and use a jigsaw to cut the sink hole out. This might be on the edges and/or corners after the slab is cut. The big particles will just keep gouging it up. Jessica at TriNova. Then I started polishing! © Copyright 2020 Hearst Communications, Inc. Wait, is this counter-polishing stuff dangerous?!! As with other types of countertops, marble will begin to lose its high shine and luster due to everyday use. It will only attack the rough, non-shiny areas. What else will you need? Thanks for reading! Use a soft, clean cloth to apply automotive polishing compound to the entire surface. Apart from cleaning agents with neutral pH, you can use acetone or hydrogen peroxide or clear ammonia mixed with water for polishing your countertops. Granite countertops, like other natural stone countertop materials such as, marble, sandstone … How to Repair Fissures, Cracks and Chips in Countertops. How to Profile & Polish Edge for Granite Countertops: This is a video on how to profile and polish granite countertop for Do-It-Yourselfers. Repairing or restoring marble surfaces is an achievable do-it-yourself project. How to Cut a Cultured Marble Countertop to Install a Sink Written by Garry Steck on Sep 28, 2010. Wood finish - we used this wood polish (alternatively this food-safe conditioner is great if you plan to cut on your block) Screws . If you've ever had a marble countertop -- either cultured marble or solid marble -- then you know how easily they can be damaged. Smoothing out the edges with sandpaper will finish off your cuts and have your cultured marble looking amazing. Once you're finished, clean up the area with wet rags, making multiple passes over the surfaces you've contaminated, with multiple clean cloths, in order to get all the polishing compound wiped up. For example, if you are installing a kitchen countertop, use a circular saw for the lengthy section, and use a jigsaw to cut the sink hole out. A little tip: if you fail to add an orbital sander into your budget, you can make one of your own with the help of a drill and sanding disc. The finer and smaller the abrasive grits are, the higher the polish. Before going ahead with the polishing process, you'll need to give your vanity top a quick cleaning. DIY How to Cut Quartz, Granite or Marble Counter with a Circular Saw. Getting a perfect, super-glossy polish with 3-micron grit probably isn't possible, but you should be able to get a really good shine, and you can buy smaller grit and do a second pass if you really want to try for that mirror-bright gloss. Cutting Corian is quite simple, but be sure to take the proper safety precautions by wearing protective eyewear and a … While this method will work fine for statues, tile and marble countertops, sanding large areas of marble, like marble floors, requires a completely different process and technique. This is part of a 26 minute video that demonstrated the fol… This might be on the edges and/or corners after the slab is cut. Attach 50 grits to the velcro of backing pad slowly open water flow for wet polisher. Now you can begin the polishing process, open the diamond marble polishing kit and start with grit 50 polishing pad. Place the angle grinder against the edge of the marble and move the grinder from left to right along the entire edge. Popular and durable, the Formica countertop is an inexpensive choice with a wide variety of colors, textures and shapes to choose from. You want your blade to go all the way through the bottom of the quartz. One can get professional shine with moderate effort and hand skill. Safety concerns?! It takes just a few simple steps to polish cultured marble countertops and get them looking their best. Polishing a marble floor for instance or a marble countertop requires considerable skill and experience. This Instructable will explain how to repair some of the damage. Apply a thin, even layer of countertop wax or fiberglass polish with a soft cloth if artificial marble looks dull. Drill . Rinse the polish off according to the directions. It's safer to work with power tools away from water. Step 11 The polisher consists of rotating pads which are surfaced with an abrasive substance. Some of you may be reading this because you just learned that fact the hard way, and if so, my sympathies! However, to get the most out of cultured marble, you may need to cut it. The polished beautiful granite countertop that you install in your kitchen or bathroom undergoes an extensive process of stone fabrication to achieve the finished product. While you can’t remove deep scratches that go all the way through the gel coat, it is possible to restore the surface and shine … Cultured marble is made of a mixture of polyester resin, limestone dust, fillers, and pigments with a clear gel coat finish on top. First, use a neutral cleanser to remove dirt and grime, such as warm water and a mild liquid dish soap. Then, when everything is clean, you're going to pack up all your rags--while they are still wet--and take them outside your house and put them in the trash. Read this article and follow the steps below to properly polish your cultured marble vanity countertop. Make sure to immediately clean up any excessive glue from the marble countertop. Video Playback Not Supported. Although most full slabs are polished by running water over the stone and grinding away scratches to keep down the dust, wetting the marble isn't necessary if you're only polishing the edges. Apply a wet wipe using alcohol run across all marble surface area before using the adhesive. When we bought our condo, the marble countertops in the bathrooms were already badly damaged by inappropriate cleansers. Reply. For that reason, there is only one "hard" thing you need to do in this Instructable. The following steps illustrate how to polish marble countertops: The first step is to prepare the marble surface by cleaning it thoroughly. Step 10: Polish the Granite . In a nutshell, you can polish your marble surface which gives it a more glossy surface, or choose a honed finish which is more of a matte finish. Not a DIY job even for a top handyman. I flipped the cloth over onto the surface and wrapped it around the polishing block. You cannot cheap out with a Home Depot maybe-it's-equivalent product, and you can't swap in some household goo; you have to get the right stuff. Then, eliminate stains with a non-scratch cream detergent that is gently rubbed into the area. Here’s how to repair a cultured marble countertop without sanding: Take appliance wax, car wax or silicone sealer and fill in the fine scratches. This video shows the result! There isn't any spray or product that you can apply yourself to instantly make it shiny. Grind the edge of the marble slab with the 100-grit disk, making two or three passes. I should be able to improve on this level of shine simply by polishing for longer, but even 10 minutes gave me a significant improvement. As you near the end of the cut, move more slowly, to avoid ragged edges and to make a clean cut. The 50-grit disk removes the large scratches and machine marks and begins smoothing the surface. Rent or purchase a wet saw with a diamond blade. You really don't need very much of the compound. But again, the actual danger here is incredibly small, so try not to panic about it. How to Polish a Damaged Marble Countertop: When we bought our condo, the marble countertops in the bathrooms were already badly damaged by inappropriate cleansers. You can polish the flooring either by dry sanding or wet sanding. It’s ideal to cut butcher block outside. It’s referred to as “wet polishing” because water is poured over the stone to reduce heat created by friction between the countertop and the polishing pad. On the other hand, polished marble refers to marble that has undergone the polishing process. Here's my before and after shots, after just 10 minutes of fairly slap-dash polishing. Even though the blog post is focused on Granite it will work for Marble as well. Where do you buy this stuff? Normal wear and tear alone can leave your countertop or vanity looking less than stellar, mostly due to minor scratches. It is created by grinding and smoothing using diamond abrasives. Cultured marble is made of a mixture of polyester resin, limestone dust, fillers, and pigments with a clear gel coat finish on top. This is a DIY project with the right products, so you’ll save more than 50% of the cost of hiring … Don’t worry; it’s not that hard. A wet saw is the best option for cutting stone slabs, and the diamond blade ensures a smooth, clean cut. Or, you can add a cultured marble polish as a top coat for your countertop or bathroom vanity. I much prefer the look of honed marble so was delighted to find honed slabs. After every 3-4 turns, change the direction of your motion. Wet polishing is a professional grade polishing technique used to treat more severe countertop damage, whether it be deep cuts, harsh etching, or staining. Use a nylon … We turned a piece of 1-1/4" granite with very rough edge into a beautifully polished 3/8" radius edge. Reviewed by . Here's the good news: If you bought the right polishing compound, then there is very little here that you can screw up. How to Polish a Damaged Marble Countertop: When we bought our condo, the marble countertops in the bathrooms were already badly damaged by inappropriate cleansers. This disk removes most of the remaining deep scratches. Finish the job by thoroughly rinsing the freshly polished top with a water-filled spray bottle, then using a clean nonabrasive washcloth to wipe away any remaining traces of the polish. Polishing a marble floor for instance or a marble countertop requires considerable skill and experience. Because the particles involved are so small, that dust can stay aloft in the air for a surprisingly long time, making it more likely to wind up in someone's lungs. Regardless, there's a really simple way to protect yourself from even this negligible danger: Just keep everything wet. Hard stones like marble and granite can be polished all the way to a mirror finish. That means you can only improve the appearance of your countertop, not mess it up. Well, here's the complete list of supplies, including the polishing compound: Fun fact: Aluminum oxide is sapphire. Marble countertops add a touch of sophistication and style to the room. It's also what's in your anti-perspirant, which means the reason you don't sweat is because you've clogged your armpits with sapphires! Marble, similar to granite, comes in a large slab. Use sandpaper to smooth the cut edges. Lift the blade guard and use the lever next to your saw's handle to adjust the blade so that it sticks out roughly 1–2 inches (2.5–5.1 cm) past the bottom of your slab. When a stone countertop is being cut and shaped for a particular kitchen or business area, it gets polished again by fabricators. There isn't any spray or product that you can apply yourself to instantly make it shiny. The marble stone industry is growin… Switch the disk for a 200-grit one and make two or three passes along the edge of your marble. This prevents the dust from getting into my home's air once the rags dry out. How to Make a Marble Top Shiny. Also, be sure to remove any stains as described above. 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