Crema Marfil Salvagable?

[revitalize]

My name is Adrian, I live in the Wisconsin, and I am a long time lurker on the board but am finally ready to jump in with a few questions. The details; Tumbled Crema Marfil Shower, approximately 8 years old, what appears to be minimal maintenance to the stone, and steam shower damage. The marble that continually gets wet has a reddish tint to it while the tile that is not wet looks similar to when it was installed. Additionally, the steam shower had a leak and left damage on floor. Please see the pictures for clarification. My questions;

1. Can the stone be restored with retaining it's tumbled appearance?
2. If it can be restored, is it possible to feather the walls or would the entire wall need to be resurfaced?
3. Recommendations on diamonds/honing powder/grit levels?

Thank you in advance.

 

[FredC]

@Cameron DeMille
@Mikey P

 

[clean image]

2nd pic a bit blurry. However dosnt look too bad. Has typical mineral build up, formations in groutlines. Razor the bulk and go to a Dreme cleaner or a stone scrub. Can also use mechanical tools or SS brush in grout lines.

Depending on your results when dry... Depends if you need honing brushes or diamonds to refinish or a cold polish

 

[Mikey P]

1st ALWAYS make sure your photos are crisp and focused.

2nd what is your stone experience currently?

3rd what are the owners expectations?

 

[revitalize]

The owners expectations are low, I was originally called to look at caulk peeling away from the vertical to horizontal surfaces in the shower. Once there and noticing the wear on the shower, I wanted to build value and create a game plan for the homeowner. I live in an area that we should call "conservative" with their dollars but the homeowner has a house full of stone that needs or will need some assistance. The down and dirty of the matter would be to recaulk and move on, with the homeowner stating that replacing missing grout from theirs floor in other areas of the home with a mismatched color was "fine." Frankly, I do not believe the homeowners quite understand or appreciate what they have nor the maintenance required.
Stone experience is minimal. I own some of the tools, always willing to buy more, cleaned and polished the granite in my house, and tackled a few other small projects. Someone in our area needs to be the authority on the subject and I sell plenty of stone at my day job. My learning curve is very quick and have an area to "test" under the 2' x 7' granite bench in the shower which would be unseen. I was looking to make sure I was on the right track or find out if i biting off more than I could chew. Additionally, from following along on your board, it seemed like an interesting project where both I and other readers could learn from my inexperience.
Lastly, I blame Motorola for the bad pictures, looked good on my phone bad on the site.

 

[Mikey P]

Razors, chisles, brushes and some mild acid.

Get the bulk off then cover in Stone Scrub. HOGS hair on your Makita..

Go to town.

Nuetralize, enhance and call it a day.


It will be back in a few months, unfortunately..

 

[Cameron DeMille]

The easiest way would be with a silicone carbide brush. It is basically a sandpaper brush. you can start with 240 grit for light damage and buildup, or 120 if there is more heavy duty work needed. you can finish with 240 or 320 for a nice honed finish, then seal or enhance it.

http://www.easystonecare.com/Tenax-Silicon-Carbide-Brushes-Snail-Lock-p/tnxsc.htm

 

[revitalize]

Thanks for the advice, I can do all of what was advised. The answers were better than my expectations, kudos to Mikey's Board and its contributors.

 

[Mikey P]

Take pics adj we can see the results

 

[Old Coastie]

Adrian, it is hard to tell what that is. Soap scum, with tint in it? Rust from the water? Efflorescence? I'm going to suggest a different approach.

See if you can scrape any of it with your fingernail. If yes, it can be scrubbed off with a Makita and any strong detergent like Simple Green. Make your own disks from a blue pad. Red for fiberglass. Use a 5" hook and loop driver from Easystonecare, or Harbor Freight.

If it isn't soft enough to scrape with your fingernail, do that first step, then try Barkeeper's Friend powder with the same pad. It will remove rust and efflorescence gently. Tape off the chrome. Do sections and rinse frequently. Finish with a dry buff. If the grout or corners haven't cleaned up, use a stiff, small nylon brush It will go quickly (http://www.easystonecare.com/SearchResults.asp?Search=Nylon+brush&Submit=). Good luck!

 

[dealtimeman]

Glad to have helped