How to Refinish Marble Floor - Marble Restoration Guide

While it is always best to seek professional services to restore your marble, you can do a DIY version if you’re handy with tools and renovations around the house. For the safest option, professional restoration will be able to get your marble to its shimmery appearance again, but the DIY option is a more affordable option for homeowners on a budget.

What You’ll Need

1. ‍Water and Castile Soap or Mild Dish Soap - Water and castile soap makes a cleaning solution that is gentle on marble material, but removes the oils, dirt, and any gunk that is stuck on the surface to prepare it for restoration.‍
2. Soft Cloth Buffer or Buffing Pad - A soft, preferably microfiber cloth is great to use as a buffer for the marble, which will clean off any loose debris and polish a few cosmetic scratches from the surface. Using a dry cloth or buffing pad can bring a slight shine back to the surface.‍
3. Bicarbonate Soda or Marble Polish Powder - Marble polishing powder is used to remove deep scratches and etch marks, and get your marble back to an even smoothness. When in a pinch, baking soda works just as well in place of commercial marble polish. ‍
4. Marble Sealant - To bring the even shine back to your marble tiles, you’ll need to use a commercial marble sealer that is specially formulated for marble. Take note that the sealant will need to cure before you step on the marble floor, but the results are worth the wait!‍
5. Grout and Spackle for Cracked Tiles - If you have cracked tiles, now is the time to restore it with some new tiles of similar quality, and some grout and spackle to adhere the tiles onto your floor. ‍
6. Angle Grinder - An angle grinder is handy in removing cracked tiles, as well as buffing out large, deep scratches from your existing tiles. If you need to replace a marble tile, an angle grinder makes the restoration much easier. ‍
7. Cleaning Tools - You’ll need a couple of cleaning implements like some scrub brushes, a damp sponge, and damp cloth to wipe everything clean. 
   

How to Restore Marble Floors and Surfaces

1. Clean your marble floor. Using a soft sponge and your soap solution, clean your marble floor as you normally would. Make sure to go over the stained areas, as these will set once you apply the sealant. Remove any spills, and dry the surface with a cloth.

2. Use a soft cloth or buffing pad to buff the surface. Buff the surface using a dry, soft cloth, moving in circular motions. Concentrate on the areas where there are more scratches, especially parts with small, cosmetic imperfections. Continue buffing until you see a slight gleam or shine on the surface.

3. Use polishing powder to remove scratches. Apply some polishing powder and a few drops of water onto your marble. Use a soft cloth to remove scratches by polishing the marble with the powder. Concentrate on scratch and etch marks, and move in gentle, circular motions to prevent further scratching the surface. (Read our in-depth guide on how to polish marble here)

4. Wipe clean with a damp sponge followed by a dry cloth to dry the surface. Wipe off any excess powder, and clear out the scratches with a sponge dampened with plain water. Dry the surface with a dry cloth to prepare the area for refinishing. 

5. Apply a sealer to protect the marble from moisture, scratches, and oils.  Apply your sealant of choice. Work in thin, even layers, and re-apply as you see fit. Spread the sealant around, working quickly before the sealant becomes too viscous or starts to set. Avoid mixing the sealant with any other moisture like water as it may turn a milky-white colour and have a rough feel. 

6. Let the sealant cure overnight or until completely hardened. Allow your sealant to cure overnight or according to the manufacturer’s instructions. If applying more than one layer, make sure the previous layer has hardened before applying the next layer. 

7. Use a clean and damp cloth to wipe everything off.  As a final step, use a damp cloth to wipe everything clean to finish the job. Make sure that the sealant has fully cured before wiping, and you can now enjoy your newly finished marble floor!

How to Refinish Marble Tiles

For tiles that have obvious cracks and would need replacement, have some similar-looking tiles on hand.

1. Use some tools to carefully remove the cracked tile, vacuum up the debris, and apply your new tiles, fitted with some spackle and grout. 
2. Let the grout cure before refinishing your marble tiles with the steps indicated above.
3. Use an angle grinder to remove excess grout, especially if the job has been messy.
4. Continue on with cleaning, buffing, polishing, and sealing for a complete finish and restoration of your marble. 
   

You may also opt to simply fill in the cracks with some grout, but we don’t recommend doing so as the resulting look does not have a professional, polished feel. In any case, doing any sort of repair on your marble should be done before you start your refinishing process.

When to Call Professional Services?

As a general rule, we recommend availing professional restoration services to bring the shine back to your marble. The DIY method may be more affordable, but when done wrong, it can actually cost you more in repairs when there is further damage.

Professional services have the tools and knowledge to properly restore your marble floor, so find a trusted partner that can do the work for you, and simply enjoy your newly-finished marble flooring without all the hassle!