Etch marks

Etch marks on marble. What they are, and whether they come out.

Comes out in place. Etching is a thin layer of dissolved surface, not a stain, so it is honed off and re-polished rather than cleaned.

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Tan marble benchtop after polishing, reflecting the window frame, with masking tape still on the wall Polishing machine sitting on a tan marble benchtop with masking tape along the splashback and a window behind
Tan veined marble, benchtopApr 2025

What it is.

An etch mark is where acid has dissolved the polished surface of the stone. Lemon juice, wine, vinegar, tomato, most bathroom products and many supermarket cleaners all do it on contact. It looks like a dull ring or a matte patch, and it will not clean off because there is nothing on the surface to clean. The finish itself has been eaten away. The fix is mechanical: the area is honed back to sound stone with diamond abrasives and re-polished to match the rest. On a benchtop this is usually a couple of hours. Deep etching that has left a visible dip needs more honing and blends less perfectly, which is the sort of thing a test patch is for.

The price shape.

Priced by the surface, not the mark. A benchtop with etching is a benchtop restoration.

Minimum to confirmminimum attendance, every job

How pricing works

Send a photo of the etch marks.

Two photos and your suburb. We will say whether it comes out, and what it costs, usually the same day.

Close view of a polished tan marble benchtop edge with veining and a mirror reflection
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