I was with a client the other day who was distressed about the sudden appearance of a white discoloration on one of his natural stone surfaces.
He asked me to come and remove what he believed to be an etch, but was unfortunately something worse – a stun mark.
A stun mark is a white discoloration in natural stone created by sudden, sharp impact on the stone’s surface, essentially causing weak links through the crystalized rock to fracture.
Stun marks may be topical, but they may run through the entire slab of stone.
Unfortunately, because many stun marks run deep within the stone, they are a serious challenge to remedy.
If you are lucky, the stun mark may be shallow and possible to work it out with diamond abrasive technology.
Think microdermabrasion. More likely than not, however, there may be no good solution.
Some professionals will tell you they can fill the fracture with an epoxy. The truth is, that unless the color is matched perfectly, this may make the stone look worse than it does with the stun mark. Because color matching is so challenging we always recommend using clear only, and most often this addresses the fix.
Stun marks are another reason why I preach for diligent care of your natural stone surfaces.
These are all ways in which you can inadvertently create stun marks:
- Setting a glass or utensil down too hard on your kitchen countertops
- Narrow high heels stomping across your marble floors
- Accidentally bumping a piece of furniture against your marble wall during your move-in
As such, the best thing to do is think preventatively:
- Be gentle with anything you lay down on your natural stone countertops.
- Take off your shoes when you come inside, especially if they have hard soles or narrow heels.
- If you’re moving furniture, use padding on the corners and take special care if you are moving through a room with marble or other natural stones.
Do you have stone that’s seen better days? We can help! Give Santa Barbara Stone Masters a call today!
