QUESTION

A puddle of dog urine ate away the surface of my granite floor. The spot is very noticeable. I would like to polish it to bring back the surface shine. What product should I use and how should it be applied?

ANSWER

ANSWER - Urine is acidic.  Even though natural granite is very chemical resistant, if it is subjected to something acidic and it either isn't cleaned timely or properly, then it can etch the surface of a polished granite surface.

The etching of the polished granite is a chemical alteration of the granite surface.  It will make that portion of the stone feel textured.  Fortunately natural stone can be refinished or re-polished.

Stone is polished with abrasive pads.  Like sandpaper, you start with a higher abrasive pad and work towards a lighter abrasive.  Some polishing can be done with a dry abrasive compound or it can be done wet, depending on the products and methods used.  Granite is very hard and requires a more abrasive process.

Many granite tiles and slabs come with an enhancer on it, which can cause smudges if it is subjected to some sort of mineral spirits or paint thinner.  So that can be the problem that then requires repairing it in a different way.

There are some stone repair kits on the market for polishing, but I'm not sure how effective they are.  It would be best to have a professional stone restoration company come in and do the repair.