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Why does Limestone Tile in Shower have White Stains I can't remove?
QUESTION
Why is my Limestone Tile in my Shower Have White Stain marks that I can't Remove? - We have a brand new shower tiled with limestone and after only 3 months, major white stains have appeared. Would you know how to get rid of these stains? If yes any tricks or products? It cost us over $10k for this new shower, we are very disappointed with the results… See file attached…ANSWER
ANSWER - Sorry you having a problem with your limestone. Limestone normally does well in shower areas.I have seen this type of staining before. There are a number of variables and factors that can be causing this staining. Some will say it is efflorescence staining, but if it was it should clean up easily. More likely it is some form of being etched by a low pH acidic material or a high pH alkaline material.
You can see the stains show more of a dripping pattern, although there are some spots at the top of that pattern that shows a wide spot that drips in the up direction. This could be that someone used some applicator to try to clean with some corrosive cleaner. I also see that a lot of the drip stains are below the metal plumbing features. The transition joint between the metal fixtures and the stone looks corroded. That joint should be filled with an ASTM C920 sealant that is normally a 100% silicone or urethane sealant. There is a chance that the water coming into contact with material in that area can be a contributing factor.
Your water could be very alkaline that can contribute to problems like this, although it looks like you only have the dripping in certain areas of the shower. Of course, not all areas of the shower get the same exposure to the water from a shower.
I have seen where this condition occurred that the staining seemed to originate from the grout joints. It isn't uncommon to have efflorescence coming out of grout joints, but again if so it should be easy to clean.
To determine the actual cause, so we can determine the appropriate remediation would require a forensic intrusive inspection and some laboratory testing. This is likely not practical for smaller projects.
Since you do have a natural stone, this condition should be able to be removed by a qualified stone restoration company. They can grind the stone down to remove the stain and then seal the stone and grout with a high quality sealer, which will have to be reapplied at least annually. You should make sure that all of the escutcheons or joints around the plumbing fixtures are caulked with the ASTM C920 type of sealant.
2 thoughts on “Why does Limestone Tile in Shower have White Stains I can’t remove?”
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In general would you recommend white limestone for dinning room and kitchen area ??
Do they get easily stained ?
are stains hard to remove ??
Not all limestones are created equal. The ASTM 568 standards breaks them down into High Density, Medium Density and low Density limestone. The high Density is the more durable and less absorbing. Being less absorbing it doesn’t have the same propensity to staining.
If you seal the limestone and clean up spills right away you can prevent stains. Although you need to re-seal the stone regularly to keep it protected. If you do get stains you can normally use a poultice to remove them.
All natural stones will require more care and maintenance. Unlike tiles you can typically restore a stone to look like new as it is the same material from top to bottom. Plus it is millions of years old which adds a lot of intrinsic value.