Marble Shower Floor Turning Yellow

I would strongly suggest having this done by a professional.

Marble shower floor turning yellow.

Floor coatings designed for wood concrete or even other kinds of natural stone may not work well for marble floors. The loss of the high polish on certain marble and granite can be attributed to wear. It started out faint has gotten brighter and appears to be growing. Iron deposits that are embedded in white marble tile especially carrara marble are typically the cause of this type of stain.

It appears to me that the sealer is decomposing. If the gel coating has worn down a bit the coating and cultured marble may become stained. A yellow brownish stain has begun to appear on the marble bench slab. Another possibility is a process sometimes used for polishing marble floors known as crystallization.

To remove yellowing due to a wax or coating buildup the marble will need to stripped with a commercial wax stripper. The classic look of a bianco carrara or calacatta gold bath is popular and the current availability of field in a variety of finishes and textures like honed polished tumbled hand antiqued marmo antico brushed etc moldings and mosaics allow for many design options. If the marble tile has been crystallized it will be necessary to remove the crystallized layer with a powder polish containing oxalic acid. If this process is applied to a white marble floor that contains moisture it will turn the marble yellow.

If these deposits are exposed to water they can rust and leach through to the surface causing the yellow brown stains. This oxidation process is accelerated when the tile is saturated as in the flood in the above example. Step 2 move the shower curtain and any fabric items such as bath mats towels and washcloths into a safe location. This is especially true of marble since it is much softer then granite.

It is for this reason that we recommend not using white marble in a shower. Cultured marble may yellow over time for various reasons. I was able to scratch the brown away with my thumbnail revealing the original beautiful marble. In fact waxy coatings of urethane and other materials may be the reason your white marble floors have turned yellow see it here.

Step 1 fill a spray bottle with 3 percent hydrogen peroxide which is found in drugstores or convenience stores for a minimal price. White marble tiles can remain for years without yellowing then over time may slowly turn yellow and in severe causes may turn completely brown. I had used a commercial sealer on my marble before using my shower for the first time about 3 years ago. Mostly where the water hits the tile is turning brown.

Why is my white marble turning yellow.