We recently had a cultured marble countertop installed in a bathroom (5 months ago). Earlier this week, in my regular cleaning, I found a yellow discoloration or stain under the soap dispenser and soap dish. The installer came out yesterday and "buffed" the stain away. I have a few questions - what caused this to begin with, what did the "buffing" do exactly, and did the fact the stain showed up so easily have something to do with the manufacturer/installer's quality of work?

We've got one more bathroom to do and need to know if we should stick with the same manufacturer/installer.

I have cultured marble elsewhere that has lasted for 17 years and is still in excellent condition (under the soap dispensers too!).

Thanks!
-Margaret

Marble has ro be sealed and polished to be used in that type of application. What happened can't be the installer's fault. It sounds like a water/soap stain because the sealant didn't adhere. I can't answer the 'buffing' question. Did you not ask him why ?

Hmm, seems like from your answer you are thinking marble, not cultured marble. This is cultured marble. Does that change your answer?

I did ask -- he didn't know why it happened.

Yes, its normally called engineered marble and still would have to be sealed against water or anything wet, otherwise you will always get stains.

Marble is a very porous material and must be meticulously sealed. You can ensure beautiful longevity by sealing it yourself and knowing that your marble is protected. Your local tiling store has wonderful sealants. Do it yourself & know it's done right. It will also age and cure, as time flows. But toxants like soaps will affect it. Put a nice dish under your soap,etc dispensers until you have properly sealed it.

I've never heard of having to seal cultured marble, since by nature it's essentially marble dust mixed with a resin material in a mold (at least, that's my uneducated impression). Sealing it doesn't make any sense to me -- I still think you're thinking of real marble, not cultured marble. Thanks, though! :).

All Marble must be sealed... cultured just means man-made... like cultured pearls. It is still porous and highly acceptable to other materials.

My marbel countertop has a discoloration in front of the sink,what can I do

Did you notice this post is from 4 years ago? Try buffing with baking soda dampened with water