A referral brought us to a Washington, DC apartment with a long marble corridor and a marble entry. We repaired cracks, honed and polished the floors, and cleaned and recaulked the bathrooms. The owner then asked us back for a limestone floor and a fireplace hearth. Summer 2026.
| Where | Apartment, Northwest Washington, DC |
|---|---|
| Surfaces | Marble hallway and entry; two bathrooms; later a limestone floor and a fireplace hearth |
| What needed attention | Cracks in the marble, worn finish, soap scum and hard water, a stained engineered quartz vanity |
| What we did | Repair up to 7 cracks; clean, hone, polish and seal; clean showers and recaulk; attempt stain removal on the quartz; later, hone and seal limestone and restore the hearth |
What we did, and why
- Up to seven cracks cleaned and repaired, blended as closely as possible.
- Hallway and entry: cleaned, honed, polished and sealed, with the walls and doorways masked off.
- Bathrooms: soap scum and hard water cleaned off a grey stone shower; the shower stall and the glass framing recaulked.
- Later that month: a fireplace hearth honed, polished and sealed; a limestone floor cleaned, honed and sealed; two chips repaired; a poultice on four stained areas, with a return visit 24 hours later to check results.
What restoration can and cannot do: the quartz vanity
One vanity was engineered quartz, not natural stone. We deep cleaned and polished it with quartz pads to try to lift its staining. We said up front that removal could not be guaranteed, because stains can go deep and engineered quartz cannot be resurfaced the way marble can. Stain removal on natural stone can take more than one poultice too, which is why we went back the next day to check.
Have something similar? Send two or three photos, one of the whole surface and one close-up, and we will tell you what it needs. Send photos or call (703) 327-7676.
Related: Marble restoration for homes · Condo and apartment buildings · Stone restoration in Washington, DC
Questions
Can cracks in a marble floor be repaired?
Yes. In this DC apartment up to seven cracks were cleaned and repaired, then the floor was honed, polished and sealed. Repairs blend in rather than disappear.
Can stains be removed from engineered quartz?
Sometimes, but it cannot be guaranteed. Quartz cannot be honed like marble, so deep stains may stay.
marble floor restoration · condo lobby restoration · stone restoration in Washington DC
