Cleaning

Cultured Marble provides extremely durable, nonporous surfaces which resist staining. Routine cleaning with a soft sponge or cloth, or a nonabrasive aerosol foam cleaner, is all that is normally needed to give many years of trouble-free services. Products such as “Soft Scrub” or “Comet” are not recommended, as they tend to reduce the shine of the gel coat, and leave small scratches.

Polishing

To maintain luster and make cleaning easier, periodic applications of paste wax or products like “Gel Gloss” may be applied. Take care in using a clean, soft cloth for both applying the wax and polishing the top. “Gel Gloss” can be purchased at home centers and plumbing supply stores that sell cultured marble.

Removing scratches

Mild abrasives such as automotive polishing compound, or baking soda, will remove simple scratches and stains. After using a polishing compound, if the scratches are still visible, try using 600 grit wet/dry sand paper, lightly rubbing at the area. To sand as flat as possible, try using a small block of wood with the sand paper around it, this prevents from putting any type of indention in the surface by using your hands, and allows for more even sanding. At Virginia Marble we use air powered disc sanders and orbital polishers for the volume of sanding and polishing that we do. A soft terry cloth will work just as well.

Cutting or Drilling

Masonry blades are recommended for cutting tops or panels made of cultured marble. Always cut from the rough or unfinished side of the marble. Once the material has been cut, the edge cannot be refinished, so work with an edge that will be concealed on the finished product. Drilling requires the same steps as cutting.

Gel Coat Repair Kit

Virginia Marble is willing to provide a gel coat repair kit to any customer. The kit includes instructions and the products needed. If you should chip the gel coat surface, this can be fixed with little effort. However, a chip that goes beyond the surface of the gel coat and into the matrix of the top will be a larger repair. The repair kit is specifically for patching the gel coat; other materials will be needed to repair a deeper chip and should be done professionally.