Carrara Marble Darkening

Q. On a new polished Carrara countertop, we placed a sheet of glass over part of it ...at the side with no glass covering, the marble is darkening. It does get wet and darkens but doesn’t seem to entirely lighten when dry. It also gets sun through the window. What to do?

A. This sounds like a problem caused by water. Marble that becomes saturated with water tends to discolor. A very porous stone, marble, like limestone, soaks up liquid like a sponge. Even if your marble is polished to a high-gloss shine that looks impregnable, that’s just an illusion. The solution to your problem is to extract the water through the same pores from which it originated. Simply place dry flour over the spot. This should draw out the moisture. Let it sit overnight. Once the counter is dry, it will need to be sealed for added protection.