How long will laser'd marble last outside?

[Shaddy Dedmore]

I'm making a pet memorial with a 5x7 black marble piece. They wanted a photo, so it won't be etched as deep as you can text.

Any idea how long it'll take the rain to erode away some of the quality?
(I'm in WA state, it rains here a LOT)

Is there a clear coat I can put over it?

Thanks
Shaddy

[Michael Wells]

Shaddy, you're in luck, the engraving will last as long as the marble itself! The engraving of marble and granite has been tested for years in the stone cutting memorial business and one of the reasons that they do engrave headstones on these materials is the durability of stone. Of course, some stones erode faster than others, but generally for our purposes it's a negligible difference unless there is an abrasive force added, such as sand blowing off the beach or salt water.

The engraving, once done is comparable to sand blasting, although not as deep as stone cutting or carving, and therefore won't last as long as those, which may be thousands of years. You can put a silicone based tile and marble sealer on the marker, however, unless that is maintained, it probably won't do you much good. Hope that this helps.
Michael

[Kevin Huffman]

Hey Shaddy,

You could possibly get the engraving to last longer by applying a clear coating of some kind. Kinda like a clear coating for a car.
We use this stuff called "Frog Juice" it is a clear coat that you apply to the top of vinyl graphics after they are put on a vehicle.