Marble Floor Refinishing Dallas|Plano

Marble Floor Refinishing - Why You Need It & How To Do It

Heaven Sent Floor Care is committed to educating consumers on the maintenance process and how to hone marble floors and all other natural stone. Below you are going to acquire most of the answers to the questions as to why and how your marble restoration process should proceed with any conscientious marble restoration company in the Dallas area.

There are several different levels of restoration for marble, travertine, limestone etc. First, you have the most aggressive where grinding the marble is needed. This occurs when the installer has done a poor job of installing and you have lippage (uneven tiles). One thirty-second of an inch is the industry standard for acceptable "lippage". Many tile installers fall short of achieving this standard. Ideally, a person should have this corrected; however, the process is quite expensive and the companies actually qualified to perform such work are rare. Caveat: Do your due diligence if you choose this route. Done properly you will be extremely happy with the results and further maintenance down the road will be less frequent and less expensive. The pictures below are of a recent grinding project we performed.

The picture below was the result of a well-known carpet cleaning company who was asked to leave the premises as a consequence of leaving deep scratches in the marble floor. Their grinding was much too aggressive being so close to the baseboards. Removal of the scratches required a great deal of work with our angle grinder.

Light Marble Refinishing Process

This level of marble refinishing is the most common. This is where daily traffic and normal wear and tear have resulted in what is referred to as wear marks and surface scratches. Over approximately the past ten years many carpet cleaning companies and general run-of-the-mill tile cleaning companies have jumped on the bandwagon for servicing marble and other natural stone. Then, too, many companies have started who may have attended a two or three-day seminar. However, there is a very sharp learning curve in knowing all the nuances of actual stone restoration. Do not let anyone mislead you with their ability to clean, polish and seal natural stone with actual stone restoration experience.

Some ten years ago suppliers for the stone industry introduced what is commonly referred to as "maintenance pads". See picture. As with any tool, they are great but you must know their limitations and exactly how and when they can be used to achieve the desired result for a client. Most homeowners and business' simply are not savvy enough to know the marble restoration process and what their particular floor or marble surface requires to restore it to a like new condition. Overall, "maintenance pads" no matter what grit are reserved for maintenance only. The suppliers have made the more aggressive grits available simply because of demand. This does not translate into stellar results for the client.

Generally speaking, if your marble floors have become particularly dull in the traffic areas the "maintenance pads" referenced above will not provide a satisfactory result in refinishing your marble. A close inspection by getting on your hands and knees will typically still reveal very faint surface scratches. Standing from a distance the floor may have a nice sheen or high polish. This will fade over the next six months or so and you will wonder why. The reason is the company was inexperienced and/or took shortcuts.

Almost without exception, to properly perform marble restoration where surface scratches and wear marks are present diamond abrasives are the ONLY process to restore your marble to a like new or even better than new condition.

Remember at the beginning when we discussed lippage? See the image below of the picture framing?

This was a result of using the diamond abrasives and getting rid of the wear marks and surface scratches. However, a real problem still exists. The area where the diamond abrasives did not get (the picture framing - the shiny areas) still is in all probability going to have some surface scratches. The unevenness of the stone (i.e., lippage) is a prime area where foot traffic and grit catches the lips of the marble and creates these issues. Therefore, this is where a true craftsman of stone restoration shines above the rest of the crowd out there. Yes, knowing how and actually investing the time in eliminating the picture framing and the associated surface scratches is rare too. This is one of the "Should Ask Questions" when hiring a stone restoration company. If the person cannot respond quickly to this question, do not expect the very best results in the end that will result in a floor looking its very best and lasting longer.

So what typically happens in this scenario? A company if you want your marble polished will blend and eliminate the picture framing with the polishing process. Sounds great huh? Not so quick. Polishing does NOT eliminate surface scratches. In some instances, it will disguise them. Some companies will use a maintenance pad when you want more of a honed appearance to disguise those same areas. Once again, the maintenance pad(s) will NOT adequately remove scratches.

So You Want Your Marble Polished?

For all practical purposes, there are several methods for polishing. Heaven Sent Floor Care will achieve the optimum shine via a mechanical means with diamond abrasives. This will ensure the marble floor, shower etc. has the longest lasting effect. From there our marble floor polishing services include using our polishing paste with our floor machine to enhance the shine for even a glossier appearance.

Many of the carpet cleaning companies and tile cleaning companies use the maintenance pads mentioned above. On the other hand, some companies use a process called “crystallization”. We have addressed this issue on our website with an eye-opening interview of an authority in the industry. Click here You can be sure these companies will not like this being revealed to consumers.

I want to respond to some myths that people have about marble restoration:

Question: Can you just buff out the etching or scratches?

Answer: I'm thinking the terminology "buff" comes from the automotive body shop industry. Scratches and most often etching can only be eliminated by using diamond abrasives (similar to sanding). Thus, the process is not as easy as "buffing" them out.

Question: I just want to get some cracks and holes fixed in my marble.

Answer: Depending on the age of your floor and a few other factors that may be unique to your situation, this usually is not feasible. When you have those surface scratches and wear marks repairing isolated sections of your floor will cause the repaired section to stand out. Generally, if you have more than a few cracks in your marble tiles, it is more cost effective to replace them and the end result may prove to be more aesthetically pleasing and cost effective. Pin size holes and holes over a half dollar size are generally not good candidates for quality repairs.

Question: I just want my marble cleaned and sealed.

Answer: You may be able to only have your marble cleaned and sealed. However, if you have wear marks and surface scratches, cleaning by itself can enhance the wear on your floor and make it look even worse by removing the soiling that was disguising much of the wear. Then, too, many people think that if their marble would have been better sealed their floor wouldn't have scratches etc. No such sealer exists in the market place to make your marble "bulletproof"!

Question: Why does my marble look so blotchy?

Answer: There can be several reasons. First, your marble may have a high amount of fill and the higher the level of shine acquired the worst it will look in areas with lots of natural light. This is not as common with marble versus travertine. You may have individual tiles or groups of tiles that simply should not have ever been installed. This is seen more in Crema Marfil. The tiles are low quality and no amount of restoration will resolve it. Replacement is recommended. If this is a result of a new installation, it may be a result of the installers not cleaning the grout off the tile. The extent of the grout “haze” will dictate the process for removal.

Question: Why is it so expensive to restore my marble.

Answer: Expensive compared to what? The carpet cleaning company that claims to know stone restoration or the company that only cleans, polishes and seals stone? Just like there is a difference between a Kia and a Mercedes, there is a difference in the education and experience in a company that has the breadth of knowledge to deliver the results to make your marble look stunning and last longer.

For more information on our various services for marble, click here or CALL US TODAY @ 214-763-8832