 Stone Polishing and Restoration Services
Calcium carbonate based stones, such as marble, travertine,
and limestone wear with use. Normal traffic and cleaning
procedures cause the stone to dull. This dulling process
can be accelerated with improper care or excessively harsh
treatment of the stone.
What is harmful to stone surfaces?
Scratches: Grit
carried on shoes is abrasive to the surface of the stone, much
like sandpaper. Dragging items across a stone floor or
other heavy use can result in deep scratches.
Acid: Liquids
containing acid will etch the surface of your stone. These
appear as dull “water spots” that can’t be wiped away.
Some food items and many household cleaning products are acidic
in nature, and contact with the stone can cause instant damage.
Stains:
Your stone is porous and can absorb oil, food products,
ink, rust and other contaminates.
What methods are used to refinish stone?
Grinding: A
very aggressive process using metal-bonded and diamond grit to
remove deep scratches and lippage. Usually performed using
a heavily weighted floor-buffing machine with water. This
process is typically dust free. The goal is to flatten the
floor.
Honing:
Similar to grinding, but not as aggressive. The grits and
materials are not as coarse as those used when grinding. Honing
is completed after the grinding phase. However, many
restoration and polishing projects are started at this level
since honing will remove minor to moderate scratches and etch
marks. As with grinding, the end goal is to achieve a flat
floor.
Polishing: Completed
after the honing phase. Higher grit series and sometimes
combinations of grit compounds to simulate higher grits.
The stone will start to show a shine during this process and can
be brought to a very high shine at this point.
Sealing: The process
in which a high-quality protective sealant is applied to the
surface of the stone. Whenever stone is ground, honed, or
polished, the surface should be sealed immediately to ensure
protection from contaminates. Please see our section on
Stone Sealing for more
information.
How should stone surfaces be maintained?
When stone has been installed or restored recently (within the
last year) and has been well cared for according to our
recommendation, a cleaning procedure can be performed that will
greatly increase the appearance of the stone at a much reduced
cost to that of a grinding, honing or polishing process.
To learn more about caring for, cleaning and maintaining your
stone see our section on Stone
Maintenance.
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