Stone Restoration

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.