As a product of nature, stone is prone to variations in color, texture, and density.
Captain Marble has the knowledge and expertise to repair and maintain any natural stone surfaces that have been cracked, chipped, scratched, or dulled, so that they look as beautiful as intended on the day of installation. Our highly skilled technicians use the finest abrasives and craftsmanship to restore your surface to its best possible finish.
Captain Marble's skilled professionals restore any and all stone applications. We strive to give our clients their desired results, ranging from hone to high polish. We can eliminate uneven surfaces, and visible seams.
Captain Marble takes pride in the quality of our craft and in being able to offer our customers the benefits of our experience in this highly specialized field along with service that is second to none. Commercial, Residential and Subcontracting accounts are welcome.
Different stones require different procedures in order to restore them to a factory finish or to remedy an undesired pre-existing problem. It is very common for us in the industry to receive requests from clients who require their marble, Terrazzo, travertine or other natural stone floor to be 'cleaned' when they realize it no longer has the luster or reflective quality it once showed. In most cases the floors will be lacking a shine due to minor scratches in the stone which have damaged the natural crystals on the surface. These need to be removed using a process known as 'Diamond Abrasive Grinding'.
Another common situation is for an architect or builder to call us due to a floor being laid unevenly because the client wanted a 'flat hotel floor look'. Again, the floor will require diamond grinding restoration in order to remove lippage where the tiles meet at the grout lines.
There are a range of different procedures that can be carried out to remedy a huge range of problems associated with natural stone.
At Captian Marble, we utilize only the finest diamond abrasives, honing & polishing powders, cleaners and sealers. Captain Marble will polish to your preference, whether it is a high gloss, semi-gloss or a luster finish you prefer. Not only do we perform these services, Captain Marble will also instruct you on the proper care you should use in cleaning your marble.
Diamond Abrasive Grinding
Captain Marble's marble floor restoration polishing treatment uses diamond pads to grind down the surface of your marble, bringing out a fresh layer of stone. Then we use successively finer grade pads to bring the surface of your marble to a "mirror like" shine.
This is a process whereby the floor is grinded down with a heavy rotary machine which has diamond pads attached to it. Diamonds are used because they have a rating of 10 on Moh's scale of hardness.
Removing lippage
You may find that once your marble, granite or stone has settled, or perhaps the result of improper installation, that there is an uneven surface. Captain Marble can grind the surface using industrial diamonds to remove lippage and give you the smooth surface you desire.
If you run your hand over the grout line you will notice a definite dip. Sometimes this can be very uneven with a tile being a few tenth of an inch higher than the adjacent tile. The first stage in the diamond grinding process is to remove this lippage so that the floor is completely even and flat at the grout lines. This is achieved with metal bonded diamond plates which coarsely grind away at the stone leaving it flat but with a very rough finish. The next step is to repeat the process with finer grades of diamond which are resin bonded. Each grade of pad is progressively finer which serves to remove the scratches which are left in the stone by the preceding grade. The number of grades which are used depends on the type of stone and what finish is required.
Diamond Polishing
Diamond grinding can be continued to a very fine grade until a polished finish is achieved. These final grades reduce scratches which are not even visible to the human eye allowing the natural crystals on the surface to reflect light more effectively. This is an extremely skilled task which requires patience and experience. If individual scratches are not removed effectively in the early stages then the finer grades will only serve to magnify them.
Honing
To create a honed surface means to leave it smooth and flat with a matte finish. This can be achieved in a number of different ways. A stone which is being diamond grinded and having lippage removed will eventually show a honed finish as the medium resin grades of diamond are used. At this stage a honing powder will be used to enhance the smoothness of the surface. These honing powders are made from a blend of abrasives compounds and can also be used to remove ring marks on a table or counter left behind by a glass or mug. Some manufacturers produce a whole range of powder grades which will remove minor scratches and also etching as well as producing a fine smooth finish. Some limestone will not polish and so grinding it with very fine diamonds will produce an ultra honed surface and so powders may not be required.
It's worth knowing that the concept of honing stone has been around for generations and any process of using an abrasive to smooth stone can be described as honing. The venetians honed Terrazzo in the 15th century and since then stone has been honed with sand or any other abrasive which is effective on the stone being worked on.
Powder Polishing & Maintenance Polishing
After diamond polishing the floor can sometimes be enhanced further with the use of polishing powders which usually contain oxalic and aluminum acid. This is a specialist procedure which requires skill and experience when carried out with certain types of powder. Good concentration is required to maintain an even polish over the whole floor as over application can result in the stone 'dulling off' in places.
Another procedure we sometimes carry out is maintenance polishing with the use of diamond impregnated pads. These are similar to pads used in general resilient floor stripping and polishing however they have diamonds embedded in them to act as a fine abrasive. This procedure will only be effective if there are no harsh scratches already showing in the stone and is generally carried out as a more natural alternative to verification.
Contact Captain Marble Today
You deserve to have your floors, countertops and any other natural stone surfaces looking beautiful and elegant again. Let Captain Marble professionally clean and enhance your surfaces so you can enjoy the everlasting beauty of your polished or honed Natural Stone. If your having problems with tile or grout cleaning, or natural stone, we will get it looking clean and new again. Thats a promise! Give us a call today at (877) 997-9978
Stone Restoration Services – Why Restore instead of Replace?
Marble Restoration can restore the beauty of your stone; making it look like new. Why spend a ton of money replacing worn, scratched, neglected, just plain old “beat up” floors, walls, vanity tops, kitchen countertops, shower walls and more? What if you need to impress guests or clients but don’t have the time or money to replace your marble?
Whether you want your marble front entry to shine like a mirror or your granite countertops to look like new again, it can be done! Whether seeking floor, shower, vanity top, or countertop restoration, Marble Restoration has the extensive knowledge and the capability to bring your stone back to life.
With 20-plus years in the stone business, Marble Restoration has the knowledge and expertise that is unmatched—we know stone. We provide care for all stones including marble, granite, limestone, terrazzo, travertine, ceramic and porcelain tile, bluestone, slate, Mexican tile, and concrete.
