In many premises, be it homes or commercial installations, often personal décor design or type of stone and cost has been chosen rather than consideration as to how the material will perform against heavy foot traffic. Hardness, scratch resistance, chemical resistance, porosity, density, soiling resistance, slip resistance & maintenance issues should all be considered when choosing the stone for installation.
With care and implementing a correct maintenance program and aftercare products you can extend the period between renovations. Eventually it will become necessary to restore your stone to its former glory. For many natural stones, whether honed or polished, will require specialist diamond abrasives or compounds to remove deep scratches, stains, etching & unsightly wear and tear in walkways or any other damage.
Each job will need an assessment to decide on the right method of restoration depending on which of the above problems are encountered.
Our 5-Step System for Obtaining & Maintaining Beautiful Stone
Step 1 Consultation / Evaluation
First, we inspect your stone and perform a number of tests to determine the type of stone. We will inspect the wear patterns and damage on the stone. After reviewing this data, we can restore a sample area for a nominal charge. This will allow us to be very precise in our diagnosis of the problem and give you a snapshot of what your stone surface should look like. We can also determine if your stone should be sealed.
Step 2 Restoration
Through the use of trained stone technicians, state-of the-art equipment and materials, we will restore your stone surface to its original beauty. All work will be completed in a professional and timely manner.
Step 3 Impregnation/Protection
Many stones are susceptible to stains from spills of coffee, soft drinks, soiling from normal foot traffic, oils and many other things. It can be protected against these stains by the use of an impregnator. An impregnator is an integral part of an ongoing, proactive stone care program. We use only the best, sometimes most expensive impregnators available on the market. Impregnators facilitate an easier, cost effective maintenance program for all natural stone by offering long term protection against stains and dirt penetration.
Step 4 Daily Maintenance Training
Most people use what they consider to be “safe” techniques and chemicals on their stone to care for it on a daily basis. What may be safe for tile or ceramic, can be damaging to natural stone. After we restore your stone surface to its original beauty, we are happy to train you or your cleaning company on how to maintain a restored appearance on a routine basis. We can even supply you with our recommended daily stone cleaner to use.
Step 5 Periodic Follow-Up Restoration
Even after stone has been restored and impregnated, its new beautiful appearance is not permanent. Proper daily care will greatly extend the beautiful appearance, but on-going foot-traffic and other factors will always be wearing away at the bright, clean appearance. A periodic maintenance program will mean additional expense, but it will ensure a beautiful floor at all times and prevent the need for a complete restoration in the future. After restoration, we can design a periodic restoration schedule. The frequency will be determined by both the needs of your specific stone and the appearance level that you would like to maintain.
