Coating Removed, Marble Restored
Client: Stone and tile installer in Ocala, Florida
Info: Marble grinding, honing, polishing, and sealing
Unsightly Coating on New Marble
In most cases, a marble floor gets its shine from a naturally polished finish, but every now and then, a topical coating is applied to marble floor tiles to achieve a temporary shine. A tile and stone installer in the Ocala, Florida area contacted us because a brand new floor that had been installed only six weeks earlier already looked unsightly. The stone was a Turkish marble called Karya Royale marble. A coating had been factory applied at the quarry.
Natural stone on floors needs to breathe, that is, moisture that is absorbed by the stone needs to be able to escape. Coatings also act like a dirt magnet and can easily become scuffed, peel, and get scratched. The stone itself can crack, flake, and spall. In addition, there were alkaline etch marks from the installation process. We bid on the project, but another restoration company was given the job. After two days of work, they were unable to produce the desired result.
The installer contacted us again and scheduled services with Wilson Stoneworks.
Topical Coating on Marble Removed
First, we ground the marble floor surface. Our marble grinding process eliminated the need for stripping. It mechanically removed all coatings and flattened and leveled out the unevenly set tiles (aka lippage). We then honed and polished to achieve a palace-like, pristine marble finish. Our final step was to apply a high-quality impregnating sealer and burnish it into the stone using our floor machine and a very high grit diamond pad.
The installer and his client, the homeowner, were very pleased with the outcome.