800.757.5737 |
800.757.5737 |
Natural stone was the first building material used by man. Its care and maintenance is one of the oldest tasks performed by our ancestors. The above guidelines were developed by our years of experience with this beautiful material and with the addition of modern science will provide many years of beauty |
The Shine On StonesWhen stone becomes dull and scratched, it obviously loses its shine and luster. At this time the stone needs to be refinished and polished to restore its original shine. Why does stone shine, and how can a lost shine be recovered? All stones are taken from the earth in the form of raw blocks. Explosives, large saws and specialized equipment are used to extract the stone from the earth. The stone blocks are then cut into thinner more easily handled pieces called slabs. The slab itself is then processed, depending on the intended use of the stone. It may be given a high shine and shipped to a marble fabricator, who will ultimately turn it into a table, vanity top and so forth; or it may be transformed by some very expensive and sophisticated equipment into tiles for installation on floors and walls. The deep shine we see on polished stone is achieved by rubbing the stone with a series of abrasive materials using a coarse abrasive grit, followed by finer and finer grits until the stone becomes smooth. The scratches left behind from one grit are removed by the next grit, creating finer and finer scratches. The process continues until the scratches are microscopic. The shine on the stone is achieved by abrading the surface to the point at which it becomes extremely smooth and starts to develop some reflectivity. The shine on the stone is thus a product of optics. So in order to achieve a deep shine on your stone, all that really needs to be done is to smooth it until it shines.Sounds simple enough, doesn't it? Unfortunately, the techniques employed to achieve this degree of smoothness require special knowledge and training. This is not friendly territory for the do-it-yourselfer. |
Restoration & MaintenanceSo your marble is dull, scratched and in major need of help? Now the question is "What has to be done?" Should the floor be ground flat or honed? Or maybe it should only be polished or crystallized to look like new? How do you determine what has to be done? What's the difference between grinding and honing, polishing and "crystallization"? Do not attempt to restore your stone yourself, this requires a great degree of skill and experience. Please call a reputable restoration company for this task. Once the restoration process has been determined, it is very important to design a good maintenance program. This will keep your stone in perfect condition, prolong its life and give you added enjoyment. Perfect Marble provides quality service and care in restoring marble to its natural beauty and shine. |