The foot pressure forces the sediment lying on the surface, causing an abrasion and fracturing the delicate crystals of the stone. The only safe and proper way to restore the crystals natural ability to reflect light evenly and provide a brilliant shine is to re-hone & re-polish them by using diamond abrasives, engineered and designed particularly for Granite and/or Marble works.

Specific types of diamond super-abrasive discs are used through the various stages of the floor restoration process. Metal bond diamond discs are used for rough grinding, heavy stock removal, leveling and flattening the floor.

Electroplated diamond discs are used on Marble & Terrazzo. Sintered and brazed diamond discs are used on Concrete, Granite and Marble. Rigid resinous diamond discs are used to grind, hone and polish the floor surface.

Most natural stones are composed of minerals that vary by hardness to one another. Using diamond discs that flex and float (designed for edge polishing applications) cause an uneven polish. Flexible diamond polishing pads and/or discs have the tendency to remove more of the softer portion of the stone, causing a ‘wavy’ appearance and uneven reflection on the surface.

Resinous diamond discs with different diamond properties and bonding agents are used on Granite and Marble applications.

Mechanical diamond polishing is a very orderly, multi-step process.If there are any high-low areas present (commonly known as lippage) the floor should be ground flat using the metal bonded diamond discs.

It is very important to make sure that all prior scratches are removed before moving onto the next grit step.

Each diamond grit step requires an average of 4 passes, depending on the density of the particular stone and its current condition.

If the floor is worn and scratched, begin with the metal bonded diamond super abrasives.

Once the floor is leveled, continue with the resinous diamond discs and begin with a grit size equal to the one of the metal bonded diamond discs that you’ve just completed or a step lower. That will ensure there won’t be any scratches and swirl marks left from the previously used metal bond diamond super abrasives.

Rinse the surface well in between every grit in order to remove all of the excess material remains.

Once the grinding stage is entirely completed, continue through the honing diamond steps. Many Marble stones and Terrazzo are capable of taking a polish immediately after completing Grit 400.

However, Granite, green Marble (Serpentine) and some other Marble stones require higher honing steps, prior to the polishing.

After the last honing step is completed the stone’s crystals will begin developing a low shine and will be capable of taking a higher polish and developing a reflection.

Determine which polishing technique will be the most suitable for the current floor application. Or Call Marble Doctors and let us take care it for you. Remember polishing marble is not a DIY project.

I’m not sure if you’re wanting to change the grout color or if you’d like to reseal, so I’ll give you both answers.

If you’re wanting to paint a stain over sealed grout, I wouldn’t recomend that. There are some products that you can use to change the grout color. I’ve used a product in the past to put a color coat over existing grout. The product was a water based epoxy paint and worked well. The first thing you want to do is to strip the sealer off the surface of the grout. There are many stippers out there for this purpose. Custom Building Products, Miracle Products, Stone Tech and other companies all make strippers, and they are pretty reasonably priced, with easy to follow directions. One advantage of the strippers is that they commonly have surficants in them that will clean the grout and tile as well as removing any existing sealer from the surface. You just want to check the bottle and make sure that it says it will strip the sealer off the surface. Also, make sure that you use something approved for use on tile/stone and that doesn’t contain any acids such as sulfamic, muriatic, etc..

One problem with putting anything over the top of sealed grout is that the purpose of the sealer – that is to fill pores in the surface and below – will prevent you from getting a good bond between the substance you’re painting on the grout and the grout itself.

If you’re going to reseal or put a colorant on the grout, you’ll want to let the grout dry out for a day or so, then apply the colorant or sealer per instructions on the bottle.

The sealers I recomend for grout are Miracle Products 511 Impregnator, any of Stone Tech’s penetrating sealers, and any of Custom’s penetrating sealers. Note, if you’re sealing or resealing grout or stone, be sure to use a penetrating sealer not an enhancer unless you want to deepen the color of the grout/stone. Enhancers essentially make the stone/grout look like it does when wet, color wise, and will probably add a sheen to the surface. Enhancers won’t do anything on glazed tile except leave a residue that’ll give you fits if you let it dry on the surface. Penetrating sealers will leave a residue on the surface as well but as long as you wipe the surface of a ceramic or stone tile with a shiny finish till it’s dry, you won’t have a problem with streaking or spotting.

The familiar stone types that are used today are identified through four categories: SEDIMENTARY, METAMORPHIC, IGNEOUS STONE, and MAN-MADE.

• SEDIMENTARY :  Formed from organic elements such as glaciers, rivers, wind, oceans, and plants. Tiny sedimentary pieces broke off from these elements and accumulated to form rock beds. They were bonded through millions of years of heat and pressure.
• LIMESTONE: Mainly consists of calcite. It does not show much graining or crystalline structure. It has a smooth granular surface. Varies in hardness. Some dense limestone can be polished. Common colors are black, grey, white, yellow or brown. It is more likely to stain than marble. Limestone is known to contain lime from sea water.
• SANDSTONE: Is a very durable formation of quartz grains (sand). Usually formed in light brown or red colors. Categorized by the most popular sandstone bonding agents such as silica, calcium, clay, and iron oxide.
• SOAPSTONE: A very soft stone made of a variety of talc. It is a dense mineral that wears well and is often resistant to stains.
• FOSSILSTONE: Considered a limestone that contains natural fossils such as sea shells and plants.
• TRAVERTINE: Usually a cream or reddish color. It is formed through the accumulation of calcite from hot springs. It contains lots of holes that were formed from water flowing through the stone. These holes are often filled with synthetic resins or cements. Requires lots of maintenance if the holes are not filled. Classified as a limestone and a marble.
• METAMORPHIC: stone originates from a natural change from one type of stone to another type through the mixture of heat, pressure, and minerals. The change may be a development of a crystalline formation, a texture change, or a color change.
• MARBLE: A re-crystallized limestone that formed when the limestone softened from heat and pressure and re-crystallized into marble where mineral changes occurred. The main consistency is calcium and dolomite. Ranges in many colors and is usually heavily veined and shows lots of grains. Hardness rates from 2.5 to 5 on the MOH Scale.

Marble is classified into three categories: (Stone World)

1. Dolomite: If it has more than 40% magnesium carbonate.
2. Magnesian: If it has between 5% and 40% magnesium carbonate.
3. Calcite: If it has less than 5% magnesium carbonate.

• SLATE: A fine grained metamorphic stone that formed from clay, sedimentary rock shale, and sometimes quartz. Very thin and can break easily. Usually black, grey or green.
• SERPENTINE: Identified by its marks which look like the skin of a serpent. Most popular colors are green and brown. Hardness rates from 2.5 to 4 on the MOH Scale. Contains serpentine minerals has lots of magnesium, and has an igneous origin. Does not always react well to re-crystallization or diamond polishing.

• IGNEOUS stones are mainly formed through volcanic material such as magma. Underneath the Earths surface, liquid magma cooled and solidified. Mineral gases and liquids penetrated into the stone and created new crystalline formations with various colors.

1. GRANITE: Primarily made of Quartz (35%), Feldspar (45%) and Potassium. Usually has darker colors. Contains very little calcite, if any. Provides a heavy crystalline and granular appearance with mineral grains. It is very hard material and easier to maintain than marble. Yet, it is still porous and will stain. There are different types of granite depending on the percentage mix of quartz, mica and feldspar. Black granite is known as an Anorthosite. It contains very little quartz and feldspar and has a different composition than true granite.

• MAN-MADE Stones are derived of unnatural mixtures such resin or cement with the additive of stone chips.

TERRAZZO: Marble and granite chips embedded in a cement composition.

AGGLOMERATE or CONGLOMERATE: Marble chips embedded in a colored resin composition.

CULTURED or FAUX MARBLE: A mix of resins that are painted or mixed with a paint to look like marble.

The minerals in stone came from the same liquid and gas minerals that formed the earth. The Earth developed as a massive body of gas and liquid minerals that slowly cooled and condensed to a solid core. Through pressure, the Earth’s crust began to form and heavy minerals were forced down to the core of the Earth where they were trapped. As the crust got thicker, it squeezed around the inner core which created intense pressure and heat from within the Earth. Crystals and other solid forms began to grow from the mineral vapors that were being released. As the Earth’s crust began to expand and erode, heat and pressure pushed the solid minerals up to the Earth’s surface which formed colossal rock beds. It took up to one-hundred million years to form some of these beds. Many of the beds are now used as quarries where the stone is mined.

Most of these minerals can be identified by their color, hardness, and crystal formation. Crystals come in a variety of shapes and sizes. The wide array of these minerals are often difficult to identify. Many stones look very similar to each other; however, they are all very different.

It is imperative to know the exact type of stone that is to be maintained. Stone is natural and may have adverse reactions to certain cleaning chemicals and procedures. Most stones are also natural alkalis and so are dirt and soil; therefore, stone and dirt are attracted to each other which often makes cleaning very difficult. This makes the proper selection of cleaning procedures and chemicals for stone very complex.When scientists talk about the rock cycle, they are describing a slow, continuing process of rocks transforming from one type to another in a repeating sequence. In order to understand the process fully in detail we first need to be clear about the terms ‘rock’, ‘stone’, ‘minerals’ and ‘elements’.

In simple terms a rock can be described as a large natural mass of stone. It is a hard substance made of minerals in its natural setting, whereas stone is a detached piece of rock.   A mineral: There are five key characteristics that help define and describe a mineral:

• They occur naturally which is to say they are not man-made.
• They are inorganic which means they are not alive. They are not composed of animal or plant cells.
• Minerals are solid. They cannot be in a liquid or gaseous state.
• They have a definite structure and chemical composition made up of different elements
• They are able to grow as crystals due to their ordered atomic arrangement

An element is a substance that cannot be broken down into a more basic substance by chemical means. Aristotle described an element more accurately as: ‘one of those bodies into which other bodies can be decomposed and which itself is not capable of being divided into other’. There are 117 known elements (as of 2007), with 92 of these involved in the composition of minerals. Oxygen and silicone are the two most common making up about 76% of the total with 7 other main elements contributing to most of the rest. The chart below shows the distribution of elements in the world’s minerals:

Oxygen= 46% – 50%
Silicon = 26% – 28%
Aluminium= 7% – 8%
Iron= 4% – 6%
Calcium= 2.4% – 3%
Potassium= 2.3% – 2.5%
Sodium= 2.1% – 2.5%
Magnesium= 2% – 4%
Hydrogen= 1%
83 Others= 2%

So minerals, made up of elements, are the building blocks of rock. Differences in the mix of mineral and how they are formed determine what type of rock is created. Now these rocks are themselves transforming from one type to another through a continuing recycled process which is governed by the changes our planet is constantly going through. These three main rock types are known as Igneous, Sedimentary and Metamorphic.

]]> http://www.marbledoctorstonecare.com/blog/?feed=rss2&p=141 4 http://www.marbledoctorstonecare.com/blog/?p=135 http://www.marbledoctorstonecare.com/blog/?p=135#comments Tue, 21 Feb 2012 21:10:03 +0000 marbledoctor http://www.marbledoctorstonecare.com/blog/?p=135 Continue reading →]]> Granite, an igneous rock formed from magnum, is very dense, hard and brittle. Granite stands up well against heavy foot traffic, making it preferable for commercial lobbies and walkways.

Granite should be sealed with an oil-repellant penetrating sealer such as StoneTech™ Professional BulletProof™ or Impregnator Pro to prevent staining and reduce soiling. Flamed granite surfaces are very absorbent due to the stress fractures in the stone caused by the flaming process and should be sealed to maintain the original color and appearance of the stone over time. Do not try to polish or hone. With granite being a natural product, each kitchen will have a unique look with possible pattern or color variation throughout the slab.

Granite ranges from 6 to 8 on the MOH scale (a scale for determining the relative hardness of a mineral according to its resistance to scratching). The hardest mineral, at 10, is diamond. The softest mineral, at 1, is talc.

Granite can be used for most any inside horizontal application including kitchen countertops, bathroom vanities, furniture tops, bar tops, thresholds, windowsills, etc. Granite has been extensively used as a dimension stone and as flooring tiles in public and commercial buildings and monuments. With increasing amounts of acid rain in parts of the world, granite has begun to supplant marble and limestone as a monument material, since it is much more durable and acid-resistant. Polished granite is also a popular choice for kitchen countertops due to its high durability and aesthetic qualities.

The beauty, hardness and utility of granite makes it a highly desirable material for countertops in home design. In addition to its natural strength, granite is a beautiful stone that adds color and warmth to a room. Though the cost to add granite countertops to any new kitchen or remodel can be quite high, they remain the premiere choice in many new and remodeled homes. The price of granite countertops ranges from $40 to $120 a square foot, which may or may not include the cost of installation.

While granite countertops are a favorite choice due to their beauty and durability, they are not impervious to damage. Regular care includes proper cleaning and the use of sealers to prevent staining. Although granite is quite hard, it can be easily be chipped. A skilled professional can perform repairs that are nearly invisible.

WARNING: Some stone marked and sold as “granite” are marble instead – always do an acid resistance test to confirm. Some granite is dyed! Not etched by most acids, but can be etched by hydrofluoric acid! Because granite is quite hard, it can be cleaned at pressures up to 1,450 PSI if the grout is in good condition.

WARNING: We have found several instances where Indian Absolute Black Granite products are sensitive to food products, chemicals, ultra-violet rays and cleaning agents. The granite is taking on a lighter hue in the affected areas. The polish is unaffected, however, the stone turns light gray and it takes on cloudy appearance. Not all Indian Absolute Black Granite materials have been found to have this problem; it is only in isolated situations. We have been experiencing at least one problem per month throughout the United States and Canada. It has been reported that some overseas factories are chemically treating the stone to get a deeper, dark black coloration. The deeper and darker the granite surface, the more desirable they become. While there are many very reliable sources for Absolute Black Granite, precautions should be taken to prevent installation of inferior/defective material. After all the damage is done it usually results in the project being torn out.

Features and Benefits of Granite Stone:

• Naturally beautiful with unique pattern and color.
• Heat-resistant.
• Scratch-resistant.
• Stain-, mold- and mildew-resistant with proper care and maintenance.
• Resistant to most acids, such as soft drinks and juices, as compared to marble.

Care & Maintenance of Granite Countertops and Floors:

Natural stone is very porous. The best way to prevent stains is to treat the surface with a protective sealer. The sealer fills in the pores and repels spills on the surface, allowing you time to completely wipe it away.

We recommend that you use care and maintenance products from StoneTech™ Professional, a DuPont company, that are specially formulated to protect and enhance the beauty of your granite. Once the stone is sealed, clean up is usually easy. We recommend that you use StoneTech™ Professional Revitalizer™ Cleaner & Protector. Revitalizer™ cleans with a gentle, pH-neutral formula that removes soils while reinforcing the original protective seal to help prevent future staining. Learn more about our care products

Although we usually think of stone as “hard,” it is a porous material. Natural stone has varying degrees of porosity depending on the type of stone. If left unsealed, spills and everyday messes can easily penetrate the surface. The liquid eventually evaporates but the stain is left behind.

Removal of oily stains is easily accomplished with StoneTech™ Professional Oil and Stain Remover.

Fluorochemical technology, incorporated into StoneTech™ Professional BulletProof™ and StoneTech™ Professional Impregnator Pro, is the most advanced technology available, providing the ultimate shield against both water and oil-base stains. The micro-molecular formula actually bonds with the stone surface to deliver unsurpassed wear resistance and durability. And because the sealer reacts with the stone, you no longer have to worry about its porosity. It works on all types of stone, from ultra-porous Juparana Columbo to super-dense Absolute Black.

DO’s and DON’Ts of Granite

• DO clean up spills immediately to minimize damage to your stone.
• DO use trivets or mats under hot dishes and cookware.
• DO use place mats under china, ceramics, silver and other objects that can scratch your stone’s surface.
• DO use coasters under glasses, especially if they contain alcohol or citrus juices.
• DO clean surfaces regularly with StoneTech™ Professional Revitalizer™ Cleaner & Protector.
• DO use StoneTech™ Professional BulletProof™ Sealer to protect your stone.
• DON’T wait to clean up spills on stone.
• DON’T use cleaners that contain acid such as bathroom cleaners, grout cleaners or tub cleaners.
• DON’T use vinegar, bleach, ammonia or other general-purpose cleaners.
• DON’T use abrasive cleaners such as dry cleansers or soft cleansers.
• DON’T use alkaline cleaners not specifically formulated for stone.
• DON’T use scouring powders and abrasives because they will scratch the surface.

NOTE: Some stone marked and sold as “granite” are marble instead – always do an acid resistance test to confirm. Some granite is dyed! Not etched by most acids, but can be etched by hydrofluoric acid! Because granite is quite hard, it can be cleaned at pressures up to 1,450 PSI if the grout is in good condition.

Stone itself has a porosity issue and a few stones soak up stains faster than other kinds of stone. A top quality impregnator can help stop stains from passing by and being absorbed into the stone. Impregnators may be water-resistant, or water, grease and oil resistant. The specific impregnator to use will rely in your specific situation.

Granite flooring, on the other hand, are acid resistant requiring granite to be polished mechanically using superfine abrasives. The re-polishing of granite is a sluggish process as in comparison with re-polishing a marble floor.

At instances the floor will have been so uncared for it could need restoration. A properly restored stone floor will have no lippage , will look better and be easier to clean. The restoration process is finest dealt with by professionals. Improved know-how has made the restoration course of quicker and with a restored ground upkeep costs will go down while the general appearance of the floor will go up.

An important part of your stone floor care program will probably be using a top quality stone soap. A top quality soap will clear and enrich the stone, which can make it extra soil and stain resistant. This is not an space to be cutting costs!

Quarterly cleaning is really useful for commercial stone floors. This is not going to solely remove any inbuilt soil, however will also take away stone cleaning soap build-up. This is a vital step as most stone soaps are non-rinse. Due to this grime can build up in the grout strains, even when you find yourself following a flooring maintenance program. An intensive cleansing should also be used in case you have a particularly dirty floor.

Other stone surfaces that will need additional care are counter tops, vanities and vertical surfaces, resembling pillars. A very good relationship with a distributor of quality products will help you in deciding which chemicals you will need to use to wash these surfaces.

When taking a look at how you need to preserve stone flooring, both calcium containing and non-calcium containing stone flooring ought to be maintained in identical methods except on the subject of re-polishing. A marble ground develops wear patterns quicker as marble is a softer stone. You possibly can polish marble, limestone and Terrazzo Polishing effectively with superfine abrasives you combine with potassium oxalate or oxalic acid. These are typical compounds obtainable in varied prepared to use formulas.

If in case you have buildings with stone flooring, your first step is to develop a high quality stone flooring care program. Spending just a little time and effort earlier than beginning your stone flooring program will prevent headaches and hold the ground trying its best. Your buyer will likely be completely satisfied and your bank account will grow!

Travertine is one of the softer flooring materials, registering 2.5 - 3.5 on Mohs 1-to-10 Hardness Scale.  Because of its softness, it is easily scratched and abraded by materials that are harder in composition such as dirt and debris tracked in from outside, unprotected furniture legs and posts, metal, and hard plastics.  Like its very close cousins – limestone and marble, it is also highly reactive to all acids, even mild ones such as orange juice.

Items Affecting the Appearance and Serviceability of Travertine

The following items will adversely impact the look and lifespan of your travertine:

• The quality of the stone itself
• Improper routine maintenance
• Exposure to chemicals
• Exposure to excess water
• Exposure to abrasives
• Compression

Marbles generally have a more homogeneous colors with many veins and do not have the black grained (with dots) present in almost 100% of the granites.

On both materials Marble and granite we have a wide variety of colors and designs depending on the region of origin it comes from. From pure white (some marbles like Tassos) to absolute black through extensive variety of shades: grays, yellows, reds, greens, blues and their combinations can be found in different regions of the world,Granites are generally composed from visible multicolored grains. Typically grain of one color is connected with grains of other color, e.g. grey quartz is close to pink orthoclase, white plagioclase(limestones), or connected calcite grains of similar color (true marbles).

From the physicochemical characteristics of marble and granite we can tell marbles have a hardness of 3 to 5 Scale Friedrich moas while granites have a hardness of 6 to 7 on the same scale.

As for the processing (cutting and finishing of surfaces) blocks extracted from quarries and mines them they are cut sliced ​​into slabs by large mountain ranges and in various thicknesses, depending on the intended use.

After the cutting block happens the finish of the surfaces is characterized by the following types:

Polished: A slab or tile, after sawing, it is polished by special abrasives;

Rough Finish: This type of finish is most often used in granite. It is performed through small “hammer” in the granite, making a rough finish variable. Very suitable for outdoor use, facades and so on.

Flames: Finishing held in Granada, the base stream of fire, with rough velvety finish. Very suitable for outdoor use, facades and so on.

Hone: type of finish is used where only the first abrasive. It is a semi-polishing, where the stone has no brightness.

Satin Finish: is in between a hone and a polish finish.

The rocks are porous and are subject to variations in tones more various degrees, which vary according to the type of material and is related to the absorption of water and other products.

In our case of special interest groups of magmatic rocks, and metamorphic rocks which belong marbles and granites.

Granites are igneous rocks composed almost entirely based on silica (quartz) and silicates (feldspar, etc.) They have granular structure compact.

Marbles are metamorphic rocks consist almost entirely of calcium carbonate, calcium carbonate and magnesium double and also through various components of the original rocks.

Exception to this rule are the travertines which are actually limestone sediment formed by the chemical combination of carbon dioxide with calcium carbonate in the saturated solution. A lot of limestone available in todays market are also commonly  know as Marble.