Chipped, Cracked, Problematic Marble Floor
This marble floor in a Needham, Massachusetts home was improperly installed 10 years ago. The installation contractor left inadequate space between the marble tiles, causing pressure during normal expansion and contraction of the floor. Over time, this pressure caused the tiles to crack and loosen. Many of the edges and corners actually had large chips of dislodged marble. Several of the tiles were loose and moved under foot traffic.
Our Marble Repair and Restoration Process
Our plan of action? We cut all new grout lines to create room for adequate expansion and contraction. To repair the damage, we injected liquid latex into all the holes, cracks and newly cut grout lines, then immediately added heavy weight (buckets of water and dumbbells) to all the areas where tiles were loose. We left the floor to cure overnight.
The next morning, we filled all the cracks and holes with color matched epoxy and grouted the entire floor. Again, we allowed time for the floor to cure.
On the third day, we ground the floor flat to remove lippage (level uneven tiles) and continued to grind until the grout lines were even with the tops of the tiles. This gave the floor a beautiful, monolithic appearance. Finally, we honed and polished the marble to a glossy, reflective finish and sealed both the marble and the grout lines to inhibit staining.
With no more loose tiles, a completely flat and smooth surface, and a beautiful, like-new shine, the dramatic improvements left the customer ecstatic.
To learn more, visit our Marble Services page.
