A very large hotel chain purchased a resort in western Massachusetts with a serpentine lobby floor that was in poor condition. It had several layers of wax and terrible lippage (uneven tiles).
About Serpentine
Serpentine, a magnesium-silicate based stone, is often mistaken for green marble, a calcite based stone. Serpentine is more similar to granite than marble in that it resists damage from acids and abrasives. Like granite, serpentine is a very difficult stone to polish, and should only be entrusted to a reputable stone restoration contractor who has experience working with this particular stone.
Our Restoration Process
Before we could begin our normal honing and polishing process, we had to strip the wax build up off the stone and grind the unevenly set tiles flat. Once that was accomplished, we wet diamond honed and polished the serpentine to a beautiful reflective polished finish. The hotel staff were blown away by the results. Not only did they have a beautifully polished floor, but all the uneven tiles were now completely flat, giving the floor an elegant, monolithic appearance.
We can provide the same high-quality services for your serpentine floors and other surfaces. For a FREE estimate, contact us online or call (508) 358-5555 today.
The terrazzo floor in the lobby of a Boston government building was very unsightly due to years of wax coating build up, embedded dirt, traffic scratch/scuff patterns, yellowing, and dullness. The ongoing janitorial maintenance procedures were time-consuming, costly, inconvenient, and did not produce the desired results.
Our Lasting Solution: A True Terrazzo Polish
Wax coatings give Terrazzo a false shine that does not last. It must be continually stripped and reapplied. We stripped and scraped off several years of wax coatings and repaired crack and holes using tinted epoxy and aggregates. Then, we ground the entire floor flat, to eliminate any remaining surface damage and honed and polished the terrazzo to a beautiful, natural gloss finish. Our final step was to apply impregnating sealer to inhibit staining.
FREE estimate on terrazzo stripping, honing and polishing, terrazzo holes filled, cracks repaired, or other terrazzo services, contact us online or call 508-358-5555.
Boston homeowners called us because their unfilled travertine floor, which covered the entire first floor of their home, had become extremely dirty, scratched, and dull looking. It had been a long time since the floor had been professionally serviced.
Solution: Travertine Deep Cleaning, Honing, and Polishing
We were able to remove all the years of dirt, grease and grime that had built up with our deep cleaning services using professional strength solution, our floor machines, and extractor.
The homeowners were also looking for a more polished look than their previous matte honed factory finish. We polished the travertine to an elegant satin finish. A full polished finish on this material would also have looked great. Our final step was to apply an impregnating sealer to inhibit staining.
No dust or chemical odors were created during our travertine restoration process, so the homeowners and pets were able to stay in the home while we worked.
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.
We can provide the same high-quality services for your marble floors, countertops, and other surfaces. For a FREE estimate in Needham and throughout the Boston area, contact us online or call (508) 358-5555 today.
This slate floor in a Boston home had several layers of old wax on the surface. Dirt, scratches, dullness, and discolored grout lines gave the floor an unsightly appearance.
Our Slate Restoration Process
First, we stripped the wax off the slate tiles and grout lines using a combination of heavy duty wax stripper and weighted floor machines, as well as grout brushes to scrub and scrape by hand, as needed. Then, we cleaned the floor with stone soap to neutralize and remove any chemical residue left by the stripping process.
Our Grout Restoration Process
We repaired missing and loose sections of grout and then applied a high quality grout color sealer to give the grout a nice, even appearance and like-new color.
Finishing Touches
Our final step was to apply coats of a matte finish topical sealer to the slate and grout lines to offer extra protection and make regular cleaning more productive. The homeowners were very pleased with the results.
We can provide the same high-quality services for your slate floors throughout the Boston area. For a FREE estimate, contact us online or call (508) 358-5555 today. Count on us for slate stripping, cleaning, grout repair, grout color sealing, and slate refinishing.
This newly installed marble bathroom floor, composed of tiny mosaic tiles and larger tiles, was very uneven. The homeowner was very unhappy with the severe lippage (unevenness) of the entire floor, especially the mosaic section. The installer attempted to flatten the floor using a hand tool, which only made matters worse. Instead of ripping out and reinstalling the floor (at a cost of more than $10,000), the installer contacted us.
Our Lippage Removal Process
We came in and completely flattened the marble floor, including both the mosaics and larger tiles, until the grout lines were flush with the tops of the tiles. Then we gradually honed and polished the marble back to the original, glossy factory polish. We also applied a sealer to inhibit staining.
The homeowner said that walking on the floor with bare feet felt so smooth, like walking on a poured floor. The installer was relieved to have avoided a complete replacement. We provided maintenance instructions to homeowners and left feeling very proud of a job well done.
To learn more about marble restoration and repair, visit our Marble Services Page.
We can provide the same high-quality services for your marble floors throughout the Boston area. For a FREE estimate, contact us online or call (508) 358-5555 today. If your marble vanity tops, countertops, floors or other surfaces are unevenly laid, etched, dull-looking, chipped, cracked, or damaged in any way, we can restore your marble to like new.
A property manager in Boston called us because the white Calcutta polished marble floor in the lobby area was stained and very dirty. The finish was so severely scratched and etched that it no longer had a reflection.
Marble Restoration Process
Our first step was to grind out the deep scratches and tile unevenness (lippage) to remove surface imperfections and prepare the floor for restoration. Then, we honed and polished the marble to restore the factory finish and sealed the stone to inhibit staining. In addition, we deep cleaned the grout lines to remove embedded dirt and contaminants and sealed the porous grout surface, which will make regular cleaning more productive.
The property manager was very pleased with the dramatic results.
We can provide the same high-quality services for your marble floors, countertops, and other surfaces. For a FREE estimate, contact us online or call (508) 358-5555 today.
Boston homeowners wanted to give their marble floor a brand new look without the expense of replacing the stone. With years of neglect, this floor had become etched, scratched, and worn and had lost its elegant appeal.
Solution: Honing and Polishing
We honed away the etching, scratches, and other damage on the surface of the marble and then polished the entire floor using a series of progressively finer diamond grit pads to achieve a beautiful, glossy finish. We also applied an impregnating sealer to inhibit staining.
As you can see, this marble floor is completely restored and has a like-new finish.
We can provide the same high-quality services for your marble floors, countertops, and other surfaces. For a FREE estimate, contact us online or call (508) 358-5555 today.
This 100-year-old travertine floor was in poor shape. Travertine is a type of stone that has naturally occurring holes. Over the years, people had attempted to fill in these holes, but with improper cleaning and care, the fillers popped out.
Solution:
We used degreasers to clean, agitated with a floor machine, and a high pressure extractor to remove the dirt and grime from deep within the holes. After the stone completely dried, we used traverfill to fill in the holes. We diamond honed and polished to bring the finish to a slightly polished soft matte sheen.
The elegance of this Botticino marble floor was diminished by severe etching and stained grout lines.
Etching is often mistaken for “water spots” or staining, but it’s actually corrosion, in this case, due to improper cleaning products, that alters the surface of the marble. Etching on a polished surface, like this bathroom floor, is especially noticeable because it gives the marble a rough texture. Bacteria, allergens, and contaminants collect on the textured surface, and no amount of cleaning can resolve the problem.
Grout is a porous surface, which means it is full of tiny holes. With traffic and use, dirt and grime collect in these tiny holes. Every time the floor is cleaned, the unwanted substances are only driven further into the grout. Eventually the appearance of the grout becomes unsightly.
Our Solution
First, we deep cleaned the grout, extracting the contaminants from deep within the porous surface, and then we diamond honed the marble to remove the damaged surface (etches), revealing the brand new marble surface underneath. Finally, we polished the marble, giving it showroom-worthy luster and elegance and sealed the grout lines so that dirt and grime could no longer collect in the porous surface.
As you can see the floor now looks brand new. The owner, who also owned other luxury condo units in the same building, was so happy with our work that he asked us to do marble restoration work in other units.
To learn more about marble restoration and repair, visit our Marble Services Page.
We can provide the same high-quality services for your marble floors, countertops, and other surfaces. For a FREE estimate, contact us online or call (508) 358-5555 today.
