Should You Grind Your Stone During Restoration or Not?
Are you in the process of a home remodel and questioning if you should restore your stone surfaces and flooring by yourself or leave it to the pros? Grinding down or polishing your marble and stone is possible to DIY, but you need to know what to look for. Here are some important tips, tricks, and insights to set your stone restoration project up for success.
What to expect
Stones such as marble are very porous and soft and can be easily chipped, scratched, or cracked. If neglected, stone surfaces can take on major buildup from harsh cleaning products, wax, food, or even water which can lead to discoloration. Depending on the age and condition of your stone, it may be impossible to get it to its original finish, but you can bring back the vibrancy and shine and have a result well worth your time.
If your stone has deep cracks, holes, or fractures, then a DIY approach to your stone restoration could lead to even more problems down the road. If you are unsure, get a professional stone restoration expert to examine and offer their advice on how you should tackle the project.
A clean slate
Sweep and/or vacuum the surface to start the process. Next, use a soft cloth and warm water to see if elbow grease can do the job alone. If basic cleaning won’t do, use a neutral stone cleaner to see if it can get the results you want before you turn to the grinding process. Make sure that this cleaner is not acid or alkaline-based since these could further damage or etch your stone.
Make your repairs
If it appears the only solution to revive your stone is by grinding, it’s important to fix any problem areas in your stone. Failure to repair cracks or holes can lead to more chips and scratches. There’s a variety of epoxy resins in various colors that you can use to fill these spots; these can be purchased at your local hardware store or online. Always make sure to thoroughly read instructions for these products and properly set them before the grinding process starts.
The grinding process
Diamond-abrasive disks are the best choice for grinding large flooring areas like foyers, kitchens, or living areas. They are simply attached to floor buffers and remove the uneven tile ledges (lippage) and scratches to flatten and renew the stone’s surface. During this process, the fine grit of the disk also polishes, shines, and removes discoloration of the stone bringing it back to life.
It will take several passes with the floor buffer to achieve a quality, finished result. Operating the machine in a side to side motion, you move the buffer over the floor making sure to overlap the areas you just completed to create a smooth, consistent finish. During the process, it is necessary to change out the abrasive disks from a coarse to fine finish for the ultimate result.
Does restoring your own stone surfaces sound daunting? Then leave it to the highly skilled professionals at Castles Home Service! The finished result will drastically enhance your home’s appearance and value.