Know Some of the Potential Damages to Natural Stone Surfaces, Their Causes and Remedies

Granite, Marble limestone and other valuable decorative stones are highly durable and last a life time. However, if they are not properly cared for or installed correctly, it’ll affect their beauty and durability.  

Following are the most common issues with natural stone surfaces that may occur in your floor tiles, kitchen counter tops, vanity tops and other stone surfaces:

• LOSS OF LUSTRE:  High polish in the marble and granite gets lost due to wear of the stone surface by dirt and sand that are tracked by the shoes. They act like sandpaper on the stone surface and wear the polish off. This can be restored by stone repair and restoration professionals like The Marble Man.
• ETCHING: It is caused by spilling of liquids that contain acids, resulting in white spots formation on the stone surface. As granite is acid resistant, it will rarely etch, but marble and other stone surfaces are prone to etching.  Use cleaners that do not contain acids to avoid etching. Deep or large etching requires professional stone restoration services.  
• STAINS: If the stones are not properly sealed, stains can occur due to spilling of food, drinks, oil, and ink etc. Mostly they can be removed but tough stains need professional stone care services. Permanent stains can also occur but not often.
• EFFLORESCENCE: This is the white powdery residue which appears on stone installations where the presence of water is high. It is formed when water carrying the mineral salt inside the stone structure reaches the surface and gets evaporated, leaving the salt on the stone surface.  Remove extra moisture or water presence, buff the stone and leave it to dry. Seal the stone after all the efflorescence have gone.
•  SPALL, PITT AND FLAKE: Like efflorescence, mineral salts are the cause of this deformation. Instead of depositing salt on the surface, it deposits salt below the stone surface, and puts pressure on the stone making it to flake, pit and spall.
• YELLOWING: There are several reasons for a stone to turn yellow.  Embedded grime and dirt, waxes and other coatings may be the cause. Oxidation of the iron in the stone also causes yellowing of the stone. Only professional stone restoration specialists can set right this problem perfectly.
• LIPPAGE OR UNEVEN TILES: Lippage occurs when the edge of a tile is in higher level than that of the next one due to poor installation. The restoration professionals ground the tiles to flatten the floor.
• CRACKS AND CHIPS: Cracks and chips can occur because of poor installation and due to fall of heavy objects on the vulnerable corners. This can be restored by The Marble Man professionals using epoxy or color matched polyester.

Stone Restoration

Generally speaking, it is the process of restoring the worn out stone to its newly installed state. Stone restoration is a delicate process that can be done perfectly only by well experienced stone restoration company like The Marble Man.  It involves removal of any damages, scratches, cracks etc. from the stone surface using various processes such as stone grinding, honing, polishing and sealing as per the type of damage.   

The Marble Man is Australia's leading Marble, Granite, Travertine and other stone bench top and tiles restoration specialist. The team of professionals will provide you 5 star stone restoration services at affordable price. Call now: 1300 627 626.