Precautions to Be Observed while Installing Natural Stone Tiles

When installing a sink or hotplate, it's advisable to keep the stone slabs on site so the manufacturer can take exact measurements and cut the marble or granite surfaces into correct size. The manufacturer considers several factors when measuring a benchtop or vanity for installation.

Once the stone benchtop or vanity has been prepared to specifications by the manufacturer, the installer will fix the stone in position with special glues and resins. The end user must choose the colour of the epoxy resin used to fill the joints with the installer, so it matches perfectly with the stone. The wrong colour can affect the look of the stone.

Sealing of the Benchtop, Tiles or Shower with a high quality professional sealer will ensure the benchtop/tile floor/shower is easier to keep clean and stop unsightly staining.

Important factors to be kept in mind when choosing stone slabs from the manufacturer or tiles from the tile distributor are narrated here: ‘Tips for choosing your stone’.  

Points to remember when installing stone tiles in a shower:

• The floor should have a good slope towards the drain so the water will drain out quickly. This is to ensure that water does not pool around the sides and seep into and behind the stone tiles.
• Two membranes of waterproofing are to be applied to prevent leakage  –one below the tile and one below the sand cement bedding.
• Ensure that all fittings related to plumbing are installed before tiles are laid.
• Always lay floor tiles first. This will make  the wall tiles to perfectly sit on top of the floor tiles and prevent water from flowing down the wall and under the floor tiles.
• Edges and corners of the tiles are not sharp on shower steps or shelves.

For more specific information, you may call The Marble Man stone restoration specialists on 1300 627 626. Also visit their website for everything natural stone- repair, maintenance, restoration etc.

Repolishing and Resurfacing of Marble Shower Walls and Floor

Repolishing of Marble Shower Walls and Floor

We use a light abrasive on the surface of the tiles for repolishing the marble shower walls and floors. This removes the dullness on the surface of the tiles. If swirl marks are found on the surface of the tiles after applying polish abrasive, we remove it completely with the help of a diamond-cutting compound.

After repolishing, a special detergent is used to thoroughly clean the tiles till the shower walls and floor get good reflection. After cleaning the tiles will be sealed to keep the surfaces clean and reduce mould growth.

Advantages of Repolishing Marble Tiles of Shower Walls & Floor

All traces of dirt and scum build-up on the walls and floor are efficiently removed

The marble tiles are perfectly cleaned to regain their original smooth finish.

Grouting is cleared of mould growth.

Resurfacing of Marble Shower Walls and Floor

If the dullness and damages to the shower walls and floor are too severe to be handled by Repolishing, we have the Resurfacing process which is comparatively cheaper than replacing the tiles.   Diamond-impregnated pads with special wet polishing machines are used to resurface the marble shower walls and floor.

We first inspect your shower to determine whether resurfacing is required. The most advanced method of resurfacing is done by grinding the marble with coarse grit diamond. The whole marble surface is then polished to a final finish through professional methods.

Advantages of Resurfacing Marble Tiles

Dullness on your tile surfaces are replaced by natural glossy and high reflecting finish.

 All drip stains are thoroughly cleaned and removed from your showers surfaces.

Marble tiles become easier for you to keep clean and will be long lasting than waxy finishes.

Get Top 10 Stone Maintenance Tips from The Marble Man Professional Team

How to keep your marble, granite and other natural stone surfaces clean and looking like new for their full life cycle.

Get to know some of the best professional maintenance guidelines from The Marble Man downloads. These download documents are a wonderful resource for natural stone care coming from expert hands with over  20 years experience in stone restoration, maintenance and preventative care.

You can now register for these download materials at The Marble Man website. Fill in a registration form there to download all tips on stone maintenance. Talk to their customer-friendly staff today on 1300 627 626 to know more.

Specifications of Marble Floor Polishing and General Stone Restoration Tips

There is nothing more enjoyable than being welcomed by a mirror like marble floor in your home or office! Marble floors look beautiful and elegant but they become rough with scratches, stains and dirt over time. Polishing is essential to remove the foreign particles that have been rooted in the pores of marble. Polishing removes scratches and restores the marble to its original colour and appearance.

Why Floor Polishing Required for Marble and Other Natural Stone?

Over time, the surface of your marble floor becomes dull due to grime, spills, scruffs and scratches. When the original surface is thus spoiled, it opens the door to further damage. Stains caused by spills become more visible when the shine of the marble floor starts to fade. You can protect your marble flooring with regular buffing and polishing. Since this is a short term fix, you need to invest in professional stone restoration if you want to get better results.

Polishing protects your marble floor from future damage. The smooth and reflective marble floor after polishing will leave the visitors breathless. In addition, the cost of restoring and polishing your marble floor is nothing when compared to the price that you would pay for replacing it.

How to Keep the Lustre of Marble Floor Intact?

One easiest and affordable way to clean marble floor is by spray buffing because this method removes dirt from your marble floor and applies a layer of polish without using water on the marble floor. Stone polish is an effective sealant and therefore it prevents the porous marble to absorb stains and liquid spills. Buffing is not recommended when you wish to clean the marble floor yourself. 

Buffing and polishing require expertise and technical knowledge; therefore you are advised to hire an experienced stone restoration and repair company to do this job. These professionals will thoroughly clean the surface of your marble floor and then they will apply polish on the top layer. This will restore the original glassy shine and will provide much more dazzling appearance to your marble floor.

Professional stone restoration is not a single step process. It is quite detailed and is useful to maintain the shine of marble surfaces. Here are some simple everyday tips that can help you to keep your marble floor polished:

• Use mildest detergent to clean your polished marble floor.
• Always try to dry the polished marble floor after washing because it will prevent soiled water from running over the marble and dirtying it again.
• Ask from your stone restoration specialist about the best sealer that can be used to protect your marble floor.
• Change the water of your bucket when it becomes dirty while cleaning or else you will just move the dirt from one place to another part of your marble floor.
• When anything such as tea, coffee or red wine spills on the marble floor, wipe it out immediately. This will prevent staining your floor if you manage to remove it on time.

In the end, just make sure to keep a regular professional marble polishing schedule so as to make your floor last longer and always look dazzling. For further details, visit The Marble Man, Australia’s No.1 stone restoration and repair specialist or call them right now on 1300 627 626 for a free quote. 

Granite and Marble Countertops- a Comparative Study

We generally use both granite and marble for making kitchen countertops. However, if you are a home owner, you would often wonder which one is better for your home. When you are planning to install the right countertop for your home, comparing the features of marble and granite will help you make the right decision. Let us take a look at both of them and see how they are different from one another. 

Pros and Cons of Granite and Marble

Both granite and marble are natural rocks and of top quality to make them last for a very long time. When you opt for any one of these natural stones for your home, you are adding value to your home.  Both granite and marble come in different colours. Marble countertops give you the feeling of richness and elegance.  When you place marble on the floor or countertop, it can last you for a lifetime. The best features of these stones are that no granite or marble slabs look alike. With both of them, you can achieve a sense of uniqueness and originality once they are installed in your home.

Stains and Scratches- Marble versus Granite

When it comes to stains and scratches on both marble and granite, you will find that marble is more soft than granite and vulnerable to stains and scratches faster. In case, you drop a beverage on a marble countertop, ensure that you wipe it off instantly to prevent staining and etching.  The liquids that stain marble countertops are alcohol, citric acid and oils. Even water containing minerals can leave stains on marble countertops if they are high in concentration.  Marble countertops are also susceptible to scratches if you use a knife or any hard object. Marble countertops require a lot of maintenance. Besides the maintenance, marble countertops need deep cleaning and sealing.

Compared to marble, granite is the most resilient stone. It is hard to scratch granite with a knife. You can only scratch a granite countertop with a diamond that is the hardest stone in the world. Granite has the ability to handle abuse and extreme heat and still maintain its beauty and elegance. The stone is not susceptible to degrade with long term exposure to water unlike marble. This means you do not have to worry about etching and staining at all- you can keep both of these menaces away for a very long time once you seal granite and the stone becomes less porous.

Thus it can be generalised that if you are choosing a countertop with high traffic, you should opt for granite over marble. 

Maintain Granite and Marble Counter tops with The Marble Man

The Marble Man is one of Australia’s leading natural stone restoration companies that takes care of marble and granite countertops. The professionals are skilled and experienced in all kinds of sealing and restoration work for your costly countertops. To contact them, please visit their Website.