Natural Stone Care and Maintenance Guidelines

Natural stones can be broadly classified into two categories according to differences in hardness. Marble, limestone and travertines types of natural stones are softer stones sensitive to acidic materials and vulnerable to scratches. Granite, quartzite and bluestones on the other hand are harder stones and not as sensitive as the limestone categories.

Stone care and maintenance

Harder or softer in nature, all stone surfaces need regular cleaning and maintenance practices to keep their natural beauty.

Limestone and marble requires a honed finish when used in the vicinity of acidic products, as acids can etch into the polish and leave dull marks. To avoid this, The Marble Man uses penetrating sealers which will protect the stone surface from acidic spills (lemon, wine etc.) that can enter deep into the stone through the slightly porous surface. The sealers thus help to preserve the natural look and feel of marble, limestone or sandstone.

Keeping the stone surface free of dust and dry sandy soil is the best way to reduce scratches and wear that occur from everyday use. Occasionally wash the stone surface with warm water and dry off with a clean, non-abrasive cloth, sponge or mop. Stone cleaning products can be used daily or weekly according to their strength. If proper cleaning materials are not used, your beautiful stone surfaces can get badly affected. Never use a cleaning agent that contains acidic ingredients such as vinegar, lemon juice etc. or detergents that contain acid/alkaline chemicals that will etch or spoil the natural shine of the stone surface. 

Natural stone surfaces such as marble benchtops and floors need polishing to bring back their sheen - the floor machine, special polishing pads and polishing compounds can do the wonder to get a very natural finish. Newly polished marble or other natural stone surface needs to be treated with a solvent or water based impregnating sealer to minimise potential staining. A good quality impregnating sealer renders an invisible subsurface seal, penetrating deep into the stone and thus preventing staining from accidental spills or other causes.

Simple but important points to remember regarding natural stone maintenance:

• Remember to place small rug at entryways to trap dirt and sand from normal foot traffic that otherwise will scratch costly stone surfaces.
• Always wipe up spills immediately to prevent staining and to avoid permanent damage to the stone. Thoroughly rinse and dry the surface after washing. 
• Heat can damage your stones. Use coasters, trivets or mats under hot plates, and also under glasses, if they contain alcohol or citrus juices.

   
The Marble Man Advantage   

   Get advice from our stone restoration specialists by calling them on 1300 627 626 or visit our website to know what type of cleaning materials are to be used for a particular type of natural stone surface, and how to keep your stone in a spick-and-span condition.

Repairing Chips, Scratches & Cracks on Your Stone Surfaces with Technical Perfection

The Marble Man implements latest technology and quality products to repair Chips, Scratches and Cracks on natural stone surfaces. Get the best stone restoration professionals in Australia to make your dull stone look as new as the day you purchased it.

Chipped Stone Floors

Our latest chips repair kits use a special UV epoxy glue. This type of glue is similar to what dentists use for tooth fillings and allows us to produce the best results possible with the hardest materials. 

In most cases, vague traces of the chip will be visible in the stone floors if you know where it is, however it will be colour matched, levelled and polished and mostly unnoticeable. We are the market leaders by far with regards to these types of repairs.

Benefits:

    Benchtop becomes stronger than it was originally.

    Stops dirt entering the chip.

    Epoxy is filled to a similar colour to the stone.

    Stone will not grab shirts and be rough to touch.

Scratch Repairs in Floors

To repair scratched, dull stone floors, we use resin boned diamond pads and special wet polishing machines. The scratch repair method involves grinding the surface of the stone to the depth of the scratch and then move up through the grades of abrasives up to a 1500 grit polish and then use a diamond polishing compound to bring back the original new reflection.

Benefits:

    Saves replacing tiles.

    Simple method of repair

    Less invasive than removing tiles.

Repairing Cracks in Floor

The Marble Man team uses a special coloured epoxy resin to repair cracks on stone floors. This is applied to the crack prior to polishing the area. After drying (5 minutes), the epoxy is ground back to the level of the stone surface and then polished back to a glossy surface. In most cases, the crack will always still be noticeable however it will be smooth to feel.

Benefits:

    Stops the cracks from accumulating dirt.

    Returns the surface back to a smooth tile. 

    Epoxy is filled to a similar colour to the stone. 

The Marble Man Advantage

With over 24 years of collective experience in the natural stone repair and stone restoration industry, the Marble Man team provides quality and dedicated work at affordable rates. They'll come to your place with all the latest equipment and carry out the stone repair and restoration task in the most professional way. Call them now on 1300 627 626 for a free stone restoration quote.

Restore Your Dull Stone Surfaces with Professional Cleaning, Sealing & Polishing

Enhance the beauty and value of your house, property or other business establishments by installing stunning stone surfaces. Being the proud owner of a lovely home or office building, you must ensure that your precious stones get ideal care and maintenance by the best stone restoration specialists.

Marble, limestone, travertine, onyx and terrazzo benchtops, bar tops and vanities can become quite dull, stained, dirty and etched from acidic substances over time and need the sophisticated repair, stone polishing and sealing processes used by The Marble Man. You can always contact our expert technical team for post restoration care and maintenance.

The professional way to stop stains on stone is to treat it with a protective sealer as recommended by The Marble Man. One should understand that marble and other stone surfaces are porous and so water, oils or other liquids can easily penetrate the stone, leaving behind unwanted stains unless properly sealed. These stains look like dirty, dull ring and drip marks and can spoil the natural reflection of a marble or stone benchtop, bar top or vanity. 

By sealing the stone surfaces you will extend the life of your floor, benchtop or bathroom for many years to come. The grade of the sealer should be selected according to the type of the stone surface. The Marble Man team offers a huge range of sealing products to produce a long lasting stone surface that you will enjoy for years to come.

Before sealing, the stone surface is to be properly cleaned. Here also one should be careful in the selection of the cleaner as it should conform to the unique mineral composition of the stone. The Marble Man uses chemical, abrasion, and heat methods for cleaning the stone. If you go for cheap cleaners from the local market, it’ll break down the sealer, making the stone vulnerable to stains. Improper stone care and maintenance may impart a desired appearance initially, but it can cause steady deterioration and if continued for longer periods, may completely damage the stones.

The Marble Man offers custom plans for maintenance and stone care for both residential customers and commercial applications. Our professionally trained staff are available online and on the phone to answer your questions.

The Marble Man stone care services cover: Gold Coast|Brisbane|Sunshine Coast|Byron Bay|Sydney|Canberra|Newcastle|Central Coast. If you would like us to inspect your stone and advise on its repair or restoration, an experienced team member will visit at a time convenient to you and provide a no obligation, free quote. Call our office today on 1300 627 626 or email us to book your onsite evaluation. 

Elegant Stone Surfaces Contribute to Make Your Life Stress-free

Consumer testimonials speak volumes! 

Listen to this lady who had narrated her passion for marble countertops. She said she was coming from a rental kitchen with ugly laminate countertops, countertops that were not only dirty cream in colour but textured with horrible wrinkles, never clean and never smooth. So, her natural inclination was to go for beautiful countertops in the kitchen when constructing her own home. We all know that countertops pose the difference between easy cleaning and dread. Countertop material enhances the look and feel of your kitchen, and is the surface under your hands and food.

Even though she went for honed marble countertop, she always knew that marble has a risk of staining when comes in contact with acidic food products. What she did was to contact The Marble Man stone restorers for sealing the marble countertop in order to avoid staining. The Marble Man team offers a huge range of sealing products to produce a long lasting stone surface that you will enjoy for years to come.  

After our stone sealing works, the lady had sent us flowers and a letter of appreciation! 

The Marble Man specialises in the repair, restoration and maintenance of marble and other natural stone surfaces in homes, hotels and various commercial outlets across Australia. We provide expert stone care work at best value prices, and strive hard to maintain the TITLE people have bestowed upon us: "Australia's No.1 Marble & Natural Stone Restoration Specialist."

We always ensure the best customer satisfaction by strictly adhering to fine workmanship and excellent stone care services. In order to meet high market expectations and demand, we make it a point that our team members receive hands on, practical training on stone care processes and are kept up to date with the latest techniques and technology.

We Polish, Seal and Repair all stone surfaces and our sophisticated stone care solutions effectively enhance the richness of the stone surfaces and restore their texture to the original colour and glamour. The Marble Man stone renovation services cover: Gold Coast|Brisbane|Sunshine Coast|Byron Bay|Sydney|Canberra|Newcastle|Central Coast, and more.

If you would like us to inspect your stone and advise on its repair or restoration, an experienced team member will visit at a time convenient to you and provide a no obligation, free quote. Call our office today on 1300 627 626 or email us to book your onsite evaluation.