7 Tips to Keep Your Natural Stone Surfaces As Good As New

If your lovely natural stone surfaces are not properly maintained, everyday wear and tear can badly affect their appealing qualities. Natural Stone is delicate and porous, so it easily absorbs spilled liquids and oils causing staining. In order to preserve the beauty of marble, granite and other natural stones and also to get the longest life, one has to be very careful and observe the following stone care and maintenance tips:

• It’s good to use coasters under all glasses, while you serve alcohol or citrus juices. Acids in our common foods and drinks can etch the natural stone surface.

• Avoid placing hot items directly on the stone surface. Even though many stones can withstand heat, make it a habit to use trivets or mats under hot dishes.

• Spills are to be removed immediately. Don’t wipe, only blot the spill with a paper towel. Flush the area with water only after the spill is completely removed. Residues from cooking oils and everyday food spills, as well as hairspray or other cosmetics are harmful to natural stone. Frequently clean interior floors with warm water and a clean, non-abrasive dry dust mop. Sand, dirt and grit do the most damage by scratching the delicate stone surface.

• Employ only neutral, pH-balanced Cleaners formulated for natural stone. Never use vinegar, lemon juice or cleaners that contain acid such as bathroom cleaners, grout cleaners or tile cleaners on your precious natural stone surface.

• Use rugs at door entrances to avoid sand, dirt and grit coming in contact with stone surfaces. This simple step can save your stone floor from scratching.  

• Natural stone surfaces must be protected with a penetrating sealer to maintain their natural beauty. Sealing is a must have investment in the future longevity of your new or existing stone surfaces.

• Particular care is to be given to your natural stone in the bath or other wet areas. Hard water or soap scum can damage the sheen of stone surfaces. First ensure that the sealing is intact in the area. Remove the Soap Scum on a regular basis using a non-acidic scum remover. 

For deep stains and etch marks, we recommend professional refinishing that’ll only restore the fresh, new look and feel of your benchtops or tile floors. There is not much point having costly marble or stone surfaces if they don’t look great! For detailed information about stone maintenance, visit our Website or call us now on 1300 627 626 for a free stone restoration quote.

How to Restore Chipped, Cracked, Dull, or Stained Stone Floors?

Chips, cracks, scratches, grout issues, stains, etching etc. can spoil the look of marble and other natural stone surfaces in your home, office, or commercial building.

Hiring a reputed stone restoration company is the only way to bring back the shine and sheen on your countertop, floor tile or marble shower. Timely care and maintenance is the key to preserving your natural stone for many years to come.

The latest in technology repairs kits for chipping of stone benchtop involves using a UV epoxy glue. Once the glue is applied, the affected area will be colour matched, levelled and polished so that it becomes unnoticeable. The Marble Man is the market leader by far with regards to these types of repairs on chipped stone floors.

To repair the scratches on marble or stone floors, The Marble Man employs resin bonded diamond pads and special wet polishing machines that will bring back the original new reflection on the stone surface.

For cracks on marble or other natural stone floors, The Marble Man applies a special coloured epoxy resin. After the repair, you'll get back a glossy surface!

Professional stone cleaning, and specific stone restoration procedures, and inspections performed on a daily, weekly, or other regular basis are required to keep the natural stone looking its best and lasting a lifetime.

Care and Maintenance of Natural Stone Countertops and Floors

Natural stones can be broadly categorised as siliceous and calcareous stones. The following general guidelines and precautions are applicable for both the types of stones:

When distributing alcohol or citrus juices to guests, you’re advised to use coasters under the glasses before placing them on stone countertops. Same way hot items directly from the stove or out of an oven should not be placed on the countertops unless there are trivets or mats under hot dishes. Also ensure to put placemats under china, ceramics, silver, or other objects that can scratch the surface of your costly countertop.

Blot up spills as soon as you see it. And remember not to wipe the spills, only blot it with a clean cloth. Place non-slip mats or area rugs on your natural stone floors to protect them from scratches and staining.

Abstain from using the following cleaners on natural stone surfaces such as marble, limestone, travertine, or onyx:
1. Vinegar, lemon juice, or other cleaners containing acids.
2. Cleaners that contain acidic components like bathroom cleaners, tile & grout cleaners, bath tub cleaners etc.
3. Abrasive cleaners such as dry cleansers, soft cleansers etc. 

Contact The Marble Man Company today on 1300 627 626 for an obligation free stone assessment and restoration quote.  

Stone Care Tips from the Most Sought Out Stone Restoration Specialist in Australia

The Marble Man technicians are thorough professionals who can Repair, Resurface or Repolish damaged and dull stone benchtop and floor tiles and transform them into stunning surfaces. They provide customised and guaranteed stone preventative and maintenance works. 

Once you are a customer of the Marble Man, you’ll remain always their customer because you’re getting the best stone restoration service utilising latest technology available in the world. And interestingly, their prices are competitive and quite affordable too.

Don’t use acidic cleaners on your elegant stone surfaces. Even some of the environment friendly products contain acidic fruits and vegetables that can harm your costly stone tiles. So check the ingredients of a cleaning product before applying it on the stone, otherwise it’ll damage the stone sealer on your countertops and floor tiles.

The use of abrasive cleaners such as dry cleansers or soft cleansers can spoil your natural stone floors, benchtop or tabletop. If you see some sort of cloudiness or haze building up on your natural stone surface, try changing the stone cleaner, and use a neutral PH cleaner as recommended by the Marble Man. If you still don’t notice any improvement to the condition of your stone, then you may require professional service to restore it.

Even if you clean the stone surfaces daily, it should be followed by periodic deep cleanings by stone care professionals.

Marble Man customer care is well known in Australia - the very many testimonials they receive daily are proof of it.  They offer top class floor care and restoration at most of the places in QLD and NSW. Upon receiving a communication from you by mail or on mobile, they’ll send a stone care specialist to inspect your stone and advise on its repair or restoration – they provide a no obligation, free quote.

There is also a treasure trove of stone care and maintenance information on the Marble Man website. This comes from their 24 years of combined experience in the stone restoration industry. You can Download TOP 10 Stone Care TIPS  on stone maintenance and preventative care from their website for keeping your natural stone surface sparkling and pristine. Call them today on 1300 627 626 for A to Z of marble, granite and other natural stone maintenance practice.

Stone Care & Maintenance – How to Beautify Your Home with Stone Surfaces

Natural stone, previously, had several formal applications such as construction of churches, government buildings, monuments and even roads. Its application in residential construction for structural as well as decorative purposes has been recognized very recently. Now-a-days we prefer various types of natural stones such as marble, granite, slate, quartz for our homes not only for giving them a luxurious look but also because of the practical benefits it offers.

Real natural stones, unlike the artificial ones, are far more durable and last long with very little maintenance. Moreover they are resistant to heat and light, and can resist chemicals to a certain extent. In our previous articles we have learnt about the uses of various stones and the procedure of its maintenance. Now, we shall know more about natural stones and the ways it can beautify our homes.

Granite- The Most Preferred Natural Stone for Kitchen Countertop

One of the most preferred natural stones is granite, particularly because of its beauty and durability. It would be interesting to note that it is formed from one of the most common types of minerals and is found all over the world. Granite is second only to diamond in terms of hardness and hence it is highly preferred for countertops. Granite is available in some special colour patterns, which give it a unique look.

Get Rid of False Assurances on Stone Maintenance

We are often forced to believe a notion that a particular stone “doesn't require maintenance”. This can never be true. Everything that is created will undergo wear and tear, however minor it may be. So even if any company, supplying the stone, boasts of the stone as maintenance free, never pay heed to it and consult an expert for periodic stone care and maintenance.

Types of Stone Finishes

The most important benefit of natural stone is that it is available in various forms and colours. Your floors, walls and countertops can be given various stone finishes as per your choice. The various stone finishes for different areas of your house include:

Polished- This gives the surface a glossy and mirror-like effect after undergoing grinding, sanding and buffing.

Honed- Grinding and sanding makes the surface a little shiny and smooth. Instead of fine powder, coarse material such as diamond is used for this purpose.

Tumbled- The surface is given a rough and withered look with the help of chips and scratches.

Flamed- The stone is subjected to a very high temperature flame which makes it very rough with no sheen at all. The maintenance cost of such finish is low.

Sand blasted- Application of high pressure blast of sand gives the stone a rough yet tidy look with no sheen at all.

River Wash- Mostly applied to granite, it gives a non-slippery surface, yet maintains the coloration and structure of granite. 

Beautifying your home with expensive stone should be accompanied by expert stone care and maintenance practices. The Marble Man is Australia’s best natural stone repair and restoration specialist. For any matter relating to stone care such as marble floor restoration, stone polishing, sealing etc. or the choice of right stone for your home, consult them to get the best advice – Free call: 1300 627 626.

Never Let Inexperienced People Handle and Spoil Your Costly Stone Surfaces

Marble, granite and other stones are natural, elegant and have a timelessness that is hard to surpass with other flooring options. Choosing to use natural stone in your home is an easy decision, but adopting the proper stone maintenance practice can be a little bit trickier.

Described below, read what happened to a person who had first appointed an inexperienced stone cleaning contractor and later had to call The Marble Man to restore the damaged marble floor:

"The Marble Man rescued my marble floor and restored its beautiful, natural, glossy finish…..," Ms Rita Fletcher wrote in a testimonial expressing her happiness.

“The Marble Man returned the glossy, beautiful, clean reflection I was hoping for. These guys knew what they were doing, arrived on time and even cleaned up after themselves.  I am so happy with my marble floor now that I’m going ahead restoring my marble bathrooms. Please read my experience as I used a cleaning contractor first and then The Marble Man to fix their mess,” said Rita.

Read further the full story behind Rita’s experience:

Rita recently appointed The Marble Man to polish a marble floor that had been polished earlier by a cleaning contractor.  The contractor was unskilled in stone restoration and used inappropriate pads under a machine and abraded the high points in the lippy floor and did not touched the low points.  This left the floor patchy and dull and in worse condition than before they started.

After 4 attempts to correct the damage, 4 weeks later, Rita finally gave up on the contractor and called The Marble Man. She had to endure arguments with the inexperienced cleaner over payment of the rectification and the original bill, which she insisted on being paid for.  Rita ended up paying more for the rectification of the poor work, than they originally would have paid us to complete the job professionally.

We are finding more and more such issues every day.  Please don’t let this happen to you.  Your stone surface is precious. The Marble Man’s 8 Point Satisfaction Guarantee makes the right choice for your restoration the first time.  When you choose The Marble Man you are choosing a contractor that has a solid reputation for over 24 years now in the stone restoration field.

Before you start decorating your home for any occasion, it is good to have a close look at the stone surfaces in the house – the floors, walls, benchtops, countertops, vanity, bathrooms etc. If you think they need a facelift, don’t worry about the time or cost. The Marble Man can do it pretty fast and quite affordably in a professional way. Give them a call today on 1300 627 626 for a free stone care evaluation and to discuss polishing your natural stone floors, benchtops, showers or walls.

Headquartered on the Gold Coast, The Marble Man stone care professionals service several places in the QLD and NSW region, including Sydney.

Preventative Stone Care Tips for Your Marble, Granite and Other Natural Stone Surfaces

People using natural stones are mainly worried about the maintenance requirements, but the fact is that natural stone countertops or floors need no more care & maintenance than natural wood products such as tables and chairs.

It’s better if you know your stone surface well and the maintenance needs it requires. A stone restoration specialist can guide you the precautions to be taken to avoid stains, wear and damage. Ask the stone care professionals about the daily and long term maintenance practices to be followed, and also the time schedule for resealing, repolishing or deep cleaning of stone surfaces.

Preventative care is what mostly needed for natural stones like marble, granite and travertine. Make sure that your stones are properly sealed with a penetrating sealer before installation. This will prevent staining to a certain extent and also will reduce the build up of moisture. Presealed stone surfaces are easier to clean too.  Topical sealers are not recommended because they do not prevent moisture to accumulate under the surface and sometimes affect the look of the stone.

Here Are Some Precautions and Preventative Care for Your Costly Stone:

Even though granite countertops are not susceptive to normal stains and scratches, they are prone to staining by oil and acid. Ensure to wipe up any spills on the countertops as soon as possible, and then clean the surface.

Don’t place acidic or chemical products such as wine, juice, vinegar, milk, tea or coffee on marble and limestone surfaces as these can etch or stain the surface. Use coasters.  Staining or etching can also be caused by high alkaline products such as aftershave, soap, shampoo and perfumes.

Grit on shoe can scratch a stone surface, so avoid using shoes on natural stone surfaces. Also use doormats which will gather dust and grit from shoes and slippers.

Use felt or any such soft pads under chairs and other furniture to avoid scratching. While moving furniture items, it’s advised to lift them rather than dragging to prevent scratching.

While cleaning natural stone, ensure to use Microfibre Mop or a cotton cloth to avoid scratching. If you want to use scourers, depend only on professionally recommended scouring products such as the Scrub-a-dub; other scourers can scratch the stone surface and spoil the glossy finish.

Natural Stone Cleaning

The best preventative measure for stone floors is regular cleaning with neutral PH cleaners such as S-P Cleaner, Stone Deep Clean, Brilliance or Renue. Wax based sprays are not to be used as they leave a build up on the surface. Dirt and grit on the marble or granite surface can affect its polished finish. Use recommended cleaning products only and do regular cleaning to preserve your beautiful stone surfaces. 

Marble and granite in the bathrooms are affected by soap scum. This is to be prevented by regular cleaning using a squeegee for shower walls. Also rinse vanities and natural stone sinks with hot water whenever possible.

For any queries on natural stone maintenance, you can contact The Marble Man who is regarded as the No.1 stone care company in Australia with over 20 years of experience in the field.  Call now for a Free Quote on 1300 627 626.