Natural Stone Production and Its Important Installation Tips

The beauty of natural stone tile adds timeless elegance to any home decor. Do you know where these stones come from?!

Australian Stone Advisory Association (ASAA) has listed a total of around 90 stone quarries in Australia in the Discovering Stone Buyer’s Guide. However the actual number of quarries in Australia and the total volume of tile manufactured will vary from ASAA's data. The then ASAA director Jim Mann had said that he knew of a couple of operators (not in the ASAA list) there in South Australia that quarry stone on farms, most of which got sold to local builders and property owners. He added that in Queensland, operators were producing half a dozen different types of marble which hardly see the light of day in Australia, as virtually everything they produce as raw blocks was exported to China.

From the stone tiles manufactured in quarries, slabs are cut into standard tile sizes and thicknesses (usually minimum of 10mm for floors), polished or honed and sold to a distributor who sells the tiles to the end user. The end users normally don’t purchase tiles directly from the manufacturer or wholesaler.

Tiled Floor and Bathrooms (Marble & Granite)

A good tiler will:

• Check quality of the stone tiles for polish, squareness, flatness, Arris-edges and colour variation
• Where to place the stone tiles so the grout joints are in the correct place
• Check for the levelness of the concrete substrate to determine if a sand and cement screed is required or self leveling compound required to ensure a level stone tile floor is achieved
• Use tiles from different boxes when laying the stone tiles so that the different colours a mixed into the floor
• Ensure that a good water proofing membrane is used
• What type of tile glue should be used on the stone tiles
• What type of tile grout should be used on the stone tiles
• Thickness of the grout joints between the stone tiles
•  Ensure that a GOOD fall in the stone tile shower is achieved
•  Ensure sealing of the tiles with a high quality professional sealer. This is essential to keep them clean and stop unsightly staining. Check out our recommended sealing range  

Marble, Granite, Limestone, Travertine Showers

When installing tiles in a shower there are several considerations:

• The floor has a good fall towards the drain so water does not pool around the sides and seep into and behind the tiles. This is especially important where the glass meets the floor and there is no hob (step)
• Adequate waterproofing - best results are achieved if 2 membranes are applied – one below the tile to prevent leakage and one below the sand cement bedding as a back up
• Plumbing and fittings are installed before tiles are laid
• Floor tiles are laid before wall tiles so that the wall tiles sit on top of the floor tiles – this prevents water from flowing down the wall and under the floor tile
•  Edges and corners are polished and not sharp on shower steps or shelves.

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 change the look of the stone.

The Role of Stone Restoration Specialists

The natural stone surfaces not only add elegance to your home or property but also make it stand apart from the rest by adding to its resale value.

The dull, stained or worn out marble and other natural stone surfaces can be restored to their newly purchased condition by stone care professionals. Get a FREE Stone Care Evaluation today. Call now: 1300 627 626. 

Have You Prepared Your Home For Christmas Celebrations?

If you want Santa Claus and his cute reindeer visiting your home this midsummer days, you should keep minimum standard in aesthetics! And one of the factors for that is to maintain your natural stone surfaces in a better shape.

There is not much time left before our booking for stone restoration job gets filled. Check out the discounts on particular stone maintenance works.

This time Santa’s arrival will be different. In place of the usual fur-lined red suit, Santa Claus rocks swim trunks and sunglasses. Santa also gets numerous letters filled with gift ideas from all the youngsters, and on Christmas night he brings gifts to all good girls and boys – the interesting thing here is that six kangaroos will be found pulling his sledge in the night sky.

What you can do is to send us a snapshot of your stained or damaged stone surfaces, and we’ll advise you what can be done to make them shine again. You may also call us on 1300 627 626 to book a stone restoration assignment. 

We have state of the art stone repair technology and equipment to repair or restore your marble and other natural stone benchtop, floor tiles, and other stone surfaces.   

People hang wreaths on their front doors and also decorate their houses and gardens with Christmas Trees and Christmas lights. Preparations for Christmas begin in October or even earlier; all the shopping, renewal of home decor etc. are done well in advance. Being Australia's Number One Marble, Granite, Travertine, Stone Benchtop and Tile Restoration Specialist, The Marble Man used to have busy time these days. Because we give special discounts for Christmas, many households take this as an opportunity to repair or restore the whole marble or stone surfaces in their house. 

The Marble Man stone restoration team mainly do Polishing (Benchtops, Floors and Bathrooms), Sealing (Kitchens and vanities, Floors and Bathrooms), Repairs (Kitchen Benchtops and Floors) and Cleaning (chemical, abrasion, and heat methods are applied according to the type of the marble or other natural stone surfaces).

Visit The Marble Man Website for detailed information. Reminding you again, act fast before the advance booking closes.

Polishing, Sealing & Repairing Your Marble and Other Natural Stone Surfaces

At The Marble Man, we use latest techniques for stone maintenance so as to produce amazing results to tired looking marble and stone surfaces. We repair chipped, cracked or damaged marble and stone surface. We also polish and seal your costly stone.

The most common maintenance required to stone is to have the surface polished occasionally to bring the natural gloss back to the surface. Polishing of marble and stone floors and benchtops can make the difference between a dull looking bathroom or floor and a brand, dazzling stone surface.

You may use the Free Call 1300 627 626 to contact us and discuss your stone repair or even better Email Us some photos of your damaged stone surface so we can tell you clearly the results we can achieve.  All our stone care discussions and advice are free for you to use. Our strength is based on 29-years of combined experience on natural stone repair and restoration in Australia.

Marble Polishing Guarantee:

When we polish your marble or stone surface we want you to be assured of our quality and level of service. This is why we offer all our clients an 8-point guarantee.

Marble and Stone Polishing:

The Marble Man team offers a huge range of polishing systems to produce many different finishes depending on your requirements. They are enumerated below: 

• Kitchens and Vanity Benchtops
• Marble or Stone benchtop Polishing
• Marble or Stone Benchtop Honing
• Floor Tiles
• Marble or Stone Floor Polishing
• Marble or Stone Floor Honing
• Bathrooms
• Marble or Stone Shower Polishing
• Marble or Stone Wall Polishing
• Marble or Stone Vanity Polishing 

The Marble Man uses cutting edge technology and continues to update its equipment and services so as to remain at the forefront of stone restoration in Australia. We have a team of stone restoration specialists servicing: the Gold Coast, Brisbane, Sunshine Coast, Sydney, Newcastle, Canberra, Northern NSW and other areas throughout QLD, NSW and Victoria. It is the largest specialized stone restoration company in Australia and continues to grow due to its reputation for providing quality service.

Avail Marble Man's 8-Point Guarantee on Natural Stone Restoration Works

With over 30 years of combined experience in the field of natural stone repair and restoration, we’re proud to give you an 8-point guarantee on stone care. This way it’s assured that your marble, granite and other natural stone surfaces get the best Polishing, Sealing, Professional Cleaning, Repair and Refinishing when our technicians take up the stone restoration works.

The following are the summary of eight points in our natural stone maintenance guarantee agreement to our customers:

• We will improve your stone surface or your money back.
• You will not be left waiting around, as we will arrive on time.
• Our tradesmen will be tidy and clean up after themselves.
• Your stone surface will be easier to clean and maintain.
• You will get the right advice for the long-term enjoyment of your stone surfaces.
• We will provide you with a complete service, and offer you a full range of products for maintaining your stone surfaces.
• You will have a finished product that you will love to look at, walk on and use.
• We will answer your questions about the care maintenance and restoration or your stone surfaces drawing from our 30-years of combined experience.

Do you have dull, stained or worn marble or other stone floors in your home or business? No more frustrations – our stone care experts can regain the original beauty of your stone floors. Call us now on 1300 627 626 to get an obligation free stone care evaluation.

Our stone restoration team has the expertise to polish your marble or other natural stone Floor, Counters or Bathroom tiles so that all the stain spots and traces of stubborn dirt are removed and your stone surface will look like new again. Timely maintenance of your costly stone surfaces will preserve their beauty for many years to come.

Natural stone surfaces, especially Marble, are delicate and porous too. They can be affected by staining when come in contact with acidic materials you handle in your kitchen like wine, lemon and other citric juices. You can protect your stone surfaces from staining by professional Sealing which helps to protect their natural beauty and elegance.

The Marble Man stone care technicians are given adequate training as per latest stone restoration techniques available in the world. They can Repair almost all damages occurred on your marble, granite or other natural stone surfaces such as floor tiles, counter tops, and pillars or any other stone structure. Many people think repair is not possible and go for replacement which is costlier. So next time when you see cracked, broken or torn out natural stone surface in your home or business establishment, contact the Marble Man to see if they can be repaired.

We’ll discuss the appropriate stone restoration method such as polishing, sealing, or repairing for your marble or other natural stone floors. You may also visit The Marble Man website to get all the stone care and maintenance information.

Six Handy Tips for Cleaning and Maintenance of Natural Stone Surface

Natural stone floors are known for their ageless beauty and extreme durability. These stone floors offer best endurance against heavy traffic also. Although natural stone floors are mostly known for their use in the kitchen, bathroom, portico etc., but there are several instances where natural stone floors are used in living room, bedroom, study etc.

It is rightly said that natural stone adds a wonderful earthly flavour to a home ambiance. It adds to natural beauty of a home interior if the floor is well maintained. Natural stone maintenance is not at all hectic if you know the right approach.

Use proper cleaner

By texture, natural stones are mostly porous. If any harsh chemical is used on porous natural stone surface, there is high chance that these chemicals can spoil the surface of the stone. As the immediate result of this cleaning spree the stone surface will turn into rough and uneven plain. It is always safe to use recommended stone floor cleaner.

Sweep the floor regularly

Dust and dirt are the worst enemies for stone floor and its regular surface. Once dust and dirt sit on the surface, it makes the floor uneven with scratch and splits. Initially these scratches do not look unsightly, but gradually the floor starts losing its natural shine. You can delay this deterioration by sweeping the floor with a broom at regular basis. Brooms made with natural bristles are most useful for keeping natural stone made floor clean.

Use warm water for mopping

It is always recommended to mop the stone floor with lukewarm water and a clean cotton mop.  Nylon mops are strictly not to be used for stone floor because its synthetic fibre can make the entire floor scratchy. Once floor starts becoming scratchy, it attracts more debris on it and at the same time start looking dull and unimpressive. And if you notice scratches on the stone surface, immediately consult with a stone repair & restoration specialist like The Marble Man who will guide you what to do. You can also take a snapshot of the damaged surface and send it to the stone care team.

Steam cleaning

Steam cleaning is an efficient way to remove the loose layer of dirt and grease that gets tangled with the stone surface and stays long. Steam cleaning helps in removing stubborn dust and dirt from stone surface. However, steam cleaning is not an easy job and may not be appropriate to get it done by DYI method. Rather, it is wise to hire a professional natural stone restoration specialist to steam clean a natural stone floor. 

Attempt deep cleaning with a natural stone cleaner

Sometimes natural stone floor becomes clumsy with accumulated heavy grease, stain, dirt, etc. Common sweeping or mopping cannot restore its original glamour. In such case, you can use heavy duty natural stone cleaning products. However, it is mandatory that you use cotton mop or nonabrasive sponge to smear the stone cleaner on the floor, or else it may affect the smoothness of the natural stone surface.

Scrubbing grout

Sometimes natural stone floor attracts grout to get accumulated on its surface. Regular mopping and sweeping cannot remove the grout completely. In this situation, the best move is to call a professional natural stone restoration service provider to restore the lost sheen and shine of the floor.

Natural stone is easy to maintain and it offers a long service life. If you have natural stone floor in your house, you should take proper care to maintain its elegance and natural beauty. In every 6 months to 1 year interval, you should call the natural stone care and maintenance service to inspect the stone and do periodical cleaning and maintenance.  For further info, you can talk to The Marble Man stone restoration specialists on 1300 627 626.

When Should You Call a Stone Care Professional?

Natural stone floor tiles or a stone countertop look excellent no doubt, but you need to take care of it daily to maintain its sheen and shine. There are situations when despite your best efforts, you fail to upkeep the glamour and sparkling cleanliness of natural stone surfaces. This is high time when you should call a stone care professional for a complete stone restoration work. 

Here are a few specific cases when you need professional stone restoration:

When the stone tiles look dull

All of a sudden, you may notice that the natural stone tiles in your home have lost its glamour and despite best cleaning effort, the stony surface is not looking shiny. You may have tried the best cleaner available in market but you are not getting any visible improvement. This is the time you need the professional cleaning assistance of an ace stone restoration company on the Gold Coast, Sydney or any other place to restore its lost gleam.

When the stone surface looks worn out

There are instances when you may find that your stone surface is looking absolutely worn out. In fact, there are many reasons behind this unsightly look. However, the most common reason is accumulation of stubborn dirt on the surface. Sometimes the collection of unwanted wax on the stone floor makes it shadowy. These worn out stone surfaces can be restored only by professional stone care treatment.      

Call a professional stone restoration service provider and they will select the best suitable process of stone restoration between grinding, honing, polishing, sealing or combo of any of these repair processes.

Stone resurfacing service for scratch removal

Although stone floors are durable enough, sometimes due to heavy traffic the smooth shine surface attracts scratches, wear patterns and lippage. In these instances, you should call a stone restoration expert because professional resurfacing service can only restore the smoothness and natural shine of the stone floor.

When polishing is required

Despite your best effort to keep the natural polish on your stone floor unharmed, after one or two years the floor can lose its natural sparkle by its own. In these cases, the only way to restore factory shine of the stone surface is to call and hire a professional stone care service provider for polishing the floor.

Stone sealing requirement

At the time of installation of stone floor or benchtop, stones are set with proper sealing. Proper sealing is a prerequisite for kitchen and bathroom area, and the sealer can get withered by natural reason. If you find any discrepancy in sealing or broken seal on your stone floor, you need to call a stone restoration specialist for restoring the sealing.

Selection of right cleaning products

Even a new stone surface may look dull and unimpressive. One of the reasons behind this dull look is use of improper cleaner on the stone surface. This is the time to call and consult a natural store restoration expert for remedial measures and proper guidance. Regular use of right cleaner on the stone surface will help you to maintain its freshness and natural luster for long.

Different types of stone cleaners are available in the market. Only a professional stone restoration service provider can suggest you the right cleaner for your particular natural stone.

The Marble Man- your trusted stone restoration, repair & cleaning specialist

These are some of the primary reasons for calling a stone restoration service provider. However, even if you have not found any visible defect on your stone floor, it is better to hire an expert stone restoration company on a periodical basis to clean and maintain the floor tiles in professional manner. The Marble Man who has been in the stone restoration field for over 20 years is your best choice as their guaranteed and dedicated service is available at many places in the Queensland and NSW regions.