The Marble Man-Advice for Cleaning Marble Fireplaces

Marble fireplaces are a lovely addition to any home. However, at times cleaning a marble fireplace can really get tough. The area is not easy to clean unlike other places having the marble stone. It is always prudent to call in professionals to do the job for you. They are experienced and skilled. Moreover, if you clean the marble fireplace yourself, the task will be time-consuming and exhausting. You will not get the same effects like professional marble cleaners.

The Marble Man- Marble Fireplace Cleaning Advice

Let us look at some crucial marble stone cleaning tips for your fireplace-

• Marble is a natural stone and porous in nature. It has the ability to absorb liquids. This means if you are using traditional cleaning products with harsh chemicals, this will permanently damage the stone. If you are not careful, the surface of the marble stone cracks. Marble fireplaces or in that matter any area having the marble stone should be cleaned by specialist marble cleaning products only.

• Abrasive materials will spoil the finish of the marble stone. This is not limited to materials alone like brushes and other things. Even cloth can damage the surface and finish of your marble fireplace. If you have an old marble fireplace and wish to keep it intact, always call professionals to do the job for you.

• For removing soot and stains, always use a very soft cloth. Microfibre cloths are ideal for removing dust and stains. If you need to use water, ensure you use distilled water. You can boil the water to remove any impurities in it. Allow it to cool. You also get distilled water available in the marble. You can use this safely to get dust, soot and stains off the marble surface. Lightly wipe the stains from the marble surface of the fireplace.

• Never use the following products to clean marble surface of your fireplace-
  Baking soda-it is an abrasive and will ruin the surface of the marble. White vinegar-white vinegar is an acid and will etch the surface. Limescale removers- they have very high levels of acid.

The Marble Man- Do Not Make Marble Fireplace Cleaning A Tricky Affair

It is always wise to call marble cleaning experts like The Marble Man in Australia if you wish to keep marble surfaces spick and span. With these professionals, you can make your marble fireplace last for a lifetime. The costs of marble cleaning from The Marble Man are affordable. The Company enjoys the patronage of many residents in Australia. 

If you are looking for credible professionals who care about your marble fireplace like the way you do, contact The MarbleMan today! ☎ 1300 627 626.

Get Rid of Dullness/Loss of Shine on Marble Surfaces

When installed, your marble looks beautiful and shiny, feels smooth and gives a heavenly feeling. But gradually, it starts showing scratches, stains and dullness. What was once the center of attraction of your home, becomes an eye sore. Time and again, professionals dealing with stone repair and restoration insist on timely repair and maintenance of marble which are installed with so much care and love. Particularly where certain parts of your house such as kitchen or bathroom are concerned, which show wear at a faster rate, restoration and sealing as and often you feel fit must be done. Stone restoration is generally needed once every few years though in case of high-traffic areas, some type of professional service is needed once every year.

Dullness is a common problem that marbles encounter with time. Actually, marble contains natural crystals which reflect light and provides shine on the stone surface. When these natural crystals break or become dull, light cannot be reflected evenly.  Dullness of polished marble stone is mainly attributed to heavy foot traffic along with sediments and grit which cause more damage. Marble is also highly affected by acidic substances such as food particles, fruit juices, and alcohol and gets easily stained unless properly sealed.

Often people assume that marble, after installation, doesn't require any care or maintenance. Either its cleanliness is ignored or wrong methods or chemicals are used for cleaning it. Due to ignorance about stone care, gradually the stone crystals get damaged and prevent uniform reflection of light, thereby giving a dull look. The best way to restore shine to the marble is to sharpen the crystals of the stone. This can be done by honing and polishing with the help of diamond abrasives.

Another grave problem associated with marble is etching which also makes the surface dull. When acidic food or drink comes in contact with the marble, it gets burnt or etched. White spots, spray marks and rings appear on the surface and is very hard to remove if immediate action is not taken. An etch mark is not stain and therefore sealing cannot prevent etching. To prevent your surface from etching and turning dull, make sure the stone does not come in contact with the reactive substances.

Yet another issue is dullness! It’s the most common problem associated with natural stones such as marble, granite and travertine. Whatever may be the source of it, dullness can make your stone damaged forever. The Marble Man, Australia’s finest natural stone restoration company, specializes in stone maintenance and restoration works. For any matter related to natural stone restoration or marble floor restoration in Sydney, call their experts right now: 1300 627 626.

Natural Stone Restoration Tips for a Sparkling Floor or Benchtop

Marble floors are elegant. They decorate every room. They shine and look as good as new only if maintained properly. Marble floors have a unique charm of their own; however, they need constant care and maintenance. The following are some specialist tips given to you for maintaining your marble floor by one of Australia’s leading marble stone cleaning and restoration company- The Marble Man.

Read on to find out how you can retain the original sheen and shine of your marble floors with these simple tips-

1. Marble sealers- Marble absorbs liquids fast. This leads to staining. A marble sealer will keep stains at bay. A sealer will produce an impenetrable shell. The stain remains on the surface. This will give you time to remove the stain completely. Before applying the seal, study the type of marble you have for your floor.

2. Polish Marble- Marble tends to absorb liquids lesser if polished. Polishing improves the colour of the stone. However, you should polish your marble floor occasionally. Frequent polishing of marble floors will wear out the stone. However, if you want marble floors to shine, polishing is necessary!

3. Spot clean spills- Marble floors stain easily. Spot cleaning spills will prevent them from settling in. Acidic liquids like wine, soda, tomato sauce, coffee and fruit juices stain marble quickly. If you do not clean the spill immediately, the surface of your marble floor becomes dull.

4. Clean with a soft cloth or sponge- Clean the floor with a soft cloth and formulated marble floor cleaning. Use a dry cloth to clean the surface of the marble floor.

5. Dust and mop marble floors regularly- Use dry and clean dust mops to clean marble floors. Do not use vacuum cleaners for mopping the floor. The dirt gets jammed in its wheels. This can etch the surface. You should mop the marble floor regularly with a stone cleaner.

6. Use doormats and rugs- Our shoes carry dirt and grime with them. This causes damage to marble floors. Place rugs and doormats both inside and outside your home. People can wipe their shoes before entering your home.

The Marble Man cautions you on the following actions –

1.  Never clean marble with solutions containing acids, chemicals and alkalis that damage marble floors.

2. Never clean marble floors with vinegar, lemon and ammonia.

3. Dirty mops for cleaning marble floor will make the surface dull and unattractive.

4. Blot spills with paper towels to stop them from spreading.

For more information and tips on marble and other natural stone cleaning, repair and restoration, please visit The Marble Man website.

Easy Tips for Looking After Marble Table Tops

The marble stone is generally used for tiles and floors in households. However, there are some people who use the stone for table tops or counter tops. This unique natural stone is a combination of silt, salt and iron. The presence of these 3 natural components together gives the marble stone a vein like pattern. This pattern enhances the beauty and appeal of the stone.

Tips To Look After Your Marble Table Tops/Counter Tops

Marble needs to be maintained on a regular basis to retain its sheen and shine. Given below are some expert tips to help you look after your marble table tops and make them last for a long time-

1. Remove stains and spills fast-When you accidentally stain or spill marble table tops, you should immediately remove them with a rag. Marble is a very soft stone and it can be damaged by harsh liquids like the juice of citrus fruits and soda. When you spill them on the marble base, ensure you use a good rag to extract the liquid and spotlessly wipe it off from the surface.

2. Baking Soda- For stubborn stains, you can use baking soda. You can put baking soda on the stain and allow it to rest there for three hours. After three hours, clean the table with a rag to remove the stain. Baking soda is a very gentle abrasive and ideal for removing stubborn stains from marble bases.

3.  Dry with soft cloth- Marble becomes dull when it is air-dried. You should always use a soft damp cloth to clean marble surfaces. When you do so, you should use circular hand movements.

4. Sparkle clean marble table tops with polishes- If you wish to sparkle clean marble table tops, it is very important for you to use a good quality marble polish. Marble polish adds a coating to the surface of marble and protects it when you clean the base. The wax in the polish makes the base shine and protects it from damage.

Therefore, if you wish to keep your marble table top looking as good a new, keep the above tips in mind. Marble table tops are elegant and they enhance the look of any room.

Bank on The Marble Man for marble stone restoration and sealing services

The Marble Man is a professional and cost effective marble and natural stone restoration company. They do marble repair and restoration in SYDNEY | CANBERRA | NEWCASTLE | CENTRAL COAST | BRISBANE | GOLD COAST | SUNSHINE COAST. It helps individuals look after and maintain the natural stone and marble table and countertops of their homes. The professionals are certified and experts in natural stone maintenance and if you need trusted professionals to come and seal , restore and maintain your marble top and bases at home, please visit their website.

Home Tips to Maintain the Sheen of Marbles

For several years, marble surfaces have been trusted for its beauty, dependability and sheen. In fact, it is the favourite natural stone for most homes for its blend of perfection and durability. You will find marble is available in different textures and colours. You can also find marble surfaces having a polished and non-polished finish. 

Marble comes in a wide range of shapes and thicknesses. If you wish to enhance the performance of marble benchtop or floor, it is very important for you to maintain and take proper care of the stone. If there is a minor mistake or flaw on your part, you can hamper its natural sheen and destroy its looks permanently.

Cleaning marble is not a mammoth task, however it does require regular maintenance. All you need is frequent care and a little effort. The costs for the maintenance of marble are low. The following are some home tips you can follow for keeping the sheen of marble intact-

Tips to maintain marble:

• Marbles are porous in nature and it has the tendency to soak anything dripped on it. Rough cleaning materials like acids scratch marble leading to loss of beauty. This means you should never use rough materials to clean marble.  Even vinegar has a mild presence of acid and should not be used to clean its surface. Marble is delicate and should be cleaned with PH gentle cleansers that do not harm the surface of marble.
• Marble that is non-polished is porous and has the tendency to stain easily.  Commercial sealers need to be used to prevent these stains. When commercial sealers are used, you should not use lacquer or varnish to seal the marble as it quickly peels off. Marble that is polished is less porous however its surface can be stained if not maintained regularly. A commercial marble sealer is recommended for this kind of surface finish if you have one.
• If you have marble floors, you can damp mop the surface either by using clean and clear water mixed with a gentle all purpose floor cleaning solution.  You can also use a fabric softener with ½ a gallon of water. If you accidentally spill anything on the marble flooring, you should wipe it off immediately with a damp cloth so that the stain does not become stubborn and hard to remove. While you are wiping marble, it is very important for you to use a rag that is damp. Hot water should not be used and the surface of marble should not be scrubbed. If hard materials fall on marble, you should use a gentle scrubber. Soak it with a mild detergent however ensure you do not use abrasive materials like hydrogen peroxide, acetone or clear ammonia.

Professional marble stone cleaning with The Marble Man 

If you are looking for professional marble stone cleaning services in QLD and NSW, you can opt for The Marble Man. Here, trusted professionals will come and clean any kind of marble or other natural stone surfaces for your home or commercial premises. Their services are of high quality and affordable. 
To know more, please contact The Marble Man.

All You Need To Know About Travertine Stone Restoration

The process of stone restoration involves restoring the damaged natural stone to the state in which it was installed or varying the surface of the stone to give it a desired finish. Stone repair and restoration demands expert knowledge and skill on the part of the restorer, and therefore can only be done by a professional stone restoration company. The Marble Man, Australia’s top natural stone restoration company, specializes in repair and restoration of the most prevalently used stones namely, marble, granite and travertine.

Travertine, as we already know, is not as glossy and shiny as marble or granite but has wide applications ranging from exterior wall covering to interior flooring, garden paths, paving patios as well as urban furnishing. In the previous articles, we came to know about the problems and difficulties associated with use of travertine. Today, we shall learn about how to clean and maintain travertine to ensure long-lasting protection.

Travertine cleaning should be a part of the yearly maintenance program. Cleaning travertine requires special tools, chemicals, sealers, and protectants to prevent scratching, etching, and permanent staining.If the restoration professional you have hired, does not possess the right implement, chemical and expertise, you will never get what you pay for. So, be very careful before you hire a stone restoration professional. Another common mistake with travertine is the use of generic sealer which leaves behind a sticky residue. Sealer for travertine must be chosen on the basis of the type of stone surface to be sealed.

Travertine has unquestionably become more and more popular in the past few years. With that popularity there have been corresponding problems. Just like marble and granite, travertine is also subject to etching. Acid spills or abrasive chemicals create small scratches and dull spots on the stone surface. It is therefore recommended that travertine surface should be cleaned with neutral cleaners using soft cleaning cloth. 

Travertine polishing is another important area to be learnt about. There are various methods of travertine polishing, but not all of them can be relied upon. Diamond polishing is the most preferred method of polishing using diamond abrasives which leaves behind a highly polished and clear surface. In case of travertine, crystallization is one of the most detrimental procedures of polishing and will cost you havoc in the long run. 

Travertine should be routinely sealed. Travertine absorbs dirt, filth and other contaminants which might damage the surface particularly when it is not regularly cleaned and maintained. Therefore, right after installation or polishing, the travertine surface must be sealed with proper sealer to make it looking shinny, vibrant and alive.

If you want to get your stone cleaned, polished or restored, it’s time for you to hire The Marble Man professionals. If you experience any problem related to your stone surface and want it to go through a proper stone maintenance process, you may seek the expert guidance of The Marble Man, the most specialized stone and marble floor restoration Company in Australia.

The Marble Man- Should Marble and Natural Stone Be Sealed?

If you are looking for ways to prolong the life of marble and natural stone, you can do so with the aid of professional sealing or coating techniques. Sealing/coating reduces the porosity of the material and makes it repellant to water, oil and stains. 

When you are looking for sealing professionals of natural stone, you will see that they will inform you on both the pros and cons of acrylic and topical sealers.  The right kind of sealant for your natural stone and marble will be determined by these professionals only after inspection of the stone surface. They will be the right guides to recommend the ideal sealant for your natural stone or marble surface.

Major Concerns with sealants

Some home owners have concerns about marble and natural stone sealants. Their concerns are obvious and the right professionals will address them effectively. Let us take a look at the major concerns that they face and how professionals handle them-

• Removal of coating- It is simple to coat a marble or a natural stone surface. However, the removal of the coating is very challenging.  It is important for all type of coating sealants to be removed and later replaced.  When you are replacing the sealant completely from the stone, it is very important that stripping should be thorough.

• Slips- Here professionals are called in to fix the problem. This slip issue in natural stone and marble is found mostly in flooring, bathrooms and pool decks.  When this issue is being rectified, professionals look into water features, climate and irrigation.

• Damage- There is cases where the marble or natural stone flooring is damaged and starts to flake and thin.  Here, you need to call in professionals to strip and replace the sealer on the whole floor.  This is a time consuming and costly affair most of the time.  There may be a possibility of a partial or localized replacement but most of the time it is not possible.

• Breathability- If the marble or natural stone has to be replaced, it is always prudent for you to call in a stone professional to check whether the stone is breathable or not. The stone should be able to permeate gas.

Protective Marble & Natural Stone Sealing with The Marble Man

It is very important for you to call in professional aid when you are considering natural stone or marble sealing.  Expert advice is needed to determine the time and the costs of sealing.  

In Australia, The Marble Man is the most reliable stone sealing expert that ensures your natural stone and marble surfaces are sealed in a professional way.  The Company takes into consideration the long term benefits and advises you on the costs involved. The Marble Man is a trusted name in and around Queensland and New South Wales and its professionals are friendly and customer-oriented. To contact them today, please visit (website) or call them on phone at 1300-627-626.