Marble Floor Polishing
So you own beautiful marble floors. You most likely spent a fortune to be able to enjoy this superior quality Italian marble. But over a number of years the marble floor has lost its original sheen and right now it looks dull and patchy. The grout lines are impregnated with some kind of residue and the surface seems to absorb stains from everywhere. You may even start considering that your floor is not actually marble and instead you were sold something similar but lower quality! After all, you have seen a number of marble and travertine floors in hotel receptions and fancy shops and it looks nothing like yours. How come your floor looks so tired and theirs is radiant and streak free?
The answer is simple, because their floors are polished and yours is not. Many commercial buildings like hotels, large corporations, hospitals, fancy restaurants, shopping centers, etc, spend alot of money on marble polishing services. Every day they have a professional team of staff deep cleaning the marble floors with proper marble care products and then polishing the surface with fancy diamond polishing pads. This is the reason their floors look amazing and yours look tired.
Marble Floor Polishing | Maintenance
Over 90% of the damage on marble floors occurs when the floors are being washed simply because alot of people fail to buy the right marble floor cleaners and maintainers. A natural stone floor will only stay nice and glossy if proper marble floor maintainers are used. Otherwise, the finish will dullen up within a couple of months and the floor will be back to its original poor state.
There are a number of ways of achieving gloss on a natural stone floor like marble floor. The type of maintainer needed also depends on the type of sealer used to seal your particular floor. Some marble polishing companies use solvent impregnators, other marble polishing companies use water based sealers, some marble polishing contractors use diamond polishing pads & some marble polishing companies use marble polishing powders. The results could be similar looking but durability is definitely affected by the type of sealer used to seal the marble. Below, we will detail the most common ways of polishing marble floors:
Marble Floor Polishing | Solvent Impregnators
After the floor is deep cleaned with heavy duty marble floor cleaning products (Faber Cottosolv or Faber 30) & all the scratches removed with Diafial Diamond Pads, then the marble floor is ready for sealing. Right now the floor is spotless but the pores are highly absorbent and the surface is likely to absorb all kinds of stains. The marble contractor will select the most appropriate impregnator and the surface will be sealed. A solvent impregnator will penetrate the stone and will seal the pores. The level of sheen created can vary from impregnator to impregnator but you can choose between a natural finish, a wet look finish, a color enhancer, a semi gloss finish or a high gloss finish. While using solvent impregnators you will achieve some level of sheen, it will not achieve that “mirror” like finish that can only be achieved with high speed diamond pads buffing or marble polishing powders. Usually, people that are looking for a more natural finish are the ones going for a solvent impregnator. The surface will be fully protected against spills and daily traffic.
Marble Polishing | Water Based Impregnators
Basically the same process of deep cleaning, grout cleaning and surface preparation has to happen before the floor is ready for sealing. While some people are 100% pro-solvent impregnators, others are totally against it and they instead opt for a water based impregnator (Faber Hidrofab & Faber Wet Look). These products are as durable as the solvent based impregnators but a bit pricier. The surface will be impregnated with 1-2 coats of water based impregnator and then it will be buffed with a high speed floor buffer and a white floor pad. The floor will look amazing and it will be fully protected for a number of years. The level of sheen can be decided on the spot but you can pick between a wet look non glazer, a satin finish or a high gloss finish. Floors that are sealed with impregnators require less maintenance and are much easier to clean. People with small children and busy households are likely to ask for a water based sealer.
Marble Polishing | Glazers
The gloss level on the surface of the marble floor can be achieved mechanically or chemically. Many local marble floor polishing companies use heavy duty solvent based glazing sealers that create a very high level of gloss. While some people love it, others hate it. An amazingly high gloss polished marble floor can look spectacular but it could require a lot of daily cleaning and maintenance to stay that way. Basically the same process will be applied, deep cleaning, grout cleaning, scratch & dull patch removal. The floor will be glazed with a special chemical that bonds with the floor and glazes the floor. A few hours later the floor will be buffed with special polishing pads and the floor is ready for traffic. By having your marble floor glazed it means that you do not actually walk on the floor itself but on the sealer. The original floor is fully protected.
Marble Polishing | Powders
In our opinion the process of crystallization is the most efficient and the best way of polishing a marble floor. A crystallization product can be in the form of a thick liquid or a powder. The marble floor will be deep cleaned with professional marble floor cleaning products, the grout lines will be scrubbed & the surface of the stone will be prepared with a number of diamond polishing pads up to grit 1800-3500. Then the contractor will use a low speed floor buffer and a white pad to start the process of crystallization. The powder or the crystallization liquid will be buffed in until it becomes a thick cream. All areas have to be buffed the same amount of times and with the same level of pressure. The waste will be extracted with wet vacs and the floor has to be washed a number of times with a clean mop head or a flat mop head. After the stone was crystallized the sheen cannot be washed away so the user should not be worried that too much washing will wash the sheen away. After the whole floor is completed, the floor has to be buffed with a high speed floor buffer and a white floor pad. The results will be just spectacular. The finish achieved during the crystallization process is way more durable than any other type of sealer and much more natural looking. Floor Cleaning Dublin has mastered the process of marble crystallization for many years.
Marble Polishing | Diamond Pad Polishing
The original way of achieving gloss on a natural stone floor, including marble floors, is with a diamond polishing pad. Basically the marble floor will be sanded up with fine quality diamond pads. Depending on the condition of the floor and what type of sealer is on it, the marble polishing contractor could start from grit 30 diamond polishing pad up to 12 000 grit. Most marble polishing contractors would start from grit 400, then move to 600, then to 1800 & then to 3500. A floor polished with a 3500 grit diamond polishing pad should become super glossy. This is a very time consuming way of polishing natural stone floors and it can also work out very expensive. A professional diamond polishing pad can cost anything from 40 to 120 euro, depending on the type and the amount of diamond particles on it. Marble polishing with diamond polishing pads is the proper way and the original way of polishing marble floors, but we believe that the technology has progressed a lot over the past few years and there are better ways of polishing marble. Of course, some people would agree and some would disagree. It is like washing a car. What is the best way?
The processes listed above are the most popular ways of polishing and maintaining marble floors. Based on that, we can recommend a number of marble floor cleaners and marble floor maintainers:
Faber Neugel | This product is by far the most highly recommended and the most widely used marble maintenance products in the world. The amazing Faber Neugel is a concentrated thick gel, highly cost effective, 100% safe and manufactured from organic materials. Faber neugel will remove dirt residue and it will enable the user to achieve streak free finishes even on highly polished natural stone floors. To be diluted 1 to 100 in warm water before use. It can be used with a flat mopping system or a standard cotton/microfiber mop head. Daily cleaning and maintenance will increase the floor protection and it will reduce the periods between re-polishing. Faber Neugel is affordable and suitable for commercial floor cleaning and domestic floor cleaning. Use Faber Neugel on marble floors that were polished through the crystallization process or with a diamond pad system. The product has to be in direct contact with the stone to work its magic.
Faber Algafloor | This highly concentrated natural stone cleaning product is compatible with all polished and unpolished natural stone floors. It can be used for cleaning & maintaining all tiled floors as well. This product contains a nice perfume, it dries streak free and it does not leave a residue behind it. Neutral PH and suitable for commercial marble floor cleaning projects and residential marble floor cleaning projects. It can be used in conjunction with a flat mopping system or a standard mop head. The ideal product for pet owners. It will clean the marble floor and get rid of all kinds of bad odours. Faber Algafloor does not cost a fortune but the results achieved with it will match even the fanciest marble floor cleaners. This product is highly popular with the residential floor cleaning market. Not suitable for heavy duty floor cleaning projects. This is a gentle daily maintainer.
Craftex Natural Stone Floor Cleaner | The cheapest natural stone floor cleaner ever. A pH neutral polished floor cleaner suitable for daily cleaning and maintenance of all highly polished floors. This product will remove dirt without affecting the sealer or the glazing of the floor in any negative way. To diluted 1 to 100 in warm water before use. The amazing Craftex Natural Stone Floor Cleaner is highly appreciated by the commercial marble floor cleaning industry. A highly concentrated product, highly efficient & very reasonably priced.
Marble Polishing |Best Mopping Systems
A standard mopping system can be used without any problems but there are better ways of cleaning a natural stone floor. If you are using a cotton or microfiber mop head, you are likely to use too much water. Soaking a newly polished marble floor is not recommended. Even if the cleaning product used is “streak free”, by using too much water on a non absorbent surface, you are likely to create streaks, mostly from the salts & minerals that the water contains. By using a professional flat mopping system, you are guaranteed to reach all hard to reach areas and you are also guaranteed to work faster and more efficiently. A flat mopping system and a quality microfiber flat mop head will only release the right amount of cleaning solution at once, so streaking the floor is nearly impossible. For a marble floor to stay nice and glossy, regular buffing is required. If you do not have a high speed floor buffer, then you should use the services of a professional marble floor polishing company once per year. The floor does not have to go through an intense repolishing process, but instead it can be deep cleaned and buffed nicely to maintain the sheen. By doing so, you will increase the periods between repolishing dramatically. We recommend the Concept Microfiber Professional Flat Mopping Kit as the best, the lightest and the most durable flat mopping system.
Marble Polishing |How To Prevent Further Damage
Some of our customers manage to maintain a fine sheen on their marble floors for years while other customers manage to scratch it and dull it up within a few months. Just like in the case of a fine quality car, a newly polished marble floor requires special care and maintenance.
Acidic chemicals, orange & lemon juice, bleach & high PH floor cleaners will damage the glossy finish.
Dragging furniture and chairs on a marble floor without proper protection will cause deep scratches and rough patches. Be sure to fit special leg protectors on all chairs, tables & sofas to prevent such damage.
Excited dogs and cats can also scratch the surface of the floor. Pets should not be allowed on highly polished marble floors.
Spills, urine & other residue left to dry on a polished marble floor will damage the sensitive gloss. Always remove spills within a few minutes to prevent it from penetrating the surface of the marble floor.
Mats | Many people use mats to prevent damage to the marble floors but these mats will create discolorations on the surface of the floor. While the whole floor is used on a daily basis, the areas under the mat will be left untouched. When the mat is lifted up the area under the mat will look alot darker or brighter than the rest of the room.
Sunlight. A newly polished marble floor exposed to a lot of heat or direct sunlight, is likely to lose its sheen faster.
Cutting corners when dealing with a marble floor will end up costing much more in the long run. A natural stone floor like marble, travertine, limestone, etc, is likely to last longer and look better when polished with proper marble polishing systems and products. Floor Cleaning Dublin has been polishing marble floors since 2007. Over the past few years we have developed, progressed and started using some of the world’s most innovative products & equipment. A natural stone floor sealed and polished by Floor Cleaning Dublin will look rich, classy and well finished. We provide competitive prices, superb reliability and after care maintenance. We will train you and we will show you how to clean and maintain your newly polished marble floor to be able to have it looking amazing for as long as possible.
We are happy to provide free no obligation estimates for marble polishing, marble cleaning, marble honing, marble sealing, travertine floor cleaning & polishing, limestone floor cleaning & polishing, terrazzo floor cleaning & polishing, slate floor cleaning & polishing, etc. Book our professional marble floor cleaning services online.
