We do allot of stone polishing around North London and Hertfordshire and this includes different types of stone and even concrete worktops. Stone is a nice thing to have in ones home but calcium based stones and materials such as marble, limestone and concrete are highly susceptible to acidic chemicals and you would be surprised how many things in a typical kitchen are actually acidic and will mark and etch these types of work surfaces!
Our Work top polishing service
We will first deep steam, and chemically clean the stone to remove deeply ingrained dirt and old sealing products etc. After this we cut very fine layers off the stone to remove scratches and etching. Once all the stone is clean and uniform we can begin bringing up a natural shine in the stone which makes it look great and also closes the pores in the stone. There is also the option for crystallizing the stone that will add a super high shine to it!
Once polishing is complete and the stone is dry we will thoroughly seal the stone and discuss maintenance with you if you are there.
Deeply damaged etched and limescale buildup in sink area of Limestone work surfaces in kitchen
Above you can see the effect of daily wear and tear to limestone worktops around the sink area of this kitchen. Limestone is not a durable material and is basically made up of the same stuff that makes limescale. So everything you use to remove limescale will etch into the limestone. Many everyday products in a kitchen are acidic and will etch into the limestone as well. There is also the problem that white limescale will go deeply into unsealed limestone and become quite visible , especially on darker limestone and marble. This is quite a problem because we need to cut quite deep into the stone in order to remove it as the limescale essentially becomes part of the stone.
Concrete worktop polishing North London & Herts
Above is a concrete worktop we refurbished in the Muswell Hill area. Concrete behaves very similar to marble and limestone and so we can polish it up the same ( more or less) . Concrete worktops are much more porous and so it may prove very difficult to remove some of the deeper etching marks. Most of the marks will however come out and they will look great when done. These need to be sealed much more than marble worktops and going forward maintenance will need to be a priority if you wish to keep them looking good
How to protect your marble from everyday products.
The simple answer is avoid marble in high use areas as it is not that durable. However if you have already installed marble in your kitchen and bathroom here are some steps to keep it clean and protect it
- Avoid spilling products such as soaps, vinegar, bleach, shampoos etc onto it ,and clean off anything that does spill onto it.
- In a shower area use some form of drip tray to catch any soap or product that would run onto the marble walls or floors. (shower areas tiled in marble are always etched and stained)
- Clean marble regularly with a good PH neutral tile cleaner or stone soap. The cleaning will ensure harmful products and chemicals are removed and therefore cant damage the stone.
- Ensure the marble is thoroughly sealed. Stone sealers will prevent any harmful liquids from immediately penetrating the pours in the stone. Sealer buys you adequate time to clean and protect the stone from harm
I work all over North and West London , including Hertfordshire, Bedfordshire and even some parts of Buckinghamshire and Essex. So please do get in touch if your kitchen Marble , Limestone or concrete work tops are in a state. I am always around Chiswick, Ealing, Muswell Hill, Crounch End, Hampstead , Harpenden, St Albans so can easily pop in for a visit if you are near by these areas.
