Based near Barnet North London, we undertake all manor of professional marble and limestone cleaning, resurfacing and polishing. We can really make your old dirty tiles shine like new! ( even better than new sometimes:)
Deep cleaning of limestone and marble
The travertine limestone in pic below floor was in a dull lifeless state. We completely rejuvenated it to make the tiles look great.
How do we do this?
We will first do tests to see if all detergent and cleaning processes are safe for the stone. If no issues we will then apply a chemical that strips old tile seals and products. At the same time we will scrub and steam clean the grout lines and dirty black holes in tiles etc etc. This part deep cleans the tiles and gets it ready for professional stone resurfacing and polishing.
Professional limestone and marble polishing process
There are different levels of stone polishing and its up to the customer. However if the stone is deeply scratched and etched or any damage is present, we need to go more aggressive with the grinding part of the process. Using more course abrasives allow us to cut deeper and removes any issues the stone may have on the surface. Once all in a consistent state we can begin with the fines stages in the polishing process to bring up a natural shine in the stone. We can usually take it to a nice shine but some customers want more of a low sheen , so we just leave off the final two stages of the polishing.
Limestone filing and grouting repair service
As part of the refurbishment service we usually find the odd hole which we resin fill and polish out. We can sort out cracks if the tiles are solid and any other little bits such as missing grout etc. If you have spares we can even replace tiles that may be too damaged for repair
Limestone and marble sealing service
Most people undervalue the sealing part of the stone refurb job. This is the part where the work is invisible so you need to be there when this is done or really emphasize that you want it done properly! If not sealed properly your limestone and marble will get stained and need more aggressive resurfacing a few years later. Some stains may go too deep and cause permanent damage. Please see below for a brief description on how sealing needs to be done.
How is professional limestone and marble sealing done?
The only way to seal stone is to seal it properly! This means we need to get plenty of good quality sealer into the stone and then preserve the sealer with proper PH neutral cleaning afterwards.
First apply a liberal coat of your chosen tile sealer with a microfiber cloth. Allow this all to soak into the stone for a few minutes. If you see any little pools of tile sealer then you need to buff off this seal with a dry microfiber cloth. Professionals will use a rotary floor machine with a soft pad to buff in the seal but you can also do it by hand with a cloth.
After its been buffed allow it to dry for a period of time, and then apply another coat. Repeat the buffing process and then continue to apply coats of tile sealer until you see that the little pools of excess tile sealer are becoming more frequent. Usually around three coats you start to see that its not being absorbed as fast. We are aiming for full saturation of the stone which is usually evident when the sealer does not want to go in anymore.
When the sealer struggles to be absorbed and the stone is saturated then give it a while to dry and buff off all the excess with dry microfiber cloths. Dont leave it too long though as we want the excess sealer to be a liquid state to be able to buff it off easy.
The buffing leaves a nice finish so machine buffing is advised but if you are doing it by hand give it a good one!
We work in Crouch End, Muswell Hill, West Hampsted, Barnet, Islington, Highgate and all surrounding areas.