How we look after your Marble, Limestone, Granite and other Natural Stone Surfaces...

We start by grinding away the stone's worn surface so that fresh stone appears. Depending on what surface and character you want to have on your stone floor, you can then choose one of the following grind finishes: High gloss, Micro finish, Satin matt.

These surfaces can be obtained without crystallisation. In this case, we polish or we grind the floor so finely that it becomes shiny without any treatment. Today's grinding methods enable successive steps of surface treatment and are many times faster than conventional techniques. In the first stage of grinding, we often make use of a special cutting plate. We then continue with a wide range of diamond tools that are graded in different mesh ratios from, e.g. 44/60, 60/85 (green with metal compounding CP 18), up to 1000/1800. To avoid scraping and fraying, the machines work with special diamond pads that treat the floor surface evenly under a constant pressure. Water is used as a cooling and lubricating fluid. The choice of diamond discs depends on the condition of the floor. Is it newly laid, heavily worn or scoured away through the use of too many alkaline substances? Or does the surface just need polishing? These are just a few of the issues that we have to address.

When we restore, the water and grind sludge remains within the working area of the machine. This means that the floors can regain their shine without your employees being disturbed in the process.

Traditional floor grinding gives beautiful, almost completely even surfaces. However, the method is complicated and takes a long time. The traditional technique is most appropriate when the floor lies uneven with level edges that gather dirt.

The method of the future is called surface and cloth grinding and will become increasingly common in the UK and the USA. The technique is relatively fast. It ensures a very good result and the stone obtains the same character as if it were traditionally restored. The problems with marble or limestone floors arise after a time when the floor has become worn and the surface increasingly resembles sandpaper. To prevent this, it is more economical to regularly grind the surface layer of the floor than to invest lots of money in a total renovation.

After-treatment of stone floors often consists of crystallisation or impregnation; alone or in combination. Impregnation is a method that has had a big impact in the USA, where it is used by the postal service and several large hotel chains. Combining the methods gives many advantages: crystallisation makes the floor hard and impregnation provides stain-resistance and repels water. Impregnation can also be used on all types of floors, including clinkers. The technique is also effective on stonewalls to protect against graffiti.

Marble and Natural Stone Crystallisation
Crystallisation is a method of giving a stone floor a harder and more beautiful surface. Today, it is popular to have elegant, shiny surfaces that convey a luxurious character. Chemically, the technique is based on the calcium carbonate in the surface layer of the stone being transformed into the considerably harder calcium fluoride. Other active substances in the crystallisation solution are zinc and magnesium fluorosilicate. Once the solution has had time to take effect, we polish the hard surface to make it shiny using different coarse steel wool-all according to your requirements. The machine should weigh at least 65 kilograms and have a rotation speed of 175 R.P.M. On the floor, a thin film of extremely hard/dense micro crystals will now have formed to become a part of the floor. To ensure that "walking lanes" do not occur, the method requires regular maintenance. With the right entrance solution and mopping up system, not only will you reduce your cleaning costs, you will also improve the quality of your beautiful, rediscovered floor! We recommend the crystallisation method to everybody who wants a shiny floor with a glossy finish and good cleanability.

The smoother your stone floor is, the easier it is to look after it! Stone floors should generally be kept clean with dry and damp cleaning methods. When, for example, you are wet wiping, you should use an appropriate protective agent. Uneven surfaces should preferably be machine cleaned using a combi-cleaner or a mains-operated combination machine.

Call us for a free estimate and - or technical information on telephone number 020 8807 8889.

International +44 208 807 8889