So you’re trying to polish your marble, limestone, terrazzo and calcite stone but you’re just not getting the results you want?
Very frustrating! Especially when you feel like you’ve done everything right!
What should you do next?
Maybe you’ve already tried…
• Buffing with a lambswool or white polishing pad… not working!
• Hiring a polishing machine from your local hire shop… waste of time!
• Polish with a marble and calcite stone polishing powder… still not working!
• Crystalise with a polishing liquid and steel wool pads… no… still not good enough!
• Spent $100s or $1,000s on Twister diamond floor polishing pads… and they made the floor look worse.
• Sealing with a coating… what a mess! now it scratches and damages too easily… it looks like it’s wrapped in cling wrap… and it needs constant buffing… yuck!
• Calling an expert… still no luck or maybe way too expensive or who do you trust?
Don’t give up yet!
Before we go any further, let’s look at what type of marble polishing your floor needs.
There are 2 main types...
1. Maintenance polishing systems…
These keep your floor in top condition and continually looking its best (frequency is determined by traffic levels and soil type). A product like ProGlo marble polishing powder is most commonly used for this type of polishing.
2. Professional restoration and polishing systems…
This is a multi-step process required when a floor or surface has not been maintained to the level required or perhaps it’s been a long time since the floors last restoration and it needs to be restored due to heavy scratching and wear. Restoration requires the use of diamond impregnated pads. ProGlo marble polishing powder would then be used after the diamond process is completed.
So what does your marble floor need?
Often people call us upset that a quick buff of their marble floor is not restoring it to its original shine and appearance. This will never be possible when the floor requires restoration. A quick lambswool buff of a marble floor will not restore it. I wish it did. That would be so much easier. But if that did work the marble restoration industry wouldn’t exist.
By not maintaining and polishing your marble floor to a good standard you are NOT saving money. You might save some loose change in the short term but this mistake or oversight will cost you big bickies in the long term. You never want to let your floor go so far that you need professional restoration on a regular basis. Professional restoration should be a very rare event for a well-maintained floor.
When it comes to maintaining marble and natural stone floors you either pay now or pay lots later. What I mean is you can try to save money by not investing in regular maintenance however the cost to restore the floor will be much higher when you have to do it. When you maintain regularly, your floor always looks good and you can avoid expensive restoration completely or if not, significantly lengthen the time between restorations. At the end of the day, regular maintenance is the better value option.
Now, back to the point of this article…
Here are 4 reasons why your polishing of marble, limestone, terrazzo and calcite natural stone might not be working…
1. Initial diamond restoration may be required
There are times when severe etching, scratching, dullness, wear and other damage will require further initial preparation or restoration before a polishing system is started. This initial step may require the use of diamond polishing pads or specialty diamond polishing powders. If diamonds are required before the polishing process we recommend using 400 grit, 800 grit and then 1500 grit. Very rarely do 200-grit diamonds need to be used.
2. Machine speed and weight
The other factor with regard to the end polishing result is the weight and speed of the machine you are using. We recommend a single disc polishing machine running at less than 200 rpm, weighing at least 65 kilograms with an integrated steel (not plastic) pad holder. You can still achieve great results with lighter-weight machines.
3. Perhaps a different polishing powder or liquid will work better
Some of these products are designed to work better on lighter, darker or particular coloured marble and calcite stone. Some can even achieve great results on granite.
4. There are times when you will need a professional
All stone is different and sometimes the variables involved and the expertise required to achieve a great result will mean that calling a professional in is a good idea.
Another great place to start when finding a solution to a marble polishing problem is this article, check it out… How To Perfectly Polish Marble Floors Like A Professional. Tips And Tricks For Pros And DIYers.
I hope these tips help you out. Remember the team at XO2 is always here to help. Feel free to get in touch if you require any help or advice on using the 1 step ProGlo process in your facility’s marble floor care program.
You can also check out XO2’s most famous marble polishing, cleaning and sealing products online.
Have a great day marble lovers!
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