Polishing marble floors in a busy facility can be inconvenient, time consuming and expensive. So when your floor has been polished back to looking its best, it’s a good idea to think about how you can keep it that way for as long as possible. That’s why having a good cleaning and maintenance plan for your polished marble will save you $1,000s over the life of a floor and will keep it looking brilliant for much longer
Now, let’s try to answer this very tough question.
How long will a well-maintained polished marble floor last before re-polishing is needed?
OK, got a confession to make… this question is impossible to answer. There's not one answer that fits everyone’s circumstances.
The reality is, the moment your floor is opened to traffic it will start wearing slowly. This starts on day 1. A polished marble floor can be destroyed in 1 day or look absolutely beautiful after years of traffic. Here are some variables that matter when assessing the time interval between marble polishing processes.
1. Cleaning frequency
A floor that is dust mopped twice a day will last a lot longer than if it was dust mopped once a week. Dirt and sand act as an abrasive under people's feet. That’s the enemy of the shine which is why we need to remove as much of it as we can as often as we can.
2. Types of dirt and sand
Facilities with marble floors close to the beach for example don’t tend to stay highly polished for as long due to sand being highly abrasive. More regular dust mopping and floor scrubbing are required in these environments.
3. Cleaning methods
A marble cleaning program regularly using floor scrubbers and polishers can expect better results in the long term than if you just use a mop and bucket.
4. Traffic and footwear
How busy your floor is and what people wear on their feet have a drastic influence on how long a marble floor stays polished.
5. Your standards
What you believe is an acceptable standard will be different to someone else. Your standards for a foyer in a 6-star resort with lots of light might be very high. Your standard for your bathroom at home might be very different. These differing standards will affect how often polishing is done.
6. Quality of equipment used
The equipment you use does matter however on most marble floors provided the speed of the floor polisher is right and the technician is patient, excellent polishing results can be expected. More even weight over the marble floor polishing machine is helpful most of the time. Adding weight to some machines can be a problem though because more weight can then be present on the inside of the pad holder than the outside which will give uneven polishing results.
7. Marble polishing compounds
They are not all the same, far from it. Some burn faster, some polish faster, and some are super safe and forgiving, they are all different. Prioritise ease of use over speed. It’s fine to polish fast but it’s much more difficult getting the perfect shine when you’re racing. The ProGlo marble polishing system is an excellent balance between speed, ease of use and polishing results. Try it out for yourself and let us know what you think.
8. Expertise of the person polishing the marble
Don’t be scared of doing this work yourself or having your facility maintenance team start polishing your marble. It’s not rocket science but there is a learning curve. Know that as your experience grows your results and efficiency will improve too.
9. Effective entrance matting
Polished marble floors love entrance mats. Entrance mats stop dirt, sand and grit at the door drastically reducing abrasive wear due to foot traffic. Quality floor matting choices keep your floor looking good for much longer.
How often you re-polish your marble will be dependant largely on your budget and the standards your facility has set. Re-polishing marble is something your in-house facility maintenance team can do provided you don’t let the floor deteriorate to the point where professional restoration with diamond discs is required to deal with severe scratching and wear.
Looking after your marble is the key to long-lasting shine. For more info on cleaning and maintaining marble floors check out this article… How To Clean & Maintain Marble Floors For Streak Free, Hygienic & Beautiful Natural Stone Surfaces.
And if you’re on the hunt wanting to know more about how to polish marble floors this article is for you… How To Perfectly Polish Marble Floors Like A Professional. Tips And Tricks For Pros And DIYers.
XO2 is here to help however we can. Get in touch with us for any help you require with the ProGlo marble polishing process. You can also check out XO2's marble polishing, cleaning and sealing products online.
Have a great day and happy polishing!
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