Marble Restoration

Marble restoration is a process that includes cleaning, repair and polishing. It has become a common misconception that cleaning is the solution for a dull marble surface. In fact, a lot of homeowners hire professional cleaning services when they think their natural stone floor has already lost its luster.

The nature of marble

First, it has to be known that marble is a soft stone compared to other types of floors like granite or limestone. Over time it becomes scratched and dull, and the shine and luster are gone. This is where the mistake begins; homeowners would think that the marble has collected too much dirt, requiring professional cleaning. What the stone really needs is some refinishing and polishing in order to restore the sheen it had when it was new.

What makes marble shine?

The surface of a marble floor can send confusing signals which in turn can mislead customers. Take for example a rough or scratched marble surface. The reflections from a light source can be scattered by the rough surface which would produce a flat and dull appearance. On the other hand, marble with a smooth surface would reflect the rays of light and produce a highly reflective, mirror-like effect. A simple example for this optical property is a lake or a pond. On a calm day, the surface of the calm water would look like a big mirror; when the weather is windy, the waves break the reflection. The point here is that a marble surface only needs to be smoothed or polished in order to make it more reflective or glossy.

The restoration of marble

The high gloss or deep shine that can be seen on newly polished marble is made possible by rubbing the surface with different levels of abrasives, beginning with coarse materials and moving to finer abrasives. The polishing process is comparable to sanding wooden surfaces. First the marble is rubbed with coarse or rough abrasive grit using an electric/mechanical floor polisher. This is followed by ever finer abrasives until the surface is completely smooth. The scratches start from deep and big ones which are removed by coarse grit abrasives, then the finer scratches are eliminated by the fine grit. The rubbing goes on until the scratches are invisible to the naked eye.

The shine that only professionals can achieve

To cut a long story short, the shine on the marble surface is actually caused by a super smooth surface as it becomes highly reflective. The gloss on the marble may be just an optical illusion but the overall effect is nothing less than spectacular. Marble restoration is a process that should only be done by professionals because it takes a great deal of knowledge, experience and special materials and equipment. The greatest benefit that a homeowner would get is that restoration covers all bases since the stone floor is cleaned and then polished. Most of all, the finish is guaranteed to last.