Natural stone adds elegance and beauty to any commercial space. However, without proper care and maintenance, the signs of wear and damage become apparent, diminishing both the aesthetics and safety of your floors. If you own or manage a commercial property that sees plenty of foot traffic, you’ll begin to notice the effects of that traffic on your stone or tile floors over time. Or perhaps you’ve just acquired a property whose floors have been damaged by overuse.
Luckily, there’s no need to replace your entire floor when this kind of damage occurs. Stone and tile restoration can bring back the beauty of your floors, making them look new again for an affordable price. Let’s discuss why stone and tile floors sometimes need to be restored, and talk about what the restoration process looks like.
Why Stone/Tile Restoration Is Necessary
No matter what kind of stone or tile you use on your floor,and no matter how strong the finish,your floors are no match for the dirt and debris brought in on people’s shoes day in and day out. Over time, that grime will begin to etch the finish, making the floors look dull and dirty, especially in high-traffic areas. You might even notice a dulled “pathway” on the floor where people regularly walk that no longer matches the look and finish of the rest of the floor. If your floor is made from stone or ceramic tile, you might also notice uneven or “chipped” areas of the tile where items have been dropped or the stone has been worn unevenly.
However, these problems can be easily resolved by an expert through the process of stone restoration. For a fraction of the cost of replacing the floor, our professional technicians can utilize a series of proven techniques to restore the entire floor back to like-new condition, effectively renewing the stone’s elegance and extending the life of your commercial floors.
How Does the Restoration Process Work?
The restoration process is tailored to the unique needs of the floors in your commercial space. After conducting a thorough inspection of your floors, our technicians will develop a personalized plan to address the areas of damage. Most of the restoration process involves using a series of diamond abrasives in various grits to remove blemishes and scratches, create an even look, and polish the floor to the desired finish. Some of the specific techniques used may include the following:
- Grinding and leveling: Using strong abrasives, we grind the stone down to eliminate scratches, stains, and blemishes. This also levels the stone out to make it completely smooth and even.
- Lippage removal: Lippage occurs when tiles become uneven along their edges, usually because they’ve been worn down in high-traffic areas. We carefully remove the lippage and make the floor even again.
- Honing: This process uses a series of finer abrasives to smooth out the surface of the stone and create a uniform look.
- Polishing and buffing: We use fine abrasive compounds to polish and buff the floor to the desired finish, whether that finish is matte, semi-gloss or high-gloss. For commercial floors that see a lot of traffic, we will often utilize a special process called crystallization, which uses chemical compounds to bring the floor to a high-polish finish that stands up better to wear-and-tear and is easy to maintain.
- Sealing: Another important process for high-traffic commercial floors is to apply a protective sealer to the stone or tile. This sealer penetrates the stone pores and adds a protective barrier against stains, moisture, and contaminants.
Leave It to the Stone Care Professionals
Stone and tile restoration is a specialized field that requires years of experience and training to execute properly. When it comes to high-traffic commercial properties, the stakes are even higher. A botched restoration job can lead to additional damage and costly repairs. Because of this, we do not recommend taking on stone and tile restoration or refinishing as a DIY project. These risks are also why it’s essential to choose a company with a proven track record of success and plenty of experience.At Statewide Stone Care, our technicians are trained and experienced in state-of-the-art techniques that can restore even the most worn stone and tile floors back to like-new condition. For a free estimate on restoring the floors and other stone surfaces for your commercial property in New York or New Jersey, contact us today.