Master Clean can polish & clean natural stone to restore its beauty & shine.
• Types of Natural Stone • Stone Surfacing •
• Master Clean's Natural Stone Cleaning Process •
• Order Your Hard Surface Cleaner & Kit •
Before Master Clean
After Master Clean
Types Of Natural Stones
Marble
Slate
Granite
Travertine
Flagstone
A calcium carbonate stone and a metamorphic rock. Marble reacts to acids and can be given a high gloss appearance. Not only is it sensitive to acids, but it also scratches easily. Most Marble has veins, swirls and bands. For cleaning and restoration, the most suitable method should be chosen according to the appearance and condition of the floor. Steps may include dry soil removal, erasing stains, restoring the worn surface layer and sealing the stone.
Slate
A “rough” material with low moisture absorption. Slate can be found in both interior and exterior settings and does not have a high polish unless an enhancer has been applied. Slate contains clay, which can be a problem, especially in wet areas where it can develop efflorescence easily. A good quality silicone impregnator sealer can protect the stone and increase durability. A color enhancer can be applied to create a colorful look to the stone.
Terrazzo
Terrazzo appears more uniform than most natural stones and is available in tile form or by a pouring application on the slab. Terrazzo is a mixture of Portland cement and Marble chips; these chips can range in size from a fraction of an inch to as large as several inches. A major positive of Terrazzo is that it can be ground, honed and polished just like Marble and is sometimes easily mistaken for Granite.
Granite
Granite is an extremely hard natural stone with a low porosity; normally given a polished finish. Granite is formed by a volcanic action making it acid and scratch resistant. Granite paving is not usually treated and in such cases waterproofing is recommended, especially if it is installed in kitchens or bathrooms.
Travertine
A limestone that has been formed by hot springs. Water movement caused erosion of the stone creating numerous holes of varying sizes. The holes in a polished travertine floor are filled with color-matched Portland cement filler. These fillers do not take a high polish and therefore the overall appearance is blotchy.
Flagstone
Any stone material cut into thin, irregular shapes. Flagstone is primarily found on sidewalks, foyer entrances, pool decks, etc. Flagstone can be almost any material but is most commonly the sandstone type. Flagstone should not be ground and should only be cleaned and sealed.
Before Master Clean Polishing, After Master Clean Polishing
* Natural Stone is comprised of various minerals & color variations. Each mineral may react to finishing techniques differently. Certain minerals take a higher polish than others. Stone is quarried from the earth, and often filled to make it into slabs or tiles. This filler material (resin base or cement base) may react to finishing techniques in different ways.
* Mechanical or chemical surfacing can change the overall appearance of the floor. Stone with a low shine or stone that has a rough texture will have a lighter appearance. Stone with a high shine or finer texture will be darker.
* Fracture: Stones can appear to be scratched but are actually fractured. The surface of the scratch can be removed but the fracture may remain. This problem is most evident on crystalline stones. Sometimes, the crystals of the stone are crushed throughout the entire tile or slab.
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Mask & Protect
All carpet, fixtures, & areas surrounding the stone or tile are protected with a 24 inch plastic dispenser and duct tape or masking tape to insure that there will be no damage from water or slurry.
Cleaning & Restoration
All edges & hard to reach areas are hand detailed to remove surface contaminants. Marble & grout lines are machine & hand scrubbed in conjunction with our new SX-12 technology. This technology allows us to use a truck-mount, hot water extraction system with specialized cleaners to achieve the maximum amount of soil removal. We clean under counters & other hard to reach areas. Our SX-12 uses a self-contained rotary washer, driven by water pressure. It washes the surface and immediately recovers the released soil and water at the same time. No other tool gets more outstanding results!
Honing
Stone is mechanically resurfaced using diamond abrasives and water to achieve a uniformly honed surface sheen. Filler material within travertine stone that looks cloudy and blotchy or even dirty becomes more uniform with our finishing techniques. If desired, polished marble, granite, travertine and limestone can all be mechanically honed to remove the surface polish.
Polishing
Stone can be mechanically finished to produce a high gloss shine and luster. Very light etches, scuffs and scratches may be removed with the polishing process, but diamond grinding is needed if the stone surface has medium to deep scuffs and scratches.
Repair
Cracks and pits are repaired by first cleaning out the crack or pit, then mixing and installing a custom-colored two-part resin to fill and disguise the crack or pit as much as possible. Deep stains within a stone are treated by applying a poultice mixture to the surface. The paste like substance needs to remain on the stone for approximately 24 hours. "Poulticing" is not an exact science; some stains will be un-removable. It depends on the type of stain and how long it has been in the stone.
Clean at Home
At Master Clean, we recommend using BonaX Hard Surface Floor Cleaner for maintaing natural stones between professional services.
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Mask & Protect
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Honing
Polishing
Polishing Wand
Repair & Poultice Fill
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Hard Surface Cleaner and Kit here