Marble Floor

[hogjowl]

Just got a call to "clean the grout and make the marble shiney again".

Special considerations ?

 

[Mikey P]

Again?

So the polish has worn off?

 

[Kellie Hiler]

Find out how the floor has been maintained and whether there is some kind of finish applied. It likely needs to be polished with diamond pads.
I ran into a situation last year where there had been some kind of finish applied and we did not know until we started cleaning it. I honestly cannot remember what we used to remove the finish but we ended up polishing it with 3 different grit diamond pads and a 175 to get the shine back.

 

[Jim Pemberton]

Find out how the floor has been maintained and whether there is some kind of finish applied. If not, it likely needs to be polished with diamond pads.

What Kellie said....

If they used wax to make it shiny, it might be a mess to fix. You'll need to do some tests, ask a lot of questions, and make very few promises.

 

[Mikey P]

Its Alabama, of course they used Wax.


Turtle no doubt.

 

[Jim Pemberton]

How familiar are you with marble cleaning and restoration Marty?

If you haven't done any yet, or any like this, I wouldn't want to make this one to be an on the job learning project.

This seemingly innocent and simple request is fraught with potential nightmares.

If you have already done a number of these, and are familiar with the processes needed to restore marble that's been abused by poor maintenance and the application of VCT finishes, scroll by my comments of course.

 

[Bryan Thomson]

Marty,

I use a 5 step pre-inspection process that includes a "scrape test" and "acid test" to determine pre-existing conditions such as floor finish.

Here how to use these two physical testing procedures.

1. Scrape test: Take a knife or razor blade and angle the blade to floor say a 45 degrees and scrape the surface of the tile.
If a waxy / whitish film builds up on the knife blade, this is a good indication that an acrylic floor finish / wax has been applied to the surface of the tile.
If a "topical floor finish" is on the tile.....it is without doubt "in the grout" which will strongly impede the cleaning process...eg. Make it very difficult to clean the grout effectively/ evenly.

This is extremely important as previous threads suggest for a couple of reasons;

A. The extra labor it takes to "strip the finish" before you can clean the grout and polish the marble is very labor intensive and if miss this pre-existing condition it will be a "costly mistake"

B. You won't be able to get the grout to clean evenly or at all until you remove the finish from the grout......remember if it's "on the tile" it is "IN The Grout" and becomes a barrier that must be removed to get the cleaner into the grout / dirt.

2. Acid test: Get an "eye dropper" and put a couple of drops of the undiluted acid cleaner / "grout brightener" on top of the Marble tile in an inconspicuous spot....if it "fizzes/whitish foam" then it is definitely a calcium carbonate base stone eg. Marble, Limestone or travertine and there is "NO" finish on the surface......if there was floor finish on the tile it wouldn't allow the chemical reaction / fizzing to occur because it creates a barrier to the acid.

You can use this acid test in the grout as well, to confirm the presence of floor finish or a penetrating sealer.
If it is standard "un-sanded" cement base grout it will also react/ fizz when acid is applied to it.
If there is a "topical floor finish" or penetrating sealer it "won't fizz" telling you It has a pre-existing condition that impedes the cleaning process.

Sorry for the long / extended answer however, as Jim says....this could very well be a complicated cleaning let alone then figuring out how many steps it will take to polish and to what reflectivity based upon wear in the floor compared to the margins.
Which is another very important process to get right.

I'm not trying to say you can't do it or scare you away from it......but as they say "knowledge is power" but "wisdom is knowing what you limitations are, based upon that knowledge or lack there of"

Hope this helps.....if you are going to proceed.....I'd be glad to help with more info on how to strip floor finish from grout ( can be a nightmare) and also how to use the DIP pads for polishing ( they have there limitations too)

 

[Old Coastie]

Marty if you want to collaborate, I'd come look at it with you.

 

[Mikey P]

$50 it's dirty porcelain...

 

[hogjowl]

Marty,

I use a 5 step pre-inspection process that includes a "scrape test" and "acid test" to determine pre-existing conditions such as floor finish.

Here how to use these two physical testing procedures.

1. Scrape test: Take a knife or razor blade and angle the blade to floor say a 45 degrees and scrape the surface of the tile.
If a waxy / whitish film builds up on the knife blade, this is a good indication that an acrylic floor finish / wax has been applied to the surface of the tile.
If a "topical floor finish" is on the tile.....it is without doubt "in the grout" which will strongly impede the cleaning process...eg. Make it very difficult to clean the grout effectively/ evenly.

This is extremely important as previous threads suggest for a couple of reasons;

A. The extra labor it takes to "strip the finish" before you can clean the grout and polish the marble is very labor intensive and if miss this pre-existing condition it will be a "costly mistake"

B. You won't be able to get the grout to clean evenly or at all until you remove the finish from the grout......remember if it's "on the tile" it is "IN The Grout" and becomes a barrier that must be removed to get the cleaner into the grout / dirt.

2. Acid test: Get an "eye dropper" and put a couple of drops of the undiluted acid cleaner / "grout brightener" on top of the Marble tile in an inconspicuous spot....if it "fizzes/whitish foam" then it is definitely a calcium carbonate base stone eg. Marble, Limestone or travertine and there is "NO" finish on the surface......if there was floor finish on the tile it wouldn't allow the chemical reaction / fizzing to occur because it creates a barrier to the acid.

You can use this acid test in the grout as well, to confirm the presence of floor finish or a penetrating sealer.
If it is standard "un-sanded" cement base grout it will also react/ fizz when acid is applied to it.
If there is a "topical floor finish" or penetrating sealer it "won't fizz" telling you It has a pre-existing condition that impedes the cleaning process.

Sorry for the long / extended answer however, as Jim says....this could very well be a complicated cleaning let alone then figuring out how many steps it will take to polish and to what reflectivity based upon wear in the floor compared to the margins.
Which is another very important process to get right.

I'm not trying to say you can't do it or scare you away from it......but as they say "knowledge is power" but "wisdom is knowing what you limitations are, based upon that knowledge or lack there of"

Hope this helps.....if you are going to proceed.....I'd be glad to help with more info on how to strip floor finish from grout ( can be a nightmare) and also how to use the DIP pads for polishing ( they have there limitations too)

Thank you!
Very helpful.

 

[hogjowl]

Marty if you want to collaborate, I'd come look at it with you.

That might be the thing to do. I could learn from you and you could take the money.

 

[Old Coastie]

Naw, nothing doing. We could split it, maybe.

 

[hogjowl]

Let me look at it and I'll call you.
Message me your cell number.

 

[Kellie Hiler]

I'll come help ya!

 

[Mikey P]

Me too! :-)

 

[hogjowl]

Kellies serious.

 

[Kellie Hiler]

Yes I am!

 

[Old Coastie]

Well, she's a whole bunch cuter than me, Marty.

For that matter, so's the rest of the Universe. Crumbs...

 

[hogjowl]

Yes, but she requires feeding and a place to stay.

 

[hogjowl]

And a willing ear.

 

[Old Coastie]

Took ya two posts to say "female."

 

[hogjowl]

LOL!

 

[Kellie Hiler]

Yes, but she requires feeding and a place to stay.

It's only a 3 hour drive Marty! Minus speed time only 2 hours away!

 

[Kellie Hiler]

Took ya two posts to say "female."

Bahahaha!!! Good ine!!