Marble tile

[geobarn61]

On a roll. Here's a marble tile floor down around a year. Will probably be cleaning it and the grout. Very small area shows wear like picture below. I know restoration is better route but considering the small area affected, is there something a non-restoration cleaning person like myself do to put some gloss back in these areas. Customer will be following my plan for maintenance after cleaning and stop using Pine Sol.

http://www.cleanernetwork.com/barnett/albums/Fun/marbltile.jpg

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[GraniteGirl]

Restoration would not really be an option on that floor due to the incorrect installation - huge grout lines and sanded grout.

There is no really durable fix for the scratches, except for buffing them out - which will be problematic due to the sand in the grout.

Try using an enhancing sealer once the floor is cleaned, but be aware that the grout will be enhanced too, so the color of that might change.

[Darek]

Hi George
I see that you did not trust me when I answer your question on discussion board. Just stay away from this one this floor is a mess like Adriana said.

[geobarn61]

Where did you answer it at? Posted in several places. It's like going to the doctor, when you may have a problem that takes several opinions. I'm a cleaning guy, not restoration. No experimenting on customers. Ever.

You did pick it for what it is. Factory seconds.

[Darek]

Have Debbie said hello from me? Now you should know the answer to your Question.

[joh]

Hey guys, not to be the odd one, but why you are concerned about the sanded grout.

geobarn61, why do you want to stay away from restoration. I see a few ways to go. If indeed you have one or two tiles that look like this, it could me fix with a hand tool. If the room is larger than 4 X 4 a restoration person can grind and polish with out fear of the sanded grout. Sanded grout is not a good reason not to restore the floor.


http://www.huligar.com/nsraweb/gallery/data/501/medium/lip12.JPG http://www.huligar.com/nsraweb/gallery/data/501/medium/lip9.JPG
Never fear the grout size non type.

[doitright]

Hi George :)

You could try a product from Aqua Mix called Renue. It doesn't have oxalic acid like most marble polishing compounds, which makes it more user friendly.

I think Jo showed an excellent example that sanded grout won't necessarily ruin a restoration project. I don't know what sheen he brought that particular project up to though.

There are several parts to the equation on whether or not sand will affect the end result. If the grout can be scratched out with a finger nail, I would suggest replacement with unsanded grout. If the joints are too wide for unsanded, nonsanded can be used, with a bit of silica sand added for filler (to create more body).

Clean up as you go is also critical. A quality wet vac is also important.

I will always suggest to do a TEST area first.

As you mentioned to Darek, it's not a bad idea to gather multiple opinions and expertise, and formulate your plan, based on what you are most comfortable with.

[geobarn61]

Consensus confirms restoration.

Question now being, would cleaning and sealing only the grout interfere with the restoration process?

[Steven Hauser]

George it depends on what you clean with. If you have one of those nice high pressure tools then you can direct it to the grout.

If you are going with a chemical clean, then beware because most will contain acids to cut the top layer and expose a lower cleaner layer of grout.

This will also harm your marble because the acid eats at the marble and the exposed sand is looser in the grout.

I like Josveek's picture, nice work, and I do concur we have had to grind several areas that had sanded grout, the the trick is to get everything flat and with the diamond or metal delippage pads it will make short work of marble and sanded grout, you do want to use your wet vac and get any noncompressed grout loose and replaced before trying to polish the tiles and grout.

We used to cut the grout back and by mixing nonsanded grout with a latex additive we applied this on top of the grout that we had cut back to a recessed plane. We then started restoration with the large pads and it usually ended nice and smooth and nonsanded looking.

:)

[geobarn61]

Armed to the teeth with nice high pressure tools, stone safe cleaners, and sealers. It would allow me to clean and seal the grout for later restoration.

[doitright]

Hi George :)

One other issue may be at hand. It appears that in the picture you posted, the tiles displayed could be an agglomerate. If that is the case, you need to use caution with what you use to clean. Not only acids will affect the stone, but various solvents can affect the resin in the agglomerate.

[squeakydeke]

I know you're not supposed to use sanded grout with polished marble because it will limit the options when it comes time to polish it in the future. I am assuming that also applies to Spectralock grout since it is also sanded, correct?

I am planning to use 12 x 12 Tea Rose marble on the shower walls and the floor in a small bathroom, mainly because I can't talk my wife out of it. :whip: If the bath is used daily, how often can I really expect to need to have it professionally polished? Is this a once every 10 years thing or something that will need to be done more often?

My next question is would the marble be scratched by the sand in the Spectralock during grouting?

I've used the Spectralock before on ceramic tiles and I've been happy with the durability, but if it is truly a no-no, are there any preferences for a brand of unsanded grout which won't discolor or stain?

Thanks in advance!

[StoneBuddy]

This floor might be in need of the dreaded crysta-crapola. Will become a maintenance issue and will need to be ground off in a few years.

Restoring the floor to a honed finish is an option, but using diamonds on anything larger than 1/4" grout line is risky. Joh might be the only restoration contractor out there who would tackle polishing that floor.

By the way, I do not condone the use of the dreaded crysta-crap. But it does have it's place, and I think this could be one of them. And yes, anybody who can run a floor buffer can apply this effectively.

Just my .02.

[Davestone]

Frank you'll have a couple problems..one you need to use a doodle bug,or scratchy pad to clean up Spectralock,which might scratch your marble.Also,depending on your water type, soap type, and cleaning regimen you may wind up needing to polish sooner than once a year.If you polish it before it gets bad enough to need abrasives(just using a pad and plishing solution)it won't be a problem.