Restoration, cleaning and sealing pictures

[HMDuplec]

Ok, since I've seen these photos I've been noticing stone (and its lack of polish) everywhere I go. I can't add much more to my list of services right now but I think that this is an area I'd like to explore for the future. How difficult is it to really learn (and teach - as part of my business model is hiring and teaching low income workers marketable skills)? Can anyone recommend some books as a starting point?

Thanks,

Hope

[doitright]

Hi Hope

There are two great books by Fred Hueston, and Maurizio Bertoli. I'll dig up my copies to get their exact titles.

This is a difficult trade to learn for some and comes naturally to others. Obviously, you'll want to find people who don't have to struggle with it.

Oh, what am I talking about? This is a tough trade to learn. Circumstances and conditions are always different.

Attending various classes, and hands on are always a plus.

[Stone Dude]

This is my first Tile installation, I think it turned out okay.

This was installed by our tile guy and left for me to play with. The grout joints were filled with Tenax resin, no grout anywhere. The floor was then ground flat, holes filled with Tenax resin and floor ground again, then brought to to a polish.

It's my dad's new office in our new building.

[Stone Dude]

took about 40+ hours total with all the filling and grinding. 350 square feet or so

[Stone Dude]

here is my wife trying to convince me to do this in our house.

[The Kid]

That looks awesome man! Nice work!

[Stone Dude]

thank you. It was the most fun job Ive had in a while

[doitright]

Hi Cameron

Looks outstanding!

Did you place any soft joints to allow for expansion and contraction?

Membrane underneath over the slab?

Just curious. If not, some potential problems can develop (especially with no cement grout joints to powder out with any movement that may occur).

Would love to keep on eye on this one!

[Stone Dude]

Full membrane coverage. No expansions joints. Its about 350 feet. Its set on medium bed. I dont expect any issues and my dad is certainly not worried considering he thinks he can just call me to fix it

[chefwong]

Beautiful work Cameron. Dare I ask....was the resin meant to *help make* the stone harder - aka - filling the pores in the natural stone ? Would you say this ~resin~ would be applicable for a residential environment to make marble less dense ?

The only reason I ask is I love the look of natural stone, but know fashion vs function, it may not be the most ideal for a bathroom -full walls and floors.

I don't even know how so many Malls across american have stone as their floor and it always has that POP.

[Stone Dude]

No the resin has no effect on the stone. It is used to fill the holes that open after grinding. The resin is hard and shines like the stone where other fillers will look dull.

This is a very tedious process.

Commercial floors are worked on every night tpically and look terrible compared to what can be achieved in a residential setting.

You dont want to mop the floor as much as possible. Keep it dry use a dust mop and a vacuum. Mopping will dirty and wear the floor.

[dreydog19]

Wow awesome job

[Stone Dude]

Another grind in place, this one is the worst floor I have worked on yet.


1/4" lippage everywhere, the edges were the worst, of course, and this made life miserable for a few days. We actually ended up taking a cup wheel to the edges all the way around.

1500 square feet. Flattened with my planetary and 70 metals, up to 220 resin, filled with non sanded grout, then 400 resins, seal and clean buff. Customer came home today and is happy.

a few dozen edges were ground by hand by the installer. The grout was sanded and not really in the joints very well.

[cwilde72]

Man you definitely had your work cut out for ya on that one Cameron! Awesome, awesome job

[Stone Dude]

Yeah it wasn't fun, but I'm happy with the results.