Very few stones have as many uses as marble. Whether for architecture, sculpture, and construction projects, marble has found its way to be among the top choice. Throughout the ages, master craftsmen have been using marble to adorn palace floors, ceilings, and walls – a resounding proof of wealth, opulence, and power. Today, marble tile is making its way more and more into everyday homes and even office spaces – all over the world.
The Origins Of Marble
Marble is a metamorphic rock formed when limestone undergoes intense heating, pressure, and chemical disruptions – causing the stone to reform into an intricate structure of various crystals – calcite, aragonite, and dolomite.
Very pure limestone produces white marble while the presence of clay, silt, sand, and other materials lends it that richly varied hues. Each marble piece is stunningly different – in veining, evenness of look or type, as well as color palette.
Why Adopt A Three-Stage Program For Marble Floor Polishing?
For decades, homeowners and business people alike have preferred marble over other floor materials to lend that special elegance to their private residences or office spaces. The range of designs and colors is only limited by the imagination of the installer.
But proper caring for this natural stone can be quite a challenge, especially when there is heavy foot traffic as well as high volume of use of common areas such as the living room in a private residence or the guest lounge in an office. The key to maintaining its high aesthetic quality and long lasting sparkle is to prepare a three-stage cleaning and maintenance program: daily maintenance, deep cleaning, and polish upkeep.
Daily Maintenance
As a rock formed out of re-crystallized limestone, marble has unique properties such as its high natural sheen. It is therefore essential to select the right cleaning product to achieve excellent result without causing damage or dehydrating the stone.
When choosing a daily cleanser for your marble floor, steer clear from ‘stone cleaners’ which may be effective in removing dust, dirt, and grime but will also strip the stone of its moisture and shine. Choose mild stone soaps instead which are tough on spills and stains but won’t dehydrate your stone surface.
There are many marble floor cleansers in the market today which contain a number of harmful ingredients that are specifically created to take out the contaminants on the marble floor but leave a very slight, completely clear, moisturizing layer.
Marble floors do not need waxing. But it is a common practice among residential and commercial cleaners to make the cleaning easier and to protect the marble surface.
This can be entirely excluded from your daily maintenance by choosing an effective marble cleaning solution that is ‘coating-friendly’ and has high compatibility with a smooth surface like your marble floor.
Without a proper cleaning substance, you won’t be able to capture all the detergent residues as well as any dirt and oil deposits which will eventually be embedded faster and more deeply onto the marble surface. Hint: When housekeeping employees or janitorial staff regularly buffs your marble floor, it is a result of ineffective cleaning rather than a proof of diligence.
Deep Cleaning
To maintain the high aesthetic quality and integrity of the marble stone floor, deep cleaning at regular intervals must be done. This usually calls for an intensive cleanser; however, not all products are suitable for sensitive stone surfaces like your marble floor.
A proper intensive cleanser is one which has exceptional ability to penetrate well into the stone surface and to draw out deeply embedded dirt and oils. This will eliminate any need for additional marble floor cream or solvent that may remove stubborn stains but can further damage the marble coating.
In instances where there are multiple and aged layers of sealer built up on the stone or in the grout joints, more than several deep cleaning applications might be required in order to remove tough stains as well as the stubborn layers of sealers and make the grout spotless without causing any etching, pitting, or abrasion on its surface.
Polish Upkeep
Mohs scale is used to test the level of a mineral’s ability to scratch other minerals as well as its resistance to being scratched. In the Mohs scale of mineral hardness, marble, fall under the 3-4 categories; in comparison, quartz sand is 7 while diamonds are 10. This is the reason why periodic polish upkeep is essential as well to maintain the high sheen factor of your marble floor.
1. Apply a ‘powder’ polisher or refinishing cream to maintain its natural finish.
- Choose a high quality product to avoid re-etching the stone surface, especially if the floor care staff is not properly trained to handle marble floor polishing.
- Choose a natural polishing or refinishing product that has less acidity than oxalic acid to minimize any possibility of damaging the marble stone.
2. Use acid-based crystallization to achieve marble polish protection.
- This is utilized by cleaners who want to achieve a quicker sparkle due to the changing of the marble’s calcium carbonate into a harder surface.
- This method should only be done sparingly to avoid ‘surface fatigue’ characterized by visible clouding or yellowing of the surface.
3. Use an alkaline-based protective sealer as final polishing
- Both newly installed marble floors and recently restored marble surfaces can benefit from this procedure. It is NOT a restoration solution but when used after all the above-mentioned cleaning and maintenance efforts, it can result to a better abrasion resistance, increased slip resistance, and more lustrous shine to your marble floor.
Keeping Up With Your Marble Floors’ High Status Quo
Clean, shiny, and long-lasting marble floors can lend any space that elegant beauty no other stone can convey. Stop the premature deterioration of these handsome surfaces by entrusting its cleaning and maintenance program with one of the best marble floor cleaners and polishers in Singapore, Avalon Services.
Avalon Services possesses a systematic understanding of marble polishing techniques that will best complement the qualities of this natural stone floor surface. Combined with the precise competence of its cleaning technicians, you can expect a high quality finish that will leave your marble floor immaculate and bright.
Foregoing harsh chemicals and abrasive cleaners, Avalon Services uses only pH-neutral cleaning agents, finer grade pads, and environmental-friendly non-acrylic, solvent-based sealers during the entire process of marble floor polishing.
There is no better company that has the requisite skill and expertise to care for your marble floor. With a core of competent cleaning technicians, Avalon Services can maintain the delicate elegance or restore the former glory of your marble floors.