Marble is a soft stone, prone to wearing down and dulling. That's why it requires a regular polishing schedule.
There are several marble polishing methods available, but it's important to find the right one for your marble surfaces and usage patterns.
Marble Diamond Polishing
The most effective and durable polishing technique involves industrial diamonds. The use of industrial diamonds for marble polishing is the most effective way to grind the floor down. That is followed by increasingly finer grit diamonds to bring out a more lustrous shine. This is the most desired process for polishing before marble restoration.
Buffing Your Marble with Polishing Powder
Marble polishing powder can give good results. This method involves applying the powder with a buffing machine to get the desired level of shine in the marble. This is a popular choice for ongoing maintenance before the marble has dulled too much.
Coatings
There are coatings like wax and urethane that can offer quick fixes to imperfections in the stone. However, these marble coatings can end up exacerbating the problems. The chemicals used to remove them can leave you with a damaged marble surface. Also, coatings prevent marble from "breathing" which may result in a yellowing of the stone. Consider coatings to be a last resort, and a temporary one at that.
Selecting the Best Method
The most effective method for polishing marble (as well as polishing limestone) is to sand with industrial diamonds and/or powders. The industrial diamonds work best for grinding out minor imperfections before restoring marble.
A note about granite polishing: Granite is very dense and thus more scratch- and stain-resistant than marble; so, less polishing is necessary. The finish on granite is usually maintained simply by damp-mopping or dusting.
When to Polish
The time to polish marble is before it starts to dull. Once it gets even slightly worn, it can take up to four times longer to bring back its shine than if you had scheduled more regular polishings.
To determine your most effective marble polishing schedule, note how long it takes the flooring to begin to dull after a polishing. If that pattern of wear remains consistent, you will want to schedule marble polishing well before that amount of time elapses again.
Keeping a deep shine on your marble might involve weekly or monthly polishing for commercial sites. The lesser wear on residential floors usually calls for marble restoration once or twice yearly.
A marble expert can best advise you on the optimal methods and schedule for your marble maintenance.
Marble is a soft stone, prone to wearing down and dulling. That's why it requires a regular polishing schedule.