Which one of these processes is right for your stone?
There are many different factors that come into play when it comes to choosing how to restore a natural stone floor. FYI these processes can only and should only be used on natural stone flooring , i.e. Marble , Travertine , Limestone and Terrazzo name a few. DO NOT try and use these processes on any other surfaces like Ceramic , Linoleum , Wood or Porcelain as you can permanently damage them 😲 . BIG NO NO !! Diamond polishing and Crystallization are the shining steps to the restoration process. Which ever one you choose will determine the gloss and clarity factor for your floor. Let's take a look at the Pros and Cons of both of these steps. We'll start with diamond polishing first. Let me explain first off what diamond polishing entails . It is the process in which the floor is shaved down using diamond embedded pads (YES actual diamonds) , a floor scrubber and just water. Once the floor is shaved down to a raw dull surface with a very coarse diamond pad you must then start to bring the shine back by working your way up through multiple diamond grits usually starting at 50 - 400 and ending anywhere between 800 - 3000. The lower the grit the more abrasive the pad . Start and finishing pads are determined from a few different factors such as how damaged the floor is to how what kind of shine is desired for that particular stone . Now onto the pros.
DIAMOND POLISHING
PROS
1 : Diamond cutting your floor can remove almost ANY type of scratch or stain that your stone might have .
2 : It will ensure that your floor is level if done right . No more lipage to trip over.
3 : NO chemicals needed . Just water.
4 : Creates a long lasting shine .
5 : Obtains the highest of clarities.
6 : No stripping necessary. You can start grinding right away .
7 : Looks the most natural out of all the polishing processes.
8 : Creates perfect results .
CONS
1 : Very expensive .
2 : Takes a long time .
3 : Extremely messy.
4 : You must be Highly experienced to achieve great results.
5 : There is risk of damaging the stone if you're not careful.
6 : Hard to do.
CRYSTALLIZATION
Crystallizing your natural stone is the process in which you spray a chemical ( crystallizer ) on the surface and then buff in said chemical using a floor buffer with a steel wool or hog hair pad . This process is repeated multiple times until desired shine is reached. A weighted machine or heavy plate is used to obtain optimal results.
PROS
1 : Easy to do for someone experienced running the buffer.
2 : Cost effective.
3 : Results come quite quickly , taking half the time or even less as it does to diamond polish.
4 : Shines and protects at the same time . The crystallizer creates a hard shell making it a water and stain repellent.
5 : Can be done with different pads .
6 : Removes minor scratches.
7 : Shines almost as good as diamond polishing.
CONS
1 : Can leave swirl marks .
2 : You must strip the floor of sealants (if any) before starting.
3 : The chemical can smell and masks are usually needed while applying.
4 : Does not remove major scratches .
5 : The steel wool pads shed, causing dust in the air and on the floor . So dry cleanup is a must afterwards.
6 : Does not obtain the same quality clarity as the diamonds do.
Decisions , Decisions !
It comes down to a few big key factors for us . How damaged is the floor? How much does the client want to spend? What overall results does the client expect? More often than not we crystallize the floor. I would say 7 out of 10 jobs we do to be completely open and honest. We can and do achieve AMAZING results by using the crystallization process. The majority of our clients are blue collared workers who want great results for a reasonable price. So the overall takeaway is that you are probably in that 70 percent category and you don't need to diamond polish your floor. But for those that do we are ready to tackle your stone too. We are highly experienced when it comes to diamond polishing . Whichever process you choose we are here for you. Call or chat with one of our techs if you have any questions or concerns about any flooring project that you might have. 📲 (702) 349 -1457
