Stone Polishing Archives - Oxfordshire Tile Doctor

Polishing a Limestone table in Burford, Oxfordshire

This client from Burford in the Cotswold hills contacted us to see if I could polish up a Limestone table which was now surplus to requirements, and they wanted to sell it. They realised though that the polished appearance was dull and unappealing, so if it was to achieve the best price if would need polishing first.

Limestone Table Before Polishing Burford

We discussed the project over the phone and I explained that although we are more used to polishing stone floors with large diamond burnishing pads there was no reason why the same technique wouldn’t work on the table. For this project we would use smaller six-inch pads that can be fitted to a hand-held buffer machine. Confident I could complete the work and get the table back to its former glory I agreed to call in and demonstrate the process.

Polishing a Limestone Tiled Table

Using a set of small diamond burnishing pads of increasing grits and water I was able to quickly polish a sample area of the table to a nice shine. This newly polished section really highlighted just how dull the rest of the table had become. Like any polished surface it will lose its lustre over time with regular use and potentially cleaning with the wrong products.

Happy my solution was effective, and the price was right, he asked me to continue and polish the whole table. I put tape around the edge of the table to prevent splashes and had a dust sheet on the floor.

Next using a flex polishing machine fitted a six-inch 200-grit pad the stone was lightly cut back to remove the staining and cup marks. A little water is used during this process to help lubricate and a sponge with more water is used afterwards to remove the slurry which is generated. This process was then repeated using 400, 800, 1500 and finally a 3000-grit pads until the Limestone was polished to a honed finish. Again, the slurry was sponged away after each pad.

Sealing a Limestone Table

Then to get a very deep durable Tile Doctor Shine Powder was applied which is ground into the stone using a White buffing pad. Once this had dried, I buffed the table with another White pad to leave table looking like new.

Limestone Table After Polishing Burford

The client was delighted with the finished result and considered keeping it for a moment! However, they were satisfied that they could now sell it for a good price. For the maintenance cleaning of polished stone tables and countertops we recommend Tile Doctor Stone Patina Spray which is very easy to apply and helps protect the polish.

Although we specialise in the maintenance of tiles, stone or grout, mainly involving floors, but from time to time we do get asked to do something different such as resurfacing stone tables or work surfaces. It makes a nice change to complete something different and is very satisfying when the results are as good as this.

Professional Restoration of a Limestone Table in Oxfordshire

Travertine Salon Floor Before and After Restoration Kidlington

Pitted Travertine Tiled Floor Restored at Kidlington Hair Salon

1 Comment / Kidlington Tile Cleaning, Travertine Tile Cleaning, Work by Category, Work by Location, Work History / Barry Woodward

The Travertine tiled floor installed at this busy hair salon in the village of Kidlington, had seen a lot of wear of the years and was now looking rather sorry for itself. I suspect the floor hadn’t been professionally maintained and the use of acidic cleaning products had caused holes to form Pitts in the stone which then trapped dirt. Owners of stone floors should be careful what they use to clean their floors with, as many products can dissolve the calcium in the stone over time. If a sealer has been applied, they will strip that off the floor first leaving the stone vulnerable to dirt which becomes ingrained in the stone and is difficult to remove.

Travertine Floor Before Clean Seal Kidlington Hair Salon

The natural colours in this stone which were a mixture of red and green hues which are most unusual for travertine, however due to the accumulation of dirt in the pores of the stone it was difficult to appreciate. I discussed with the client the work needed to renovate the stone and agreed a price for the work. This salon was still closed at this point due to lockdown and the salon owner wanted to have the stone floor renovated as soon as possible in time for re-opening.

Cleaning a Travertine Tiled Hair Salon Floor

First, I gave the floor an initial clean using a strong dilution of Tile Doctor Pro-Clean which as per usual was left for ten minutes to soak into the pores before being scrubbed in with a black pad fitted to a rotary floor buffer. The dirt was then rinsed away with water and extracted with a wet vacuum.

The cleaning process was repeated several times and I then turned my attention to the holes in the Travertine. Holes trap dirt so I spent the rest of the morning carefully filling them with a resin filler in a matching colour.

When the resin was set, I used a set of diamond encrusted buffing pads to hone the stone and blend the filled holes in with the rest of the floor. Lubricating the process with water the first pad to be applied was a very coarse 50-grit milling pad which was followed with a 100 and then 200 grit milling pad. This part of the process opens the pores in the stone so the dirt can be flushed out leaving the stone nice and clean. The next step is to refine the stone using a set of Burnishing pads from 400 up to 1500 grit which closes the pores and rebuilds the polished appearance of the stone. It’s worth mentioning that after each pad I rinsed with more water and the extracted the slurry with a wet vacuum.

Sealing a Travertine Tiled Hair Salon Floor

The floor was left to dry off overnight and I returned the next day to finish the polishing and protect the tiles with the application of a fresh seal. The final step of the polishing process is to apply a very fine 3,000-grit pad to the floor which is done with only a little water sprayed onto the tiles. This last pad really brings up the shine on the Travertine and more importantly it leaves the floor dry which is important when applying a sealer.

With the polishing complete I started applying the first of two coats of Tile Doctor Colour Grow which is the perfect sealer for Travertine as it soaks into the pores of the stone to protect against ingrained dirt and enhances the natural colours in the stone in the process. Once the sealer had dried a buffed off the excess using a white pad.

Travertine Floor After Clean Seal Kidlington Hair Salon

The floor was transformed, and the salon owner was very happy with the work we had carried out. For aftercare cleaning I recommended the use of Tile Doctor Stone Soap which helps to maintain the patina and keep the floor looking its best. I also discussed our annual maintenance plan, where we return annually for a couple of hours to bring up the polish on the stone and top up the sealer, this is a cost-effective solution to keeping the floor in tip top condition.

Professional Restoration of a Travertine Tiled Hallway in Oxfordshire

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