Honing Out Etch Marks on Kitchen Island Marble Countertops

Posted on July 21, 2023 by mrcleanpolish

ETCHES SHOW BEFORE DIAMOND HONING

This project was a large marble island in Marblehead Massachusetts. The owners noticed some etch marks, the result of acid eating away a layer of the stone’s finish. It was not a polished, glossy finish but a matte, honed finish that looked sleek and elegant. Usually honed finishes are more forgiving by not showing etches as much, but these were noticeable.

Marble is a luxury product, not the cheapest building material. So you might assume due to its expense that it would have some sort of chemical sealer or protective coating to avoid damage from common household chemicals or foods. On the contrary, marble and similar stones are completely vulnerable to etching when it comes into contact with low pH acids.

Clients sometimes send us still photos of their counters and have a hard time capturing the marks, or ‘water rings’ as they sometimes call them. We’ve found that video shows them more clearly, so see the before and after video below to show that they can be removed.

In this case, we were referred by another contractor who specializes in stone protection and sealing. They provide a physical barrier they put on the stone to prevent future acid exposure. Their product is a polymer film for marble countertops that looks and feels very realistic. So after we honed away the acid damage, they installed their film the following day. That way, the client gets rid of the unsightly spots and doesn’t have to worry about them in the future. In conclusion, problem solved! You can see the results below, the ‘after’ look the client was aiming for. Click on the image for the video that shows it better.

If you have these etches on your countertops now and you’d like to get rid of them, feel free to get in touch with us by phone or text at 617-221-4002 We will get you a free, no obligation quote in writing.

ETCHES GONE AFTER DIAMOND HONING

Our contact information:

Act One – Marble and Tile
15 Main Street #138
Watertown MA 02472-4403
617-221-4002 Text or Call

Service Area Map of Eastern Massachusetts — **We Service All of Eastern Massachusetts**

Industrial Polished Concrete Floors

Posted on July 15, 2023 by mrcleanpolish

Industrial polished concrete floors have become more popular in the Boston area in recent years. They are in just about every big box hardware store, but also in many restaurants, retail stores and even office spaces.

If your company is considering polished concrete, you’re not alone. Consider the market growth highlighted in ForConstructionPros.com –

“Early polished concrete floors began in the 1990s but by 2019, polished concrete floors accounted for approximately 53.5% of the U.S. market share of the concrete floor coatings market in terms of revenue, according to Grand View Research. Polished concrete slabs are found today in grocery stores, offices, retail, big box and residential. The increased use is fueled by the features polished concrete floors provide, such as high durability, long lifespan, easy maintenance, cost-effectiveness, high light reflectivity and aesthetic appeal. As expected, this sector is projected to increase in the coming years”.
FORCONSTRUCTIONPROS.COM

Example – Industrial Polished Concrete for Tool Rental Company in Boston and Worcester

This project was for a well known rental company for their tool rental division warehouse and office space, in both their Roxbury and Worcester locations. They had different floorcoverings that we had to remove to get at the concrete floor. So a large part of the job was demo of the old carpet, paint, and tile. Sometimes for this type of job, we are subcontractors for a General Contractor. In those cases, the GC usually hires a separate demolition company to demo out the existing floorcovering. But in this case, the only project was the floor, so the client hired us directly. Meaning we had to do the demolition of the flooring before proceeding with the concrete polishing.

After the demo, we needed another step: grinding off the carpet glue and paint with diamond grinding machines. Following that, we honed and polished with the same diamond abrasives we use to polish marble floors. This creates a flatter, smoother surface to the concrete. We do all grinding wet to minimize airborne dust.

Finally, several coats of clear sealer was the finishing touch. Crucially, the project was done on time and on budget, so no last minute surprises or excuses!

Demolition of existing floorcoverings on concrete subfloor — Demo of Floorcoverings

Grinding mastic off concrete floor — Demo of Floorcoverings

If you or your organization would like to consider having industrial polished concrete floors, feel free to get in touch with us for a free no obligation quote. We often work directly for the property owner or alternatively through a general contractor during tenant fitup or renovations.

Our contact information:

Act One – Marble and Tile
15 Main Street # 138
Watertown MA 02472-4403
617-221-4002 Text or Call

Recoloring Sanded Grout Lines

Posted on July 13, 2023 by mrcleanpolish

A homeowner in Bedford gave us a call for their kitchen and dining room floor. The rich red and earth tones of their tile was great, but the grout had become discolored and uneven looking. No amount of cleaning seemed to make any difference, so they wanted an overhaul of the look. Recoloring the sanded grout was the solution.

Also, some of the tiles were a bit loose. They were concerned that the tiles might crack if we didn’t address that issue. So the first order of business was to stabilize the tiles. To do that, we removed the grout around them and injected a commercial adhesive to try to bond the tiles in place. This doesn’t always work, but it’s worth trying, since it’s a low cost, low risk effort compared to complete replacement of the tiles.

After we finished that, it was time to address the grout lines. If this were a shower wall tile with thin lines, the grout would be unsanded grout, which is much softer so we can manually remov and replace it. But sanded grout is much physically harder and the wider lines mean it’s virtually impossible to grind out the grout without risking damage to lots of the tiles.

Our solution for this is recoloring sanded grout lines. Grout manufacturers for the last 20 years or so have been producing a tinted sealer that matches the colors of their grouts. We’ve used similar products from multiple different manufacturers and they all seem to work fine. So the main reason to choose one product over another is the color you want and the availability. We often use Custom Building Products brand, since they are sold locally.

So they chose a rich red earthy color for the grout lines. Photos below, much improved appearance.

If you have a floor or wall with sanded grout, it can be recolored to make it look like new. Just call or text us at 617-221-4002 or fill in the form at the end of this post and we’ll get back to you asap.

Bedford Sanded Grout Before Recoloring — **BEFORE**

Bedford Sanded Grout After Recoloring — **AFTER**

Our contact information:

Act One – Marble and Tile
15 Main Street # 138
Watertown MA 02472-4403
617-221-4002 Text or Call

Regrouting Shower Walls in Lexington

Posted on July 7, 2023 by mrcleanpolish

We frequently get called on for regrouting shower walls. This step is more than just a heavy duty cleaning. It usually involves pulling out the old grout, cleaning all the tiles and then applying brand new fresh grout. While pulling out the old grout and caulking is time consuming, it’s needed since the new grout needs to have space to fit so it will bond well. Skimcoating with fresh grout may look good, but it can flake off if not applied right.

SIDE BY SIDE SHOWER REGROUTING PHOTO — SHOWER BEFORE AND AFTER REGROUT

Showers take a beating with exposure to water, harsh cleaning chemicals as well as soaps and shampoos that can discolor the grout over time. If it’s come to the point that you try to clean the grout, but it just doesn’t seem to ‘bounce back’, it may be time for you to consider regrouting the wall tile.

Some hardy folks try to do this job themselves. Results are not always stellar, because recaulking and regrouting shower wall tiles are skills that take some time and experience. (We sometimes get the call to ‘fix’ a homeowner regrout!) Also, the technique is different for sanded grout versus unsanded grout. If a homeowner doesn’t know the difference before starting, it can results in damaged/scratched tiles and lots of wasted energy. (For the difference between sanded and unsanded grout, this grout selection article on Daltile explains the details well.)

The photos from this job in Lexington show how much of a difference it can make in appearance – much fresher and brighter looking.

Lexington Shower Before Regrout — **Before Regrouting Shower Walls**

If you have a shower in Eastern Massachusetts that needs some TLC, just call or text us at 617-221-4002 or fill in the form at the bottom of this page and we’ll get you a quote. If you can send us a photo or two showing the overall size and layout of the shower, that will speed up the process.

For more examples of regrouting shower walls and some floors, see the links at the bottom of the page.

Our contact information:

Act One – Marble and Tile
15 Main Street # 138
Watertown MA 02472-4403
617-221-4002 Text or Call

Polishing Out Water Rings on Marble Countertops

Posted on July 4, 2023 by mrcleanpolish

**STONE COUNTERTOP AFTER POLISHING OUT WATER RINGS**

Polishing out water rings on marble countertops is a very feasible solution to those unsightly etches. This was a beautiful leathered finish stone countertop in the Metrowest area that had etch marks. Etches on marble always come from some type of acid. Often, it’s foods and drinks that are acidic. (If you think about it, anything that tastes tangy has some acid in it – think of lemonade, vinegar, wine, orange juice, etc). The acid etches showed up as milky white rings and detracted from its appearance.

Frequently it’s easy to see an acid etch, but hard to capture it on a photo, because our eyes can see the variation in shine better than a camera lens. On this particular countertop they were easier to see because of the color contrast of the whitish etch marks up against the dark colored stone.

How do we typically go about polishing out water rings? At first, we always spend some time protecting adjacent surfaces with plastic drop cloths. That takes time upfront, but it makes final cleanup much easier. Next we use diamond abrasive pads to gently remove a thin layer of stone. Finally, we keep making the surface smoother and smoother, ultimately using a powder to polish it back to life.

Handling Stone Restoration ‘Curveballs’…

This project threw us some ‘curveballs’, though. Normally, diamond abrasives work best for a truly flat surface, like most polished stone. But the leathered finish on this counter was deliberately leather like, to show texture, hills and valleys, so to speak. How do we take off enough of the damaged stone surface without flattening the stone, destroying the charm of the leathered grain feeling?

In this case, the solution for polishing out the water rings was using a softer pad, so it can follow some dips and curves without aggressive removal. The pads are called diamond impregnated pads. We buy them from M3 in Cohasset and in situations like this, they can save the day. Overall, the client was very pleased with results!

Our contact information:

Act One – Marble and Tile
15 Main Street # 138
Watertown MA 02472-4403
617-221-4002 Call or Text

Removing Water Spots – Etch Marks – On Countertops

Posted on March 8, 2020 by mrcleanpolish

POLISHING MARBLE REMOVES WATER SPOTS — WATER SPOTS BEFORE

If removing water spots on marble countertops is on your to do list, you’ll understand exactly how this client of ours felt. This homeowner called us right before an open house to show his loft style downtown Boston condominium unit. He had gone through extensive renovations to floors, walls and ceilings in recent months and wanted the unit to ‘show well’ at the upcoming Saturday open house.

The only problem was some unsightly etch marks, so called ‘water spots’ on the gorgeous marble countertop. But that countertop was the very first thing you see as you walk into the open kitchen….with the sunlight showing every mark or defect in the stone! He was understandably a little bit frantic, because there wasn’t much time before the open house.

To speed up the process, we asked him to send us a photo showing the overall size and layout of the countertop. Incidentally, when you try to take a photo of an acid etch, it’s tricky to get it to show correctly. Actually a video shows it much better as you move and the angle of light changes. But in this case, it was clear from the photo what the issue was. Not to worry – we remove etch marks all the time!

First, he tried cleaning the spots away. Logical enough, he tried several methods of marble stain removal. However, that doesn’t work with acid etches, since they’re not soil on top of the stone. They are actually areas where acidic foods or cleaning liquids have eaten into the surface of the marble. Marble is a calcite based stone, and acid and calcium just don’t play well together. The acid dissolves the top crust of the stone, ruining the shine. He realized that marble cleaning and polishing was not his day job! So after that didn’t work, he got in touch with us. (Good move – marble restoration and marble refinishing is our specialty)!

We sent him the quote right away and he had some questions about the whole concept of countertop resurfacing. After we answered his questions and explained how the process worked, we sent some job photos and references. Not to show off, but to demonstrate that we are one of the most experienced countertop restoration and countertop refinishing companies in Boston. He accepted our offer. Still, he was concerned due to the schedule. He could not afford us being delayed, because the only available day was Friday, and the open house was Saturday morning!

Not to worry! The etch marks below were honed and polished away on Friday so the open house schedule stayed on track! With beautiful marble countertops, problem solved!

If you’d like to get a quote on any marble cleaning service or grout and stone restoration or even just resealing marble or grout, you can call or text us at 617-221-4002 or simply fill out the form below.

Our contact information:

Act One – Marble and Tile
15 Main Street #138
Watertown MA 02472-4403
617-221-4002 Text or Call

Polishing Calacatta Gold Marble Countertops

Posted on March 11, 2018 by mrcleanpolish

Dull marble before diamond honing — **Before**

After marble polishing much better shine — After

If your marble countertops or vanity tops have become worn, with ‘water spots’, etch marks and small scratches, they can look dull and tired. Polishing the countertops is the best way to remove the marks and brighten the surface.

In most cases, it’s a one day process that will renew them and bring them back to a polished shine – or a low sheen honed look with a sophisticated matte finish if you prefer. Refinishing marble always starts with a lower shine and works its way up. We can stop almost anywhere on the gloss spectrum.

The island above was from a home in Newton. A beautifully designed and installed Calacatta Gold island, it just needed some professional attention to be brought back to life. This type of marble is well known for outrageously beautiful large veining that shows up best when the piece is large, like this island, as opposed to being cut up into 12 inch tiles.

Calacatta Gold marble is a distinctive white Italian marble with gray and gold veining. Available as marble slabs and marble tile in both honed and polished finishes, this elegant natural stone is the perfect choice to create stunning marble countertops, marble kitchen islands, marble floors and backsplashes.
MSISURFACES.COM

They got in touch because we had worked for them several years before, polishing countertops and floors. We did a sample area showing what the stone would look like refinshed to a honed, low sheen look. But the homeowner really preferred the high polished look, so we proceeded polishing the countertops to a rich gloss.

The final touch was a coat of penetrating sealer that helps protect the stone from staining.

If you’d like to get a quote, you can call us at 617-221-4002 or simply fill out the form below. It can speed up the process if you send us some photos showing the overall size and layout of the countertops.

Our contact information:

Act One – Marble and Tile
15 Main Street # 138
Watertown MA 02472-4403
617-221-4002 Text or Call

Regrouting Shower Floors – An Impossible Job??

Posted on February 27, 2016 by mrcleanpolish

: ARLINGTON SHOWER FLOOR BEFORE REGROUT CLOSE UP NEAR DRAIN

: ARLINGTON SHOWER FLOOR REGROUTED CLOSE UP NEAR DRAIN

: sanded grout shower floor close view before regrout

: sanded grout shower overall view after regrout

: SHOWER FLOOR CLOSE UP BEFORE REGROUT

: SHOWER FLOOR CLOSE UP REGROUTED

Shower floors take a beating and get lots of wear and tear over time. If yours is starting to show its age, and you can’t get it clean enough, consider regrouting it.

Regrouting shower floors can be a challenge, however. They usually have sanded grout, which is tougher to remove than the thin lines of wall grout. Because of the difficulty in removing the old grout, some contractors say “Regrouting a shower floor – we can’t do it”.

They may be right, in some cases. There are times when the grout is so tough and there’s so much of it that it’s not cost effective to remove it. But sometimes the grout is recessed enough that there’s no need to dig very deep. All we need is enough room for new grout to bond correctly and some grout does not need much room. So if your grout is recessed enough, regrouting your shower floor may be a doable project.

Additionally, when removal is necessary, we’ve had good success using a diamond blade power tool, some carbide steel blades and a synthetic grout that stands up to heavy duty use. The exact shape of the tiles may affect this. Square grid layouts that create long straight lines are more feasible than hexagon or circular shaped tiles, for example.

Some shower floors dry very slowly due to moisture beneath the tiles, so we aren’t always sure how long it will take to dry. This is different from wall tile regrouting, which dries within a day or two. That’s due to the water trapped in the 2 inches or so of deck mud cement directly under the tile. (You can thank the Massachusetts Plumbing Code for allowing flat bottomed shower pan liners. The section for those interested is 248 CMR 10.10(7)(d).These allow the concrete under the tile to remain ‘perma-wet’ for years at a time. In some other states, these are illegal. This is often the culprit for slow drying grout).

The photos above show before and after shots of shower floors we’ve regrouted using this method. And while it can’t offer a total guarantee against water leaks and moisture penetration, at least it may help, since this grout is much less porous than regular cement grout.

If you click on each photo, you’ll get a larger screen version of the shower with better resolution, then you can click the back arrow on your browser to go back.

If you’d like to get a quote, you can call or text us at 617-221-4002 or simply fill out the form below.

Our contact information:

Act One – Marble and Tile
15 Main Street # 138
Watertown MA 02472-4403
617-221-4002 Text or Call

Restoring Historic Terrazzo Floor In Downtown Boston Office Building

Posted on February 12, 2016 by mrcleanpolish

If you have terrazzo floors from way ‘back in the day’, then you know that they can handle years of foot traffic and general abuse without cracking or wearing away. Is restoring terrazzo a doable thing?

After a long time, these floors can look …tired, to say the least. Worn, soiled, dull, and just plain old looking. Maybe the floor has paint drips on it from previous years remodeling, scratches from dragging heavy items on it and stains and spills that you can’t clean out no matter what you or your cleaning company tries. Because of this, you might look at a floor like that and wonder if the terrazzo can ever be revived again.

Answer: In almost every case, restoring terrazzo is a viable option. In other words, we can refinish it and it will look fabulous all over again!

Terrazzo is somewhat of a hybrid material. It’s composed of chips of marble embedded in either concrete (the old way) or epoxy (the newer way). In any event, we can diamond hone and polish the marble – we do it all the time. As a matter of fact, we also diamond hone and polish concrete floors all the time. In brief, restoring terrazzo is doable as long as you use a contractor who knows marble polishing and concrete polishing.

An example was an old downtown Boston office building at 10 Milk Street, in Post Office Square with terrazzo floors in the elevator lobby and main hallway of an upper floor. The building was from 1903, and the original terrazzo was showing its age. The General Contractor called us in while getting the space ready for a new company to move in on one of the upper floors.

When Restoring Terrazzo, Every Project Has Its Challenges…

A few problems right from the start:

1. Some of the terrazzo had been covered over by thinset cement and ceramic tile on top. Tile was gone already, but thinset cement is very hard to scrape off without damaging the terrazzo
2. Over the years, painters had dropped tons of paint drips and splatters all over the surface – no drop cloths for these ‘craftsmen’!
3. They had obviously dragged large heavy objects like appliances across the floor, leaving heavy scratches that aren’t always possible to grind out.
4. Grout had corroded in multiple areas, requiring regrouting for a finished look.
5. The construction schedule was a bit behind, so in order to get done on time, we really needed to do this job at night so the construction company could have a full crew working each day with no delay.
6. Oh, and by the way, there was no real running water, so we had to buy bottled water and bring gallons of it up the elevator to wash the floor! (Hey, it’s probably the only floor in town that can claim ‘washed in natural Poland Spring Water’!)

The before and after photos are above. If you click on each photo, you’ll get a larger screen view so you can see more detail.

We worked nights only, scraped old thinset off, honed the floor, gently removed about 4,932 paint spots (!), regrouted the joints and polished it up to a good shine, ready for business, on time, without causing any delay in the construction schedule and with no extra charges.

If you’re considering restoring a terrazzo floor or just covering it over with a different floorcovering, why not give us a call or fill out the form to get a quote on refinishing it instead? From a sustainability perspective, your building may even be helping to reduce/re-use and recycle. And you might save a lot of money and time and retain the original look of your property.

If you’d like to get a quote, you can call or text us at 617-221-4002 or simply fill out the form below.

Our contact information:

Act One – Marble and Tile
15 Main Street # 138
Watertown MA 02472-4403
617-221-4002 Text or Call

Cleaning and Sealing Granite Countertops in the Boston Area

Posted on February 28, 2015 by mrcleanpolish

: GLOSS ON RESTORED GREEN GRANITE ISLAND BROOKLINE

: GLOSS ON RESTORED GREEN GRANITE WITH GRANITE BACKSPLASH BROOKLINE

: GLOSS ON RESTORED GREEN GRANITE NEAR SINK BROOKLINE

: LEXINGTON MA GRANITE ISLAND AFTER POLISH SUN VIEW

: CHARLESTOWN BLACK GRANITE COUNTERTOP AFTER POLISH

: WINCHESTER ABSOLUTE BLACK GRANITE ISLAND

If you would like some professional attention to your granite countertops, just let us know. We’ve been cleaning granite surfaces for years, both residential and commercial.

We expect a lot from our granite and other stone surface countertops. For example, we can’t help if they get exposed to cooking oils and wear and tear from sliding plates and pots and pans across the surface. Over time, they can end up looking tired and grimy, not really the look you want on a food prep surface.

If you feel that way, not to worry. You can have your granite counters restored to a smooth shine in less than a day, sealed and cleaned to their glossy best.

Cleaning Granite Countertops: Our Procedure

Step 1: First we clean the whole surface of the countertop meticulously and also with attention to the stone backsplash. Together with some with alkaline cleaning liquids and scrub pads, a bit of good old fashioned manual labor does the trick. The goal is to loosen ground in soils and residue from previous sealers. We scrape off any old paint spatters or loose caulking to make sure only the stone is showing, then a clear water and solvent rinse. If there are any chips or divots in the stone, the following step is to fill them with a color-matched tinted epoxy fill material. (Generally, color matching can be tricky – it’s not an exact science).

Step 2: A sealer is applied to the entire surface of the stone and allowed to penetrate. We have to dry it to the touch, so there’s no real inconvenient drying time after we leave. The kitchen can be used right away.

Step 3: Power buffing to bring out the gloss and burnish in the shine. Only if needed, we recaulk the edges with color matched caulking if you would like.

Make the most of your investment – enjoy the look and feel of clean, sealed, glossy granite counters in your kitchen!

If you’d like to get a quote, you can call or text us at 617-221-4002 or simply fill out the form below.

Our contact information:

Act One – Marble and Tile
15 Main Street # 138
Watertown MA 02472-4403
https://cleanpolishmarblegraniteboston.com
617-221-4002 Text or Call