A Stone Honing and Polishing Service Gave This Onyx Marble Floor in Chicago a Magnificent Shine

July 12, 2016

Onyx marble is an alluring natural stone that is all about beauty and luxury. One of its most outstanding characteristics is the bands and lines that run throughout the stone, which give it a very unique appearance and make it a beautiful sight. Its soft colors make it look delicate, but it's actually harder than other types of marble. However, this type of stone etches just as easily as standard marble. This homeowner had unfortunately learned this the hard way. The onyx in her hallway was only a shadow of its former self. It was etched and lacked the natural shine it originally had.

Needless to say, this situation was making her feel worried and distressed. She became frustrated after many failed attempts to remove the etch marks from the stone and was starting to think that she was going to need a replacement. Luckily, she casually mentioned the problem to one of her co-workers who had recently hired us for a Chicago stone honing service. Her colleague was so satisfied with the results that she said she recommended our services without hesitation and told her to give us a call for a free quote.



When our team of hard surface restoration specialists inspected the stone floor, they asked the homeowner to describe how she usually cleaned the floor. It didn't come as a surprise that she had been using an acidic cleaner for years – vinegar. Onyx marble contains calcium carbonate, which reacts negatively with acidic substances, causing a chemical reaction that dissolves the surface of the stone and creates dull spots, known as etches. Unfortunately, some homeowners are unaware that vinegar, a common household cleaner, contains acetic acid that can damage natural stone floors and remove their natural shine. The homeowner was shocked to learn about the effects of vinegar on stone floors and asked what could be done to renew hers. The team was happy to inform her that the floor could be brought back to its original condition by performing a complete honing and polishing service.

To begin the process of renewing the stone, our specialists used stone-friendly chemicals and buffing tools to hone the damaged stone until it was smooth and uniform, removing the etches caused by the vinegar. Now, it was ready to have its polish restored. For this part of the process, buffing compounds of a higher grit were used to give the floor a bright and glossy finish.

Once the team made sure everything looked perfect, they called the homeowner in so she could see her new, lustrous floor. She felt an enormous amount of relief to see that the etch marks were no longer there and that the surface shined bright. She was thankful for the team's attention to detail and professionalism and promised to call them if anything ever came up in the future. We were happy to have helped another homeowner recover a stone floor.

Since we believe in educating our customers so they can preserve the appearance of their floors, our specialists gave the homeowner a few recommendations before leaving. The most important thing she needed to remember was to use a pH-neutral cleaner and to steer clear of any acidic substances. We recommended our pH-neutral, stone-safe cleaner for future maintenance so she wouldn't have to worry about etch marks appearing on her floor again.

Do you have a natural stone floor that looks like the one in the image above? If so, it might need a reliable stone honing and polishing service. If you live in Park Ridge or surrounding areas, don't hesitate to give us a call for a free quote. You can also sign up for our newsletter.

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