How Much Does Marble Restoration Cost
- Posted by:
- Admin
- Tags:
- merble restoration, marble flooring, marble, restoration
- Posted date:
- 22-09-2021
If you own marble flooring, you may be asking: how much does marble restoration cost? This article looks at the factors involved in working out how much your marble restoration work may cost.
General Cost to restore Marble flooring
If you are in the market for restoring a marble or stone floor, then you may be worried about the cost.
The cost of restoring a marble floor can vary widely depending on how much restoration work will need to be done, so essentially the price comes down to the flooring's condition before the restoration begins.
If the marble floor you want to be worked on is already in semi-good condition, then the price for the restoration will be significantly lower. In this case, the floor may only need a seal, as well as just a general clean.
On the other hand, if the floor has been subjected to a large amount of damage and deterioration, then the floor will most likely need a full restoration service.
This often involves using diamond disks to grind away at the surface of the marble flooring in order to smooth out the marble. As you can probably imagine, this process takes significantly longer, as well as demanding more work from whoever is servicing the marble. This means that the cost for restoration will be much higher.
Not all marble floorings will require the same amount of work to be done. Oftentimes, unless the floor has notable damage, the flooring will only need a surface cleaning. The average cost for getting a marble floor restored is around £22.50. But don't be surprised if this price is higher if your flooring is in pretty bad shape.
How much does it cost to polish a stone floor?
Stone flooring has a fantastic and striking look when kept in good condition but can sometimes lose their lustre if they are not regularly polished. The flooring can begin to look dull and lifeless if left too long without polishing.
First, you must know that not all stone floors can be polished. Some stones simply are not strong enough to withstand the process. So keep this in mind when consulting about your flooring. Have you heard of etching?
This is a peculiar phenomenon that can happen to stone floors. When abrasive substances, such as highly acidic or alkaline liquids come into contact with the flooring, then the particles on the surface of the stone can disintegrate.
Depending on how much of the abrasive substance has been in contact with the stone, this can leave a large or small dull spot in your flooring. If this happens enough, then your entire flooring can lose its sheen and become muted and lacklustre all over.
The process of polishing a stone floor starts with grinding down the flooring, which is then followed by rebuffing the stone until it has a high-gloss finish. Keep in mind that some stone floorings are much harder to polish to a high-gloss standard than others. For example, granite is a difficult stone to polish simply due to its chemical composition.
This will often lead to the price for polishing being much higher. Another issue that you may encounter before polishing is the use of green marbles. These stones contain serpentine, which cannot be exposed to moisture. A couple of other elements which may affect the price of your polish are how damaged the floor was prior to the polishing process and the type of finish you desire on your stone flooring.
The average cost for polishing a stone floor is between £20 to £25 per square meter. This would be for a floor that only needs regular flooring maintenance. If your floor has taken significant damage and needs to be restored back to its original form, then you will be paying around £50 to £65 per square metre. The average total cost for a 20 square metres stone floor polishing project is around £800.
What affects the price of marble floor restoration?
Depending on the type of stone your flooring is constructed out of, different levels of shine will be able to be reached. For example, soft stones such as limestone cannot reach the polish levels of other harder stones. Limestone can only be polished up to the level which is described as a "high hone" or a mid-sheen.
Harder stones such as marble can be polished to an extremely high gloss level. A hard stone, such as Onyx, can be brought up to a very high level of shine. The shine will also last much longer on harder stones.
When considering getting your flooring polished, it was vital that you know the thickness of your stone floor. If the flooring is below 20mm in thickness, then the restoration process cannot take place. The flooring can be cleaned and polished, but due to the grinding tools used for restoration, there is a chance the floor slabs will break.
You should also check with the manufacturer of your flooring or your stone polisher to make sure that your floor isn't natural matte. This is a must before the polishing process begins.
The first step to polishing any stone is to first clean it. This is a delicate process as all stones are porous, and the majority of stones are prone to etching as well as staining.
Deep cleaning may be necessary in order to remove the floorings stains before polishing can take place. If cleaning doesn't take place first, then stone stains will just become polished instead of the stone itself.
You should be aware before you get your flooring polished that there are several different methods of polishing. Depending on how much damage your flooring has sustained and the type of flooring you have installed, the method used can vary. For example, grinding, honing, and polishing can be used on any stone floor but works best on hard stones such as granite.
This full process is the most expensive option and will come to around £60 per square metre on average.
Buffing the floor with polishing compounds also works well on all stones but works best when used with marble flooring. On average, this method costs around £28 per square metre.
Diamond polishing is only used on marble and granite floorings. This costs on average around £35 per square metre.
Powder polishing can be done on any type of stone flooring, but the chemicals used will have to change according to your floor type. This cost on average around £25 per square metre.
Finally, crystallisation is the other common type of polishing method. This is used on marble and granite floors but cannot be used on flooring which contains green stones. This costs on average about £15 per square metre.
After the polishing process has been finished, all flooring should be covered in a seal using an impregnating sealer in order to avoid staining. Impregnating sealer fills all the small holes and cracks in the surface of the stone, so if spills occur, they can easily be wiped up and not totally absorbed into the stone.
Some sealers can even enhance the qualities of the polish given to the stone. Impregnating sealers need to be applied regularly, around once a year. Topical sealers which enhance the shine of your floor may need to be applied more often in order to maintain the shine of the flooring. However, this depends on the type of stone used.
The price for sealing a stone floor can vary wildly. For a cheap sealant that doesn't offer many benefits, you will be paying around £5 per square metre. Whereas, for a premium impregnating sealer, the cost will rise to around £40 per square metre.
Marble Floor Prevention Tips
If you have recently had your flooring restored or polished, you may want to know what you can do in order to get your money's worth and make the polish last as long as possible.
There are many small steps you can take in order to make your flooring's restoration last a little while longer.
Firstly, we would recommend sweeping floors on a daily basis. This should remove any sand and dirt, which can, over time, wear away at the stone. If you don't already have one, consider a floor mat at the entrance to your home. Wiping shoes on these mats can remove dirt and other abrasive materials which may damage flooring.
Another tip is to always wipe away spills as soon as possible. Sealers will help with this, but you should still stay vigilant, so your flooring doesn't stain. If you have stone countertops or tables, then always use coasters. This is another easy way to avoid staining.
Finally, always use cleaners that have been specifically designed for use on stone. Never use cleaners that are abrasive.
Marble flooring Maintenance
We would recommend regularly washing your floor with neutral pH cleaning fluids. Try to use cleaners that don't contain soap as this can cause streaks or a film to appear on the floor.
We would also highly recommend the use of a sealer on your flooring. Sealer can stop spillage from ruining a stone floor as the liquid will simply sit on top of the seal instead of being absorbed by the stone.
Marble Flooring Specialists In London
Are you looking for marble flooring specialists in London? We offer our marble flooring services for Westminster, Kensington, Chelsea, Hammersmith, Fulham, Richmond Upon Thames, Lambeth, Wandsworth, Islington, Barnet and throughout London.
Contact our experts today for marble floor cleaning, restoration and polishing. Follow the links below for more details about our services.