Page 25 - Demo

Slippery Rock Gazette
Stone Restoration Corner
Continued from page 17
Once most all of the polish was removed from the counters and they were honed to a consistent flexible metal-bond ELF5-100 grit finish, a 100 grit PLP diamond impregnated pad (dip) was used to help reduce the honing pattern swirls. Even when you do many, many passes, honing patterns (especially when using metal-bond diamonds) can be almost unavoidable. This is where the 100 grit PLP brings everything to a consistent soft look. When you run the PLPs wet, they cut better, so the whole process is done wet. Of course, this means that everything must be Taped and Draped, partition walls should be used, and the floor should be protected as well.
Leaving the honed areas at a 100 grit level increases the surface area, thereby exposing the stone to staining. Honed surfaces should most always be sealed using a high-quality oil and waterborne stain- resistant impregnator. I personally prefer solvent-based impregnators as I believe they penetrate better and should theoretically last longer. In my opinion, most every natural stone countertop should be impregnated, with only a few exceptions. This is especially true of honed and textured surfaces. Akemi Pearl was chosen for use on this project.
The project turned out really well and the cli- ents were extremely pleased. The honed coun- tertops are definitely more of a warmer look, as well as more suitable for that application.
As always and before beginning any new project, I recommend submitting a test area to confirm the results and the procedure, prior to starting a stone or hard surface restoration/
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End result: a beautiful 100 grit honed look for these marble countertops.
maintenance project. Also, the best way to help ensure success is by partnering with a good distributor, like BB Industries, that knows the business. They can help with tech- nical support, product purchase decisions, and other pertinent project information.
Bob Murrell has worked in the natural stone industry for over 40 years and is well known for his expertise in natural stone, tile, and decorative concrete restoration and maintenance. He helped develop some of the main products and processes which revolutionized the industry, and is cur- rently the Director of Operations for M3 Technologies.
Send your comments and questions to Bob at attn: publisher@slipperyrock gazette.net .
This honed kitchen countertop looks better and will be much easier to maintain.
Try Something Different This Year
© MARK ANDERSON. www.andertoons.com
Continued from page 13
Disney – In 2022, Disney donated over $230 million to various non–profits to help support the arts and STEM education.
Bombas – With every purchase, Bombas donates socks or t-shirts to homeless shel- ters. I have purchased socks from them and to me, they were good socks.
SeaWorld - They partner with charities across the country. These organizations include OCEARCH, The Humane Society of the United States, The Everglades Foundation, and the National Fish & Wildlife Foundation.
Dick’s Sporting Goods - Since 2014, their Sports Matter Program has donated $80 million to support youth athletes and sports programs. They invest in these pro- grams to improve sports infrastructure, reduce registration fees, lower league costs, and distribute proper equipment to all.
Kroger - Kroger’s Zero Hunger | Zero Waste program donates food to local food banks and donates money to help food banks broaden their services. Kroger partners with Feeding America, No Kid Hungry, the USO, and American Red Cross to ensure that American families don’t go hungry.
All My Sons Moving and Storage – They partner with Toys for Tots and the American Red Cross.
The point to all this is: Giving to char- ity makes us feel good on a personal level. Helping others encourages a positive per- sonal mood and has a positive effect on our brains. As funny as it sounds, helping oth- ers makes us healthier. (No kidding).
The holidays are stressful – no doubt about it, and hopefully in the past you have eased that stress, at least momentarily, by picking an Angel, helping the Christmas Mother, or helping some other charity.
However, this year is a different year. We all know it. If you can’t personally contribute to a local or national charity during the holidays, support a company that makes those contributions a part of their company culture, not just at the holi- days, but all year-round. I felt good when I ordered those Bombas socks because I knew they would send socks to a homeless shelter. One of the reasons I hired All My Sons Moving and Storage for my recent move was because while researching mov- ing companies, they were front and cen- ter about the charities they help. I felt good helping them help others.
Don’t worry. You can still help, do good, and feel good even though this was a “dif- ferent year.”
Please send your thoughts and com- ments on this article to Sharon Koehler at Sharonk.SRG@gmail.com .