Page 20 - Demo

20|September 2019
Stone Restoration and
Maintenance Corner
Targeted Restoration Strategy
Slippery rock Gazette
This was a fairly large project that had many issues and a strict budget to adhere to. However, sig- nificant improvement was made to the installation in many areas. By targeting issues that the client spe- cifically wanted addressed, the ap- pearance of the overall floor was greatly improved. For instance, gloss level readings were im- proved by 25 to over 51 points on different stones using a calibrated meter. Several installation failures were also rectified along with many joint and breakage repairs.
Additionally, work opportu- nities were very limited. Some weeknights and weekends were all that were available, and only when the building was not in operation. Also, because this was a federal building, security was paramount and all work had to be escorted by a badged employee who could open doors for access to most all locations. Therefore, it was necessary to have this employee scheduled in advance. So you see, the work availability was not like most projects where you can come in and just start and work until you are basically finished. This project lasted many weeks, as the work was performed based on the op- portunity of the building’s and the escort’s availability.
Overall, this project turned out really nice and the client was es- pecially pleased with the results. Not every company will want to do this type of work but for those that do and can work flexible days and hours of operation, it can be very rewarding.
As always, I recommend sub- mitting a test area to confirm the results and the procedure prior to starting a stone or hard sur- face restoration or maintenance project (oh, and use your smart- phone to take plenty of before and after pics!). Also the best way to help ensure success is by partnering with a good distribu- tor that knows the business. They can help with technical support, product purchase decisions, lo- gistics, and other pertinent project information.
Bob Murrell has worked in the nat- ural stone industry for over 40 years and is well known for his expertise in natural stone, tile and decorative con- crete restoration and maintenance. He helped develop some of the main prod- ucts and processes which revolutionized the industry, and is currently the Direc- tor of Operations for M3 Technologies.
Rust stain on Tennessee Pink before and after polishing with Majestic 5X Gold. Tennessee Pink marble has a naturally high iron content.
ON
provide quality results? As al- ways, it mostly comes down to managing the customer’s expec- tations. Ultimately, it all boils down to what is really needed ver- sus what you can provide, at an agreed-upon price.
Let’s face reality: not every proj- ect has the budget to grind (lippage removal), hone, and polish a floor that needs some attention. In many cases, polishing may be all that is required to bring back a level of gloss that is satisfactory for the client. Even though some areas may require some light honing, like entry ways and pivot points, a 220 grit and 400 grit feathered may be all that is required before polishing, to achieve the desired effect.
Also remember: on larger proj- ects, you may have to complete manageable areas by the end of each day. In other words, you may not be able to leave areas unfin- ished for any length of time. Other issues of concern may be that cer- tain projects may have limited access availability. For instance, you may be only able to work on nights and weekends.
As an example, let’s look at the Federal Courthouse in Knoxville,
Bob Murrell
M3 Technologies
Photos by Bob Murrell
Tennessee. The project parame- ters included over 15,000 square feet of marble which needed repairs, some honing, and an overall polishing. There are four different marbles in this project, all of which are 2cm (3/4-inch) material. Three of the marbles are from local Tennessee quarries: two types of Pink Tennessee, and some Imperial Black. There’s also some Vermont Verde Antique (a type of serpentine), which seems to have been thrown in for a deco- rative touch.
The majority of the floors sim- ply needed some good polishing to restore the desired luster. Majestic 5X Gold was used to accomplish all of the polishing on this proj- ect. Some heavily worn and/or etched areas required some light honing, using 400 grit TX Triple Thick diamond discs, prior to pol- ishing. Entryways, choke points, and areas outside of restrooms (probably due to improper clean- ing materials being spilled by the maintenance contractor) where etching and wear were problem- atic, all required honing with at least a 400 grit prior to polishing.
large projects with tight
budgets, how can you
There were also bad areas, which had salt buildup, beneath some drinking water fountains that needed repair. The Majestic 5X Gold took care of this issue very nicely.
Additionally, there were some setting bed failures which caused some pieces to shift and break over the years. There were also grout failures in certain areas like the transition joint lines between one hall or room and the next, as well as all around many of the window HVAC registers joints, in a large rotunda. It was decided that, due to expansion and con- traction issues, these grout and masonry failures would be re- placed with caulk.
Because the failed joints were approximately 3/8-inch in width, to do the caulk job correctly, flex- ible backer rod was first installed in the joints. This does a couple of important things. First, it limits the amount of caulk which helps
the joint to cure better, and also has a lesser tendency of adhesion release. Secondly, the round- shaped, flexible backer rod helps with forming a perfect hourglass bead in the joint. This gives more adhesion surface area and also allows for more flexibility in the finished caulked joint.
There was also lots of etching from random spillage of acidic materials (cola, orange juice, and who knows what) throughout the facility. This was mostly spot re- paired using a 400 grit diamond hand pad and then polished after- wards with the 5X Gold under the floor machine.
Another issue that was noticed later was leftover floor finish around the edges and in some low grout joints. Because it was in small specific areas, this was sim- ply removed using razor blades. Doing it this way was easier than trying to strip the floor with chemicals.
Before repair and polishing the Tennessee Marble floor
and after polis
Gloss meter
reading before
hing with 5x Gold
After polishing with Majestic 5X Gold Powder