Marble & stone restoration course

[TilingLogistics]

Hi.

Over the years I've seen guys polishing floors. It looks very rewarding. How did you all get into it?

I relised that after a short time at fixing it wasn't for me. I then went into complete bathroom renovation and enjoyed that more.

Then I was asked if i could clean a nightclub floor after repalcing 38 tiles in it. Then I found my vocation and I have never looked back:yes:

Kev

 

[Branty]

I relised that after a short time at fixing it wasn't for me. I then went into complete bathroom renovation and enjoyed that more.

Then I was asked if i could clean a nightclub floor after repalcing 38 tiles in it. Then I found my vocation and I have never looked back:yes:

Kev

Nice one Kev.
What kind of stuff are you doing, wetdec seems to think there's not alot of work out there.

 

[wetdec]

If you concider the number of big spaces you see tiled in stone then it gives you an idea of how nuch work is in a justifiable traveling distance. Kitchens, sun rooms conservatories are home spaces, theses home spaces need to be in a pretty sorry state before Jo will get a pro in. What they do is go buy Liythofin, HG or some other cleaner, **** their nose up at 25 quid but do it themselves.

The pros who may find time to clean stone floors make their money sand blasting churches, replacing key stones or acid washing statues. The word Renovation is a big word and doesnt just mean scrubbing stone floors.

Hope this explains what I was meaning, its how I see it anyway

 

[Branty]

What about huge stone floors in Hotels, leisure centres, shopping centres etc......?

 

[wetdec]

I do a travertine foyer floor 30m in an apartment block in London I get called in around once in every 2 years. It takes 4 days to strip and seal it properly thats why it only gets done when absolutely necessary.

This is how hotels clubs think and the majority of hotels that have stone floors have limestone ones either nicely honed or polished (that are hard) so you can lenghthen the period between cleans to 4yrs no problem. These floors need experience as it can mean re-surfacing.

Shopping centres are done by their maintenance contractors, have you not seen the mess they make

 

[Branty]

So you wouldn't say I could do a comrehensive course, then take on polishing large floors in hotels and the like? Is it that involved?

 

[wetdec]

Dave I am not in any way trying to put you off just trying to show you all the angles.

It is a specialist job that cant be undertaken lightly, you put the wrong cleaner on the wrong stone and you will pay dearly. ( read the thread limestone feeling like sandpaper, forget who is saying what read the points that are made)

Get fixing stone, learn how they are composed, see what you can and cant do with them as you do this you will learn your trade and have a knowledge.

If I can help shout

 

[TilingLogistics]

Nice one Kev.
What kind of stuff are you doing, wetdec seems to think there's not alot of work out there.

There is definately work out there! Furthermore the purchase of Natural Stone is on the increase especially with the advent of shops like Porcellanosa springing up in every town and city in Britain. However laying it completely flat with zero lippage gets difficult especially with large format stuff 600 x 600 and bigger and crap substrates to boot.

The problem is the public go abroad and see a huge beautiful Marble, Granite or similar floors in a hotel and villas and think they can come back here and have the same. What they don't realise is the majority of these floors with a monolithic look are laid with 1mm grout gaps, grouted with flexible floor grout and then ground, honed and polished in situ to achieve the look.

Kev

 

[wetdec]

It would be interesting to know over the last 6 months how many deep cleans, restore jobs have you done Kev and on what stones. Are these big jobs and do they come from advertising or word of mouth.

The increase in stone sales is due to the drops in travertine prices, limestones are now being taken on and the push is beginning this season. The number of actual stones being used in this country can be counted on hands as I said previously we have a way to go yet

 

[TilingLogistics]

It would be interesting to know over the last 6 months how many deep cleans, restore jobs have you done Kev and on what stones. Are these big jobs and do they come from advertising or word of mouth.

The increase in stone sales is due to the drops in travertine prices, limestones are now being taken on and the push is beginning this season. The number of actual stones being used in this country can be counted on hands as I said previously we have a way to go yet

I have only done 3 deep cleans and they were all on riven porcelain 2 commercial and 1 residential.

The majority of my work is Grinding, Honing and Polishing. A rough guide is about 23 jobs since July. I have about 9 booked in this year so far stretching to October and I have quoted for 5 more I am waiting for replies on. Sizes vary between 22M2 smallest up to 500M2 largest. On average domestic jobs are between 40-90M2.

I would say the split on where the jobs come from is fairly equal between Stone Shops and Reccs. I get a few smaller jobs from one source of advertising. However I expect to increase my workload when my website goes live.

Kev