Stone Restoration Course/training - Tile Advice

[Martin84]

Good afternoon guys,

Firstly great forum keep up the good work!
Ok I run a small cleaning business mostly domestic cleans and a few of the houses we visit have natural stoned floors I make a point of not getting involved in cleaning these intensely as I'm well aware of the dangers. So my point is I'd like to get involved in cleaning and possibly restoring them in the future, I've seen two particularly training courses in the north west where Iam based ( unlike and tile doctor)and wondered if anyone has any experience of these? Although I know I won't be a master after a two day course at least it's a start I suppose.
Thank you
Martin

 

[Martin84]

Nu life and tile doctor that was meant to say!

 

[peteablard]

The Nu Life course is great, I did it a couple of years ago along with a few other guys on here. If you search for it you should be able to find the original thread

 

[Martin84]

Great, thanks for the reply Pete. Would you say doing the 2 day course arms you with enough knowledge to actually go it alone in the big bad world or did you guys have previous experience? If so where did you acquire this?

Thanks again
Martin

 

[peteablard]

Definitely, if you're willing to buy all the gear you need then its quite straight forward. I

 

[Wishiwasatoptiler]

What sort of coin would be needed for the kit to get started in this area @peteablard

 

[Lithofin BOB]

You don't have to splash out 10 grand to start up , simple natural stone clean and seal jobs to start is best,£ 1000-1500 will get you a rotary machine large wet vac and Your pads ,You guys know how to seal stone / tiled floors ,you may need to investigate the cleaning side.

Grinding, polishing vitrification ,crystallisation , terracotta can all come later as you gain confidence . These courses will give an start , Hands on will progress you.

It's all in the testing , drying and finishing. spent my first years collecting tiles, scratching, scuffing and staining them, then you try to restore these and replicate the factory finish. Simple !!! Or is it ,all good fun on tiles , but not on a clients floor if you practising . Test, test again, be confident

 

[Concrete guy]

Whichever course you choose enter it open minded and understand that at least part of each course is generally designed to sell you a certain product or products.

We've been sticking our toe into this industry on and off for a couple of years and it's a strange business. A lot of the products are machine specific, others are stone specific and then there are those that are stone and machine specific.

There's often more than one way to end up with the same result, sometimes one of those ways can be far more cost effective than the other. Never assume that one way is the only way to do something.

Also understand that a customers idea of polishing a floor and a professionals idea of polishing a floor can be to very different things that never meet.

There will be far more business available in light restoration, that's basically giving something a quick workover that makes something clean and shiny again. Most people will live with £10 - £20 a sq/m for a decent clean and polish and this is where the problems start.

To properly grind and polish a floor is a big investment and can often cost more than the floor cost to fit in the first place - you'll not earn living trying to do this.

If people mention with phrase "lippage removal" just hang up!

Ultimately just be open minded and use each course as advice rather than a definitive process.

 

[Amir Patwa]

Whichever course you choose enter it open minded and understand that at least part of each course is generally designed to sell you a certain product or products.

We've been sticking our toe into this industry on and off for a couple of years and it's a strange business. A lot of the products are machine specific, others are stone specific and then there are those that are stone and machine specific.

There's often more than one way to end up with the same result, sometimes one of those ways can be far more cost effective than the other. Never assume that one way is the only way to do something.

Also understand that a customers idea of polishing a floor and a professionals idea of polishing a floor can be to very different things that never meet.

There will be far more business available in light restoration, that's basically giving something a quick workover that makes something clean and shiny again. Most people will live with £10 - £20 a sq/m for a decent clean and polish and this is where the problems start.

To properly grind and polish a floor is a big investment and can often cost more than the floor cost to fit in the first place - you'll not earn living trying to do this.

If people mention with phrase "lippage removal" just hang up!

Ultimately just be open minded and use each course as advice rather than a definitive process.

 

[Amir Patwa]

Klindex.co.uk run an introductory 1 day FREE training course in Staines. Call 07711383101 for details
You can visit the London Stone Show held at Excel exhibition hall, attend the largest trade event held in Verona Italy every year in September! Before forking out any monies you can call any one involved in restoration & cleaning in your are and they may let you come along as a helper on one of their jobs!

 

[Amir Patwa]

Whichever course you choose enter it open minded and understand that at least part of each course is generally designed to sell you a certain product or products.

We've been sticking our toe into this industry on and off for a couple of years and it's a strange business. A lot of the products are machine specific, others are stone specific and then there are those that are stone and machine specific.

There's often more than one way to end up with the same result, sometimes one of those ways can be far more cost effective than the other. Never assume that one way is the only way to do something.

Also understand that a customers idea of polishing a floor and a professionals idea of polishing a floor can be to very different things that never meet.

There will be far more business available in light restoration, that's basically giving something a quick workover that makes something clean and shiny again. Most people will live with £10 - £20 a sq/m for a decent clean and polish and this is where the problems start.

To properly grind and polish a floor is a big investment and can often cost more than the floor cost to fit in the first place - you'll not earn living trying to do this.

If people mention with phrase "lippage removal" just hang up!

Ultimately just be open minded and use each course as advice rather than a definitive process.

 

[Amir Patwa]

A good kit for grinding which includes lipage removal will set you back £3500. Which you can recover in a job or two! A set of diamond will cost you £600 which will last you for 400m2. I hope this information will help you decide whether to enter this field!

 

[gamma38]

I would like to go on a course for this, might have to get in touch with Klindex.

 

[Amir Patwa]

Not necessarily! There are some who charge and want to sell their products! They should not charge for selling their products. Few courses are free and they don't except you to buy just share the knowledge!

 

[Amir Patwa]

I would like to go on a course for this, might have to get in touch with Klindex.

You are welcomed!