Marble Tile Grout Cleaning, Sealing & Restoration

Q. What advice do you have for a customer looking to hire a provider like you?

A. First, stop with the price shopping of folks who do stone restoration. At least from the standpoint of finding the "cheapest" guy. I'm not the cheapest guy in town and never will be. But it isn't about the money, per se. It is about the level of the quality of the work as well as the warranty support and after-care. Stone restoration is an art form and isn't performed with quickie methods, waxes or just 'running a buffer' over your floor. A true natural stone restoration expert not only can make certain the outcome is what is explained but better yet backs his/her work with a strong warranty and even stronger protective floor treatments which give years of peace of mind and ease of care.

Q. Why does your work stand out from others who do what you do?

A. At the end of the day it is the quality of the workmanship from the beginning to the end partnered with a strong sense of integrity the homeowner will be satisfied with the final work. Backing our work with a strong warranty also makes our clients feel special. Feedback from our clients has shown we are on the right track and we always make certain our clients know how to precisely take care of their newly restored surface by providing free starter product along with care instructions and a written warranty.

Q. What do you like most about your job?

A. First of all, that I don't look at what I do as a "J-O-B". My passion for transforming someone's natural stone into what they hoped it would look like, is what gives me joy. More than anything else, when the client says, "Wow"; that's when I know I've done my "job" and no sooner. And that's the beauty of what I do; there is this inherent 'wow-factor' and when the client experiences this and shares that with me, that becomes a treasured moment and helps me to keep doing what I do.

Q. What questions do customers most commonly ask you? What's your answer?

A. Will it ("it" being a floor, shower, etc) be easier to take care of after you're finished?
Absolutely. All surfaces receive our most cutting edge, protective sealers which require very little upkeep but provide years of satisfaction.
Since we also start our clients with free refresher product, it just builds in the 'peace-of-mind' we like being able to provide.

Q. Do you have a favorite story from your work?

A. I went to a woman's home who had had a marble counter top and small bar installed. The contractor tried to do all the talking while she was experiencing a personal and catastrophic crisis, so anything the contractor said she simply nodded her head to. Unbeknown to her memory, she comes home to a marble counter top when she had said she wanted a granite counter top. Less than a year later the counter top had taken a horrible beating. After I was finished, she said the counter looked better than it did the day it was installed. A month later she called me re-ordering more of my refresher product telling me how much she now loves her counter top and she refuses to use any other products but ours on her cherished "new" marble counter top.

Q. What do you wish customers knew about you or your profession?

A. When it comes to natural stones like marble, travertine, granite and the many other options, that the homeowner understand it takes skill, craftsmanship and time, to restore a natural stone to a beautiful look again. Time and again the question is asked if you can't just "buff" the marble or travertine. And the short answer for dull marble or travertine is "No". Natural stone requires a long process of restoring the stone to a sheen. A reference would be when sanding down a piece of furniture for restoration: different grits are used to prepare the wood for staining. Stone requires a similar process only this process requires using special diamond powders and diamond pads, to restore and polish the surface to the desired sheen, followed by the proper sealing protectant.

Q. How did you decide to get in your line of work?

A. It was quite by accident. A friend asked me to come aboard his company as a VP and start with marketing. Next thing I know, I'm learning everything I can about how to restore natural stone like marble and travertine. You can say it wasn't too long after learning and mastering my techniques where the "bug" took hold and I've never looked back since. Ultimately, I constantly strive to develop better and more efficient methods and only use the utmost cutting edge technologies for my customers' peace of mind.

Q. Do you do any sort of continuing education to stay up on the latest developments in your field?

A. The interesting thing about the stone restoration industry is that the 'continuing education' comes about when one comes across a stone surface that provides a challenge, for whatever reason. The 'Art of Stone Restoration' is just that; an art. No two stone surfaces are ever exactly the same, even if they came out of the same quarry and where right next to each other. Many factors play into that side of it. On the floor treatments and coatings side it is always a thrill to see the latest and greatest developments which allow us to offer more cutting edge products to help expand our businesses.

Q. What are the latest developments in your field? Are there any exciting things coming in the next few years or decade that will change your line of business?

A. One of the greatest developments in my field are really not directly related to the field but to the industry as a whole. For the past decade, natural stone imports of marble, granite, limestone, travertine and slate, have grown by double-digits consistently. This, of course, has created enormous opportunities for the maintenance and restoration side due to the fact most home-owners, although very excited about their new surfaces, usually aren't equipped with enough information to maintain the floors properly. As an expert, I take the worry out and implant peace-of-mind so those beautiful floors or what have you, look great for many years to come.