Marble, Granite & Terrazzo Floor Cleaning & Care

Natural stone floors like marble and granite are extremely durable – but they can be damaged by neglect, or use of the wrong cleaning products. Even terrazzo floors (which are incredibly hard wearing) can benefit from semi-regular professional cleaning. We offer specialist care and maintenance for all types of stone floors across South East London including marble, granite, terrazzo (covered on this page) and also slate and ceramic tile (covered on a separate page).

For Your Home or Business

We’ve been a trade sub-contractor and supplier since the 90s and have expert knowledge of the equipment, techniques and detergents needed for any job. We have the industrial machinery to service larger contracts in public buildings, large offices and hotels, but we’re always happy to come to smaller business premises or residential properties.

Polishing vs Buffing

A professional company will offer four different services: cleaning, sealing, polishing, and buffing. The last two are not the same thing. When it comes to stone:

• polishing means renewing and/or removing the old surface finish (and sometimes even some of the surface itself); whereas
• buffing means work carried out on an intact finish to make it shine.

Marble

Marble, a naturally-occurring rock, is porous (meaning it will absorb liquids) and can be stained by drinks like wine or coffee. Everyday foot traffic will dull its glossy finish over time as tiny scratches and scuffs slowly build up, resulting in a floor with an appearance that is far removed from its price tag.

Granite

Granite (also a natural type of stone) is more resistant to scratches and scuffs and also less porous than marble, but it can still be stained. We recommend occasional maintenance to protect and preserve its appearance.

Terrazzo

Terrazzo (a man-made mixture of marble, granite, quartz and glass bound together by a cement or polymer-based agent) is extremely tough, and the production process includes polishing (or, more accurately, grinding) the surface to a smooth, glossy finish. While there is far less danger of damage to a terrazzo floor, it is still contains porous rock, and soiling can still build up and spoil its looks.

Maintenance Cleaning

Marble and granite are both susceptible to damage from both acidic and alkaline cleaning solutions, and even terrazo can be damaged by the wrong cleaning product because it is a composite containing materials that can be damaged by acidic and alkaline liquids.

We always use a professional pH neutral cleaning detergent (Evans Lemon Gel) to avoid any chance of corrosion, combined with our standard speed (240rpm) Victor rotary machine. For standard cleaning we use the Victor red floor pad which will gently remove dirt from the floor’s surface and lift all but heavy scuffing, as follows:

1. Dilute the gel with warm water and apply to a small area of the floor with a mop;
2. Work over the area with the rotary floor machine;
3. Remove the soiling and detergent with our V-Tuf wet vac;
4. Move onto the next small area and repeat steps one through three, and so on until the entire area has been cleaned.

Sealing

A thoroughly clean (and dry) marble, granite or terrazzo floor can be sealed to protect it from water and oil-based staining. We use a light, low-odour, one-coat liquid seal that fills the pores of the stone without affecting its appearance and prevents liquids from seeping in and staining.

Once sealed, your floor will be protected for between six and twelve months, depending on usage. To check if the seal needs to be reapplied, pour a very small amount of cold water (enough to make a 2-3cm puddle) on a busy area and wait half a hour. If the little puddle is still there and can be wiped away, the seal is intact. If the water disappears and leaves a dark ring, it has penetrated the floor’s surface and it’s time to reapply the seal.

Buffing

A marble, granite or terrazzo floor with an intact seal and/or coat of polish that is not too dirty can be buffed. On its own, buffing won’t remove heavy scuffs and dirt, but it will lift light soiling and restore (or enhance) the shine. We can buff your floor:

• either at the end of a maintenance clean to enhance the shine;
• or as an interim treatment between maintenance cleans.

We use our high-speed Victor rotary machine (300 rpm) fitted with a soft white floor pad and a polymer-based ‘floor maintainer’ product (we use Clover Renew TD) for this.

Polishing: the three options

Marble, granite and even terrazzo floors will eventually lose their shine as the surface gets scuffed and scratched by shoes (especially high heels) and casters or rollers on furniture or machinery. A busy floor in a hotel lobby, performance venue or museum might need more regular attention. If standard cleaning and/or buffing doesn’t leave a smooth shiny finish, there are three ways to restore the surface.

Diamond Polishing

This is the equivalent of floor sanding for marble, granite and terrazzo. In our opinion it is the best way to care for these beautiful materials.

We use nine different grades of pad, from coarse to fine. The finest grade pad is always used to finish: the number of grades required above that will depend on the floor’s condition. A surface that’s a little dull but not scratched might only need to use two grades, including the finest. A badly damaged floor might require us to work through all nine grades from coarse to fine.

No matter the grade of pad, the process is the same:

1. sweep the floor to remove any loose debris;
2. apply a little water to a small area of the floor;
3. with the coarsest pad required, move the rotary machine across the floor in overlapping passes;
4. the pad will remove a small amount of stone from the surface;
5. remove the water and ground stone from the floor with our V-Tuf wet vac;
6. repeat steps 2 through 5 on the next small area.

Once the entire floor has been treated with the coarsest grade required, we begin the process again with the next finest grade.

When diamond polishing is finished, there are two further steps we can take:

• apply crystallising powder polish * for increased shine and durability; or
• seal to further reduce the risk of staining.

* we’ve more information on powder polishing directly below

Powder Polish (crystallising powder)

We recommend applying crystallising powder compound after diamond polishing, but it can also be used in its own right to restore a floor that has only minor damage.

The process we follow is this:

1. lightly sprinkle powder over one square metre area of the floor;
2. sprinkle about half a litre of water over the same area;
3. work the resulting paste into the floor for around five minutes with a low-speed (180 rpm) rotary scrubbing machine;
4. vacuum up the paste with our V-Tuf wet vac;
5. repeat steps one through four on the next area.

To finish, we mop or wipe the entire floor with a pH neutral stone soap solution to remove any remaining powder/water residue. The mop or cloth should be well wrung out and practically dry.

Liquid Polish

This will protect from spills, stains and surface scuffs. It won’t last as long as diamond or powder polishing, but it is quicker and easier to apply and it also seals the floor. It’s a passable ‘all in one’ solution for a marble, granite or terrazzo floor that does not have any surface damage.

First we sweep the floor to be sure it’s clear of grit, as this could scratch the floor during cleaning or stripping.

If the floor needs stripping we’ll apply Clover Zip Strip and work it in with our low speed (180 rpm) rotary brush machine. Zip Strip is a non-alkali ‘rinse-free’ stripper. Unlike most strippers, it doesn’t need to be neutralised with an acid rinse, and is safe to use on marble or granite. The liquid and softened polish will then be removed with our V-Tuf wet vac.

If there’s no old polish to be stripped, we’ll use our standard pH neutral floor cleaner and our standard speed (240 rpm) rotary brush machine to remove any dirt or grease (which would become trapped in the polish and prevent proper adhesion to the floor).

Whether it’s stripped or cleaned, the floor must be properly dry before a thin layer of polish can be applied. After 30 minutes’ drying time a second coat is applied, after which the floor should be allowed to dry for at least four hours (and preferably overnight) before use.

Frequently Asked Questions about Marble, Granite & Terrazzo

What can I do to maintain the finish on my floor?

Quite a lot!

1. avoid vacuum cleaners as the wheels or rollers can damage the seal; instead
2. use a soft brush and dustpan to remove grit and anything else that could scratch the floor;
3. use cloths or a mop to blot any liquid spills on the floor immediately to reduce the risk of staining;
4. mop the floor regularly (daily in a commercial premises, weekly in a home) with a pH neutral floor cleaner; and then
5. dry your floor thoroughly with a soft cloth after any liquid has been on the surface.

How often should I consult a professional about having work done on my floor?

This is hard question to answer because it depends on the type of polish/seal you have and how busy your property is.

A busy reception area with liquid polish might need stripping and re-polishing every six months. A domestic kitchen or bathroom with the same seal might be good for two years.

The same reception area, diamond polished and sealed, might last for a year before it needed maintenance, whereas the same kitchen/bathroom could be good for up to five years.

Does having a marble, granite or terrazzo floor polished or buffed make it slippery?

No. All the finishes we use are designed to provide a good footing, with or without shoes.

Does the room need to be empty?

For maintenance cleaning or buffing, and also diamond / powder polishing, we can work around bigger/heavier pieces of furniture and move smaller/lighter ones, but this does take time and add to the cost.

If we are either stripping or applying liquid polish (or a seal) to the floor then the entire area must be clear of all furniture.

Our Prices

WE COVER CENTRAL & SOUTH LONDON WITHIN THE M25 AREA, INCLUDING:

Addington	Addiscombe	Anerley
Balham	Banstead	Beckenham
Biggin Hill	Blackheath	Brentford
Brixton	Brockwell	Bromley
Camberwell	Caterham	Catford
Cheam	Chelsea	Chislehurst
Clapham	Coulsdon	Croydon
Crystal Palace	Dulwich	Epsom
Ewell	Forest Hill	Fulham
Godstone	Greenwich	Hammersmith
Hayes	Herne Hill	Hither Green
Kensington	Kingston	Leatherhead
Lewisham	Mitcham	Morden
New Malden	Norwood	Nunhead
Orpington	Oxted	Peckham
Penge	Purley	Putney
Redhill	Richmond	Roehampton
Sanderstead	Selhurst	Selsdon
Shirley	Sidcup	Streatham
Surbiton	Sutton	Sydenham
Thornton Heath	Tulse Hill	Twickenham
Wallington	Wandsworth	Warlingham
West Wickham	Westerham	Whyteleafe
Wimbledon	Woldingham	Worcester Park