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Monthly Archives: March 2016

At this property in Fife, I was asked to restore not a tiled floor, but in fact a solid black Marble lamp base. The lamp base was particularly by scratched and damaged as a result of a lack of care and consideration by a removal company. It’s a shame to see such a high-quality item suffer this kind of damage; nonetheless, I was keen to help with restoring it back to looking its best. I arranged to collect the base the next time we were working in the area of Fife, a historic area of Scotland

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This beautiful Victorian hallway had been left to suffer under the wear of rugby boots and dogs for many years. There were also some broken tiles in the doorways leading to other rooms, and there were clear paint splashes where decorators had neglected to clean up after themselves. To cut a long story short, the floor was in a bad state, and the property owner decided it was about time to call upon some professional assistance. After providing a demonstration of the techniques I could use to

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Tile Doctor Pro-Seal Premium Stone Sealer A premium, no-sheen, natural look, water based, penetrating sealer formulated to provide maximum stain protection, especially in food preparation and serving areas. May also be used as a pre-grouting sealer. Allows moisture vapor transmission. It is also an excellent grout sealer. Uses Use for sealing all natural stone (such as granite, limestone, marble, slate and travertine), porcelain, quarry, saltillo, terracotta, cement pavers, masonry surfaces

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At this property in Fife, I was asked to restore not a tiled floor, but in fact a solid black Marble lamp base. The lamp base was particularly by scratched and damaged as a result of a lack of care and consideration by a removal company. It’s a shame to see such a high-quality item suffer this kind of damage; nonetheless, I was keen to help with restoring it back to looking its best.

Scratched Black Marble Lamp Base Before Restoration Fife

I arranged to collect the base the next time we were working in the area of Fife, a historic area of Scotland which houses St. Andrew’s, one of the world’s oldest universities. The customer and I agreed that I would drop it back a week later following the restoration.

Scratched Black Marble Lamp Base During Restoration Fife

Restoring a Damaged Black Marble Lamp Base

Restoring the appearance of the Marble (and other high-end stones such as Limestone) commonly requires a process known as burnishing.

To begin, we applied to the base the first of a set of four six-inch burnishing pads. This pad, which had a Coarse grit, was fitted to a small handheld buffing machine and used to burnish the Marble with a little water for lubrication. I then worked my way through the pad system to apply Medium, Fine and Very Fine grit burnishing pads. The process gradually improved the appearance of the base, managing to remove some of the lighter scratches; however, it became clear that more work was required to fully complete the restoration.

Scratched Black Marble Lamp Base After Restoration Fife

To take the restoration process a step further, I went on to use a set of four diamond encrusted hand burnishing blocks, which were applied to the Marble in a similar way to the previous stage. I followed up with another application of the six-inch burnishing pads: a process I’m happy to confirm successfully removed all scratches.

The base was then given a final polish and sealed using Tile Doctor Shine Powder (a sealer in the form of a crystallising powder) to seal the stone and provide the extra gloss look shine and durable finish requested by the client.

Scratched Black Marble Lamp Base After Restoration Fife

The customer was delighted with the results when I returned the Marble lamp base a week later. While it’s unfortunate that the base was damaged so badly to begin with, it’s certainly comforting to know that these valuable stone objects can be restored fully with the right methods.
 
 
Source: Marble Lamp Base Restored in Fife

Reduxa – Penetrating Stone Tile Stain Remover Reduxa is an effective ready to use cleaner designed to remove acid stains from calcareous stones. Will remove or quite visibly lighten stains on stone caused by Tea and Coffee, Red and White Wine (Tannic Acid), Orange and Lemon Juice (Citric Acid), Cola (Phosphoric Acid), Vinegar (Acetic Acid) and Uric acid. Reduxa will not remove rust markings from stone but can lighten the colouring Uses It can be used on all types of stone especially

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This Terrazzo tiled hallway at a property in Northampton was in a really bad state. It was heavily soiled and suffered from glue marks where the original carpet covering it had been removed. Additionally, there was some damage to the edges of the doorway, and a large crack in the floor running across the width of the hallway. Terrazzo is an interesting material, originally produced in Italy, that consists mainly of concrete with segments of marble and other stone interspersed and held

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This Terrazzo tiled hallway at a property in Northampton was in a really bad state. It was heavily soiled and suffered from glue marks where the original carpet covering it had been removed. Additionally, there was some damage to the edges of the doorway, and a large crack in the floor running across the width of the hallway. Terrazzo is an interesting material, originally produced in Italy, that consists mainly of concrete with segments of marble and other stone interspersed and held

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Marmoleum flooring provides a durable, environmentally friendly choice for your home. This eco-friendly material is comprised of linseed oil, pine rosin, jute and wood flour and can be found in many medical facilities because it does not emit VOCs. It is a long-lasting material and when it does need to be replaced, disposal is not a problem because it is completely biodegradable. Plus, installation of Marmoleum tiles follows the same directions as other floor tiles.

Step 1: Room Prep

Make sure to remove all furniture, baseboards and all registers. Check to see if the support floor is free from loose boards. If so, make sure to rescrew these to the underlying joists. Make use of a leveling mixture to fill in all cracks in the subflooring. Place all Marmoleum tile in the room where it is to be installed for a least a 48-hour period to acclimatize it.

Step 2: Locate the Center

Locate the room center and then mark a chalk line between the two walls. Now mark a chalk line between the other two walls. Where the lines cross is the center of the room

Step 3: Start at the Center

Beginning from the center, place a row of dry tiles out to the walls on both sides. You want each end tile next to a wall to be at least one-half a tile width. Therefore, adjust the location of the center tile to accomplish this uniformity. Mark the center start. Then mark the dry row with a chalk line.

Step 4: Lay Down Adhesive

Beginning at the center of the room, spread tile adhesive over an approximate 4-square-foot area.

Step 5: First Row

Be careful laying down the all-important first row of tiles. If this row is off, the entire project will follow its lead.

Step 6: One Square at a Time

Work slowly and deliberately on one 4-foot square quadrant at a time. Make sure to wipe away any excessive adhesive that seeps out from under the tiles using a recommended cleaner. Work kneeling on a piece of plywood instead of directly on the floor you are installing. Repeat the process until the entire room area is tiled.

Step 7: Use a Roller

After completing each quadrant, use a floor roller to roll over the tiles just laid to make sure a proper bond is made between the sub floor and the tiles with the adhesive applied. This is an extremely important step because you need the entire under surface are of each tile to adhere to the sub flooring to prevent air entering that may cause bubbling or instability.

Step 8: Cut Tiles

Tiles along the wall will need cutting. Use the second to last row as a guide by placing a guide tile directly on top of one in the second to last row and then one against the wall letting it overlap. You will then mark the first tile where that second one overlapped. This is your cut line.
 
 
Source: www.DoItYourself.com