| Restoration Services | ||||
| Bring out the beauty of your home and marble surfaces with restoration and maintenance. AF Agencies Inc. provides high quality and professional floor restoration for a variety of natural stone materials. We offer services such as grinding, honing, polishing, crystallization, sealing, maintenance, and scratch and stain removal. | ||||
| Grinding | ||||
| Grinding is the process by which the surface is sanded with the use of abrasives (diamond discs) to remove a thin layer of the stone. This process is usually recommended when stone tiles contain lippage (uneven tiles). It is also recommended when deep stains and scratches present. |  | |||
| Honing | ||||
| Honing is the process of smoothing the stone with the use of abrasives (diamond discs). Honing is performed to remove scratches but will not remove lippage (uneven tiles). | ||||
| Polishing | ||||
| The magnificent shine of natural stone such as granite, marble, terrazzo and limestone is the result of polishing it with fine abrasives. Most craftsmen will first use diamond abrasives to hone the stone, then switch to a powdered abrasive to achieve the final polish. The abrasive powder is worked into the stone with a heavy-duty polishing machine using water and cloth or polyester fiber pads. The powder is worked into a slurry until a polish is achieved. The craftsman removes the slurry with a wet-vac or mop and rinses the floor to remove excess powder. It is a relatively simple procedure, but requires a great deal of skill and experience. | ||||
| Crystallization | ||||
| The term crystallization has entered the jargon of the marble polishing field to describe a process used polish and maintain a shine on marble surfaces. The crystallization process consists of spraying a non-toxic liquid onto the marble floor and buffing it with steel wool under a buffing machine. The steel wool generates heat through abrasion and the chemical reacts with the marble, producing a new compound on the surface of the stone. This procedure protects the surface of the stone, adds shine and may even harden the stone, increasing its resistance to wear. | ||||
| Sealing | ||||
| Ensuring long-term, durability, efficiency and life of such natural stone flooring, requires an indispensable, product – marble and granite sealers. Stone sealer- sealant creates a protective barrier on the surface of the floor that repels liquid and keep spills and water marks from absorbing and damaging the floor. This treatment is the perfect finishing touch to any granite or marble restoration works. This process is necessary for the protection of all natural stones. There are several types of sealers and different methods of application. One type of sealer is the impregnator. Impregnators penetrate into the stone to provide a chemically resistant barrier, repel stains, water and restricts liquids from absorbing. Another type is color enhancer sealer, this sealer enhance the depth of the stone color that has been lightened by harsh elements or from heavy traffic. Also this sealer provides a “wet-look” stone appearance. | ||||
| Maintenance | ||||
| In order to keep your natural stone at their best appearance and protect from staining, scratching and dulling we can be scheduled for regular maintenance of your floor. We will arrive at scheduled intervals (high or low frequency visits) to maintaining and re-polish your marble or granite surfaces. Also, we’ll polish only high traffic areas, instead of the whole floor surface. Polishing with powder, as described above, brings back a “mirror-like” shine. As part of stone maintenance, the stone sealer has to be reapplied once every 12-24 months. When the stone becomes harder to keep clean, it is time to reapply the sealer. Our maintenance visits will helps to keep your stone surfaces looking new throughout the years. | ||||
| Scratch & Stain Removal | ||||
| Did you accidentally scratch or stain your natural stone floor? Do you want to bring back the original appearance to your marble surfaces?. We’re able to remove scratches and stains from most natural stone surfaces and restore them to their original appearance. Many scratches can be removed by polishing with medium or high grit industrial diamond abrasives. |
