Natural Stone Restoration Frequently Asked Questions

Stone restoration is the art of restoring your natural stone surfaces to their originally installed factory condition. Restoration work is performed by an experienced technician on worn stone such as marble, travertine, granite, etc. such that the results of the work allows the finish of the surface to return to the state in which it was originally installed. It could also entail the altering of the stone’s surface to match a desired finish of the installation’s owner or management. In some cases an owner may desire a polished surface to be honed or a honed surface to be highly polished. Dimensional stone is a natural stone or rock that has been harvested and fabricated for specific construction and/or building purposes. Sandstone, marble, granite, and travertine are really popular in our area and we’re the company you want to get it to look right. Over time the appearance of stone surfaces diminishes through normal use, despite adhering to a cleaning regimen that conforms to the specific stone and/or use of proper sealers. They don’t have to stay that way and believe it or not, it’s not necessarily that expensive to restore it.

Our restorative procedure for re-honing or re-polishing is a completely green process employing specific mechanical abrasive techniques which are minimally disruptive, use only minimal water, and provides a final appearance which restores the surface to its original luster.

We’re an experienced stone restoration company having specific skills and equipment for specific work and outcome expectations. How you want it matters to us! Furthermore, we “know how to do it right” when properly sealing natural stone after restorative work has been performed. Proper sealing protects the stone, to the extent sealers can as no sealer prevents etching for example, and in accordance to sealer manufacturer specified maintenance guidelines. Sealing is often times an overlooked aspect of stone work but not with Santa Barbara Stone Masters.

Restoration of polished marble or natural stone with a honed finish involves the removal of scratches and/or damage from the surface of the stone by means of mechanical abrasion. This is also known as diamond grinding, diamond polishing or diamond honing. Diamond abrasion can be performed wet or dry and our best demonstrated practice involves minimal water. In fact we only use a spray bottle.

Natural stone reflects light and absolutely does not need a topical coating or wax to achieve this desired finish. It only requires a series of diamond grits used in the proper sequence by a master technician who is experienced in their use. Restoration of a honed finish involves using a series of diamond abrasives up until the desired finish is achieved.

Stone restoration jobs are usually charged by the job. Square footage pricing is an aspect of estimating costs and is not used exclusively. The stone tells us what it needs not how much or little of it there is. Each type of stone will present its own unique challenges as will your desired result for each surface. Many aspects need to be taken into consideration, such as where in the building the stone to be restored is located, water and electricity supplies available, etc. Regardless of the estimate, it is always less than the price of replacement.

That depends on the type of stone and the desired finish as well as the size of the job. As an example, if you are looking to restore 300 sq ft of any stone, most likely you are looking at more than one day realistically.

You can expect to have your stone looking like new again and to be provided with proper maintenance instructions for long term care. Scratches, etch marks and wear can be removed. Also we’ll offer advice on how to avoid any future need for complete restoration.

It’s as simple as scheduling an appointment to evaluate the surfaces to be worked on followed by a written estimate for your evaluation. Scheduling is pending your approval and us having earned your trust.

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