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PRICES LISTED BELOW MAY NOT REFLECT UP TO DATE PRICES. Q: I have granite countertops in my kitchen and a slate patio that I want to clean on a weekly basis. However I'm trying to be environmentally conscious and reduce my carbon footprint. Can you suggest any products that I can use for my natural stone that are eco-friendly? A: Absolutely! It is evident that home and business owners are taking part in the "green" movement and want to use products that are environmentally-friendly. For daily or weekly cleaning, I recommend Lavenet Green. It is a biodegradable, VOC compliant product that works just as effectively as regular Lavenet. Also, for the annual sealing of your natural stone, we have Seal & Go® W, which is a water-based, VOC compliant sealer. We have developed a whole line of green products for maintenance, as well as for the restoration of natural stone. Check out our Green Products Page on our Web site for more information. Q: I've had hurricane damage to my marble floors. My once beautiful marble floor looks dull and discolored. What can I do to get my marble floor back? A: The removal of shine and the discoloration indicates to me that you have water damage. If the water came from the surface (from flooding for example), the discoloration of marble is most likely from debris. The debris would also remove the shine. I would recommend you damp mop the marble floor with a neutral cleaner such as Lavenet or Lavenet Green and then dry as best as you can with floor fans and dehumidifiers. Then call International Stoneworks to professionally clean, resurface, and bring back the shine with our grinding system. We can also use the poultice method to remove deeper stains. However, in certain cases, some stains may be too deep to remove. If the water came from underneath the marble, that is a more damaging problem. The water damage is not just on the surface of the stone; it has penetrated throughout the stone from the bottom up. In this case, you need to look into replacing your marble floor. Q: I recently had black marble countertops installed in my kitchen, and asked for the stone to be sealed before installation. I was told I would be given a bottle of sealer to apply after installation. I applied Aqua Mix Stone Enhancer sealant. However, I am already having problems with citrus juice spills "etching" into the stone as well as water marks. I was told by the installer that because the stone is porous, these stains would eventually evaporate out. This does not appear to be happening. I was in Bering's Hardware last week and a salesperson was telling me about your sealing and cleaning products. I would appreciate any advice you could offer short of ripping out these counters and replacing them with something more durable. I realize now that marble was not the best choice for a kitchen island and countertop. I cook a lot and do not want to be constantly worrying about the stains. How can I really "seal" the marble from future stains and etching and remove the problems which already exist? Thank you SO MUCH for your help. A: I am afraid I do not have very good news for you. Marble contains calcium carbonate, a chemical substance which reacts to acids. It is true therefore that marble is not usually recommended as a material for kitchen tops. Sealers such as the Aqua Mix or our Seal & Go ® S are meant to protect marble against grease, coffee, tea, milk, etc. BUT NOT acids such as lemon juice, orange juice, vinegar, etc. I suggest the following procedure to make your life a little bit less stressful regarding your counter top:
Remember, nothing will protect the marble against acids, so I recommend you do the best you can to maintain it while using it until it is time to restore it. These stone care products are available around town at certain retail locations. Q: We recently had a granite top installed on a patio brick wall that houses a barbecue grill. The granite is the ordinary New England type -- what is used for highway curbing or cobblestones. Rain darkens the granite considerably, and the darker color is much more compatible with the brick. I am thinking of using a color enhancer to get this color regardless of the weather. However, I would not want to end up with a shiny, polished look to the granite as that would be too formal for the outdoors. Is there a color enhancer that would give me the look I am seeking -- a darker color but without a wet, shiny surface look? Thank you any help or advice you can provide. A:Yes, we do have penetrating sealers that darken granite without adding shine. I recommend you review the information on Seal & Go Enhancer S. I recommend that the following procedure be used to maintain the granite following the sealing:
Q: We have a new home with French limestone kitchen countertops. They have been sealed 2 times and will be sealed a third. However, there are water rings and some other spots that I would like to remove or clean. What product do you recommend? The limestone countertops are a honed finish, but are smooth and not very shiny. Thanks! A: Unfortunately, limestone contains calcium carbonate, a chemical substance which reacts to acids. It is true, therefore, that limestone is not usually recommended as a material for kitchen tops. Sealers such as our Seal & Go ® S are meant to protect marble against grease, coffee, tea, milk, etc. but not acids such as lemon juice, orange juice, vinegar, etc. I suggest the following procedure to make your life a little bit less stressful regarding your counter top:
Q: We have just installed a granite countertop in our kitchen and a kitchen island. Do we need to seal it and how can we maintain it? A: Most granites are resistant to heat and etching (from acids such as lemon juice, orange juice, etc.) However, most granite types are somewhat porous and need to be protected against oils, butter and other greasy ingredients:
Q: I have an old brick paved floor with many years of wax. I would like to refinish it while keeping it dark and shiny. What should I do? A: First thoroughly strip the floor with Zoom. This is a powerful stripper. Use gloves. Partially seal the tile and grout with the Seal & Go Enhancer S; then seal the surface with Seal Out. The Color Intensifier will darken the floor while still allowing the Seal Out topical sealer to hold and give the floor the shine you require. Clean the floor weekly with a solution of Lavenet or Lavenet Green. We accept payments with MasterCard, Visa and American Express. Please call or e-mail us for quote on products and freight. Q: For our 25th wedding anniversary, my husband and I installed a beautiful honed cross-cut travertine floor in our living room. Problem is, the sample tiles we chose look much better than the floor did after installation. Should I ask the installer to replace the floor? My husband and I are quite disappointed as we were really looking forward to having a nice floor. It looks like the floor is always dirty no matter how much cleaning we do. A: Honed cross-cut travertine usually has cement (grout) type fills in the voids (holes). Sometimes, following installation, the cement grout leaves a residue on the stone or even slightly "etches" the travertine. First try a grout release type cleaner. Never use an acidic cleaner such as muriatic acid (even very diluted). If this grout release is not enough, the travertine can be re-honed on site with Ver Glow #1. This is a non-acid honing compound which should give the floor a more uniform patina. Seal the travertine and grout with Seal & Go® S. This is a water/stain repellent penetrating sealer that will not change the appearance of the floor. Clean the floor weekly or as needed with a solution of Lavenet or Lavenet Green. We accept MasterCard, Visa, and American Express credit cards for payment. Please call or e-mail us for quote on products and freight. Q: I have a one year old marble vanity and shower in my house. I have some water marks which I cannot clean and some of the shine is gone. How can I bring back the shine and maintain this marble? A: To remove the light etch marks that water and other ingredients leave (such as perfume, after shave, hair spray etc.), try the Etch Removing Kit. This kit includes a honing and polishing compound which might re-polish the marble therefore removing the "etch" mark. Polish the marble with the Bellinzoni Wax. Maintain the vanity and shower wall weekly. WARNING: both the Bellinzoni Wax and the Stone Essentials™ Countertop Polish should never be used on floors as they can make the floor slippery. Q: I have a new slate floor. I would like to have a medium gloss on the slate, but I would also like to darken the stone a bit. Should I use one of the color enhancing sealers I saw on your website? A: You can certainly use a color-enhancing penetrating sealer to darken the slate. However, this type of sealer will not give you shine or allow you to add a coat of topical sealer, which is the only way you can get shine on the slate. We recommend the following procedure:
Q: I think I have made a mistake by choosing a pink grout in all of my bathrooms. We have beautiful Spanish porcelain tiles. The grout is getting dirty and has white residue, which I assume is due to the hard water, we have in our area. I don't want to change the color of my grout and every product we have tried (including bleach) to make our grout lighter or whiter does not seem to work. Do you have a magic solution? A: No magic I'm afraid. However, our TGR (Tile & Grout Restorer) will not change the color of your grout while thoroughly cleaning it. By the way, make sure you seal the grout with Seal & Go® S (water/stain repellent penetrating sealer) after the grout is dry. For further information on these products, their applications, and their price, please call us or e-mail us. Q: I am the property manager of a medium sized downtown building. Last year, the owners of the building decided to upgrade it and replace our brick paver lobby with shiny black granite. The floor looked great at first, but now on the traffic lanes, the shine is gone and the floor looks gray instead of black. Any suggestions?
A: Granite is a hard stone. Should you want to restore the traffic areas to their original "new" look, you have no choice but to call International Stoneworks. We will grind and polish the granite with a diamond grinding system. Note that this typically is expensive.
Please see the information, MSDS, and instructions for use for all these products on our Web site. Feel free to call us for prices and delivery information. Q: I hear a lot about Soapstone. Do you recommend it for kitchen tops? How would you maintain it? A: I am not an expert on Soapstone, but I understand that it is a non-porous material, which means that it should not stain. It is probably a good choice for kitchen tops if you like the color. Unfortunately, I have only seen a light gray or green colored Soapstone. You can darken these colors with mineral oil, but the choice of colors is still very limited. Q: My mother-in-law is a perfectionist! She has a brand new granite top in her kitchen. My wife says it would not hurt if I came up with a solution to keep that top shiny since I pride myself in being quite a home improvement expert. Any tips? A: Yes! First clean the surface with Lavenet or Lavenet Green, then order some Stone Essentials™ Countertop Polish and she will thank you forever (maybe).
For further information on these products, their applications, and their price, please call us or e-mail us. Q: How do you clean watermarks on marble shower walls? A: Please note that "watermarks" are actually light etch marks in the marble. Typically you cannot "clean" them. If the marble shower is a few years old, the marble will probably have to be sanded, polished, and resealed by International Stoneworks. In the meantime, try our Stone Essentials™ Countertop Polish first to see if it cosmetically hides the watermarks. Stone Polish contains a cleaner, a liquid wax, and some silicone for water-repellency. For further information on these products, their applications, and their price, please call us or e-mail us. Q: I own a small janitorial company. The biggest complaint I get from the property managers of the buildings I clean is that the ceramic tile bathroom flooring is dirty. I know it's not true because we clean them nightly and seal them monthly. Any suggestions? A: Yes! Please find below the procedure I suggest:
Please see the information, MSDS, and instructions for use for all these products on our Web site. Feel free to call us for prices and delivery information. Q: How can I restore and maintain an old ceramic tile floor? A: For your ceramic tile floor, I recommend the following:
Q: How do I protect and maintain my granite counter top in the kitchen? I also have water marks on a marble top. How can I remove them? A: For the protection and maintenance of granite countertops we recommend:
Q: How do I polish and maintain my granite floor? A: As you saw on our Web site, we offer a maintenance system for polished granite:
Q: How do I maintain my black granite floor? A: For the weekly cleaning of black granite, we recommend Lavenet Ready-to-Use or Lavenet Green Ready-to-Use stone cleaner. Spray Lavenet lightly on the floor, and mop it with a damp cotton mop. You may have to dry the floor with a towel.
Q: I have grease stains on my slate backsplash in the kitchen. I also have rings on my marble counter tops. How can I remove the rings, and then maintain these stones? A: We recommend the following:
Q:How do I maintain granite counter tops? A: Please refer the Residential Products link to find more information on products for sealing and maintaining granite tops.
Q: I have burn marks on my marble after my dog had an accident on the marble. The spots are all over the floor. Do you have a product to clean these spots? A: Unfortunately, I recommend that you call International Stoneworks Inc. to sand (or grind) and repolish the marble. As you discovered, acids etch (burn) marble and remove the shine. Following the restoration we recommend the following for the maintenance of the marble:
Q: I saw your stone maintenance products on your website. How do I purchase them? A: Please give us a call at 713-956-8291 to place your order. We will take your order, give you freight charges, and charge your credit card. You can also complete the order form. Please see our Best Sellers page if you are not quite sure what you need to buy. Q: My cat vomited on my marble floor. I tried to clean it right away, but the shine is gone. Help! I thought my marble was sealed! A: Please note that none of the penetrating sealers in the market (the ones you used or mine) will protect limestone or marble from acid damage. These sealers are meant to protect the stones against non-acid liquids and grease.
Q: I have flamed granite in front of my house. I would like to protect it but it looks faded. What do you suggest? A: Seal & Go Enhancer S is a solvent-based penetrating sealer which will slightly darken the granite.
Q: I have a ten year old marble floor that has lost its shine. I thought stones would last forever. A: Stone actually does last for a very long time. However, the shine on the surface of the stone does not. A 10-year-old marble floor may have to be professionally restored. Call International Stoneworks if you are in or around the Houston area. If this service is not available in your area, you can try:
Q: I have Mexican tiles in my home, and want to know how to restore them. Do I strip them first? A: The most efficient wax stripper we offer is a product called Zoom. If you want to do the work yourself, you will need a stripping brush (we offer two types - for machine or with a handle). To seal the Saltillo tiles you can use:
Q: We used a regular tile and grout cleaner in our marble shower. Why is the shine completely gone, and how can I get it back? A: Unfortunately, you have used an acid cleaner that etched, or burned, the marble. The only way to restore the shine and color is to call International Stoneworks.
Q: I would like to clean my family's marble tombstones, but there is no electrical outlet in the cemetery. How can I clean and polish these tombstones? A: As you indicated, it will be difficult to maintain the shine on the marble tombstones. Not just because you don't have electricity, but also because of the elements. My recommendations are as follows:
Q: I have a slate floor that scratches easily. How can I remove the scratches and prevent them from coming back? A: Unfortunately, not all slate has the same resistance to scratches. Some slate is much softer than others. You can coat your slate, but you may have scuff marks on the coat, and it will require constant buffing and care. Additionally, the wax and/or seal coat will not prevent the slate from being scratched by heavy objects such as chairs. If the slate is honed and not textured, it can be re-honed (sanded) and re-sealed. However, scratches will come back. This is a service we offer, and this refinishing can be done on a yearly basis if needed. Q: I have a limestone floor and granite counter. How can I protect and maintain both? A: Browse the Residential Products link for more information on products for sealing and maintaining your stone. For the proper maintenance of your limestone floor and granite counter we recommend:
Q: I have a marble floor and grout that is very dirty. Also, there is a white deposit around the faucets of my red granite kitchen top. Can you advise me on how to resolve these problems? A: For more information, please browse our products.
Q: How do I polish a marble floor? Also, how can I remove ring stains from a marble table? A: To polish the marble floor, call International Stoneworks. In the meantime, you can clean the marble on a regular basis with a solution of Lavenet or Lavenet Green:
Q: There are dark marks on my kitchen's slate flooring. This floor stains very easily, and I have difficulty keeping it clean. What do you recommend? A: Browse the Residential Products link for more information on products for sealing and maintaining your slate floor
Q: I live in England. Can you tell me how to polish my granite floor? I saw Granite Glow® on your Web site. Is Granite Glow® the right product to use? A: To maintain polished granite floors, we suggest, as you indicated, Granite Glow® . Granite Glow® is a no-wax, non-acid polishing compound for granite.
Q: I have a new marble floor, vanities, and shower in my master bathroom. Do I need to seal them? I saw a product called Marbrosol on your Web site. Can I use this to polish my marble? A: We recommend the following:
Q:The white grout in my kitchen has become very dirty. The tile is an old ceramic tile. Is MDR (Mineral Deposit Remover) the right product to clean my tile and grout? I also have tile around the pool that needs attention. Can I use MDR there as well? A: MDR is an excellent product to clean the tile and grout in your kitchen. It also is a good product to clean calcium deposits from ceramic tile around the pool. It may require some scrubbing. Also note that MDR contains phosphoric acid: if some of the MDR gets into the pool, you might have to adjust the pH of the water.
Q: My bathroom has a granite shower with a glass door. Can I use MDR to clean the calcium deposit from both? A: To remove the calcium deposit from the granite and the glass, try a solution of MDR (Mineral Deposit Remover). Test a 50/50 solution in an unobtrusive area.
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