Marble is one of the most beautiful and expensive materials that is used for various coatings. But floors, countertops and other products from this stone need proper care in order to please the owner with their beautiful view. And first of all, we take here the polishing of marble. In the article we will analyze all aspects of this necessary procedure.
Grinding and polishing marble - what is it?
In the subtitle are two of the most important components of stone care. Grinding is a procedure that is applied when various defects appear on the surface: chips, scratches, irregularities.
Polishing marble is a simpler, easier and more enjoyable procedure. Helps to improve the appearance of the surface, make it mirror. This gentle effect affects only the top layer of the material, making it smoother. The process goes by surface treatment with a special tool.
Varieties of polishing
Marble polishing is divided into two varieties:
- Primary It is carried out after laying marble slabs with filling the seams. Here, not only gloss is achieved, but also the solidity of the surface, which further eliminates the accumulation of contaminants in the joints between the plates. Also at this stage, the marble can be given an anti-slip effect, as well as protection against exposure to liquids and various compositions.
- Secondary It is produced as needed during the operation of the coating. Most of all, the procedure is relevant in case of loss of gloss.
Polishing equipment
Before us is a very dense material. Therefore, its processing is carried out using special machines for polishing marble. A special tool is also used:
- Diamond flexible circles. For grinding and polishing hard-to-reach surfaces.
- Milling cutters. For a smooth marble surface.
- Fibrocircles, cups, brushes. Abrasive tools for detailed manual processing.
Marble Care
But that's not all. You will need tools for polishing marble - the following assortment:
- Two-component adhesive. Used to fill scratches and cracks. It is matched to the color of marble and even to the tone of its interspersed. Glue is also needed when dirt is clogged between the plates. Then the seams expand, and the spaces between them are filled with this glue or grout after cleaning.
- Operational polishes. It contains liquid wax or a special anti-slip wax. The tool protects stone coatings from mechanical damage, helps them stay shiny for a long time. Antiskid polishes are ideal for marble floors.
- Liquid crystallizer. This is a universal tool that forms a protective layer, is used after polishing marble. Why do I need a mold? It protects the surface from moisture, mechanical damage. Giving a mirror shine and anti-slip effect are also his tasks.
- Polishing paste. May be thick, liquid or creamy. The paste restores an attractive appearance, gives shine. It can be called wear-resistant polishing, which is also distinguished by a water-repellent effect.
- Marble polishing powder. It is characterized by simple use: the product is poured onto the surface, after which the latter is polished to the desired degree. Then the powder is quickly rinsed off manually with a sponge or using a machine to prevent stains. For this, it is advisable to process small surfaces.
Note that caring for polished and unpolished marble is fundamentally different. In the first case, it is important to give maximum shine, in the second - to emphasize the texture of the stone. Also, paste-like compositions are considered more suitable for machine processing, and liquid ones for manual processing.
Internal polishing
Just note that polishing marble with your own hands without special equipment is a rather laborious process. First of all, everything necessary for stone care is prepared:
- sand;
- paraffin;
- sandpaper with grain of different sizes;
- pumice;
- grinding wheels;
- soft tissue;
- special equipment listed by us above.
But, even with all this at hand, do not expect dizzying results from manual processing. With deep damage this method can not cope. Manual polishing eliminates only minor defects and helps to restore shine.
The procedure is as follows:
- Sanding with sandpaper, pumice, sand. Thus, it is necessary to remove up to 3 mm of the upper layer of stone.
- Then waxing is carried out. Can be replaced with paraffin. Means fill microcracks, protecting marble from moisture and dirt. After application, they are rubbed with a soft cloth until a shine appears on the surface.
- The final stage is the use of protective substances. Which ones - depends on what you want to see in the end: shine, highlighted structure, wet stone effect, tinting, underlined color.
Homemade Polisher
For processing large spaces can not do without professional equipment for polishing marble. The cost of such machines varies from several to tens of thousands of rubles. It all depends on the manufacturer, power, frequency of rotation of the brushes.
Of course, for an apartment with marble floors, buying such equipment is unprofitable. Therefore, many people use a regular grinder (angle grinder) and flexible diamond disks for it for polishing. To successfully remove a layer of marble with a thickness of 2 mm, it is necessary to use a device with a capacity of 700-800 W, calculated for a disk diameter of 125 mm.
Now for the turtles. So sometimes called flexible diamond discs for the grinder. You will need several disks for all the work:
- No. 800;
- No. 600;
- No. 400;
- Number 200;
- No. 100;
- Number 50.
You should start polishing with the coarsest one - No. 50. In the course of work, change it to No. 100, etc. Such a sequence will help to remove cracks and, when you get to the last disk - No. 800, polish the marble surface to a shine.
There is one more secret. To get a mirror shine, you need to put a little silicone on the felt circle at the end of the treatment, and then go over the surface again. Dazzling gloss guaranteed. But you need to understand that this is a temporary result - it will disappear as soon as the silicone layer is wiped off.
Now let's take a look at polishing marble and granite in stages.
Preparatory work
We examined the necessary tools and equipment. Now we begin the process:
- Carefully inspect the surface for defects.
- Close up the crests with cement-lime, resin casting. As an alternative - liquid glass.
- If the marble has broken off somewhere, the pieces should be returned to their place using glue based on synthetic resins.
- Cracks are sealed with special mastics based on perchlorinated varnish or synthetic glue. Additionally, for protection, it is worth using a fastener made of copper brackets or stainless steel elements.
Surface grinding
It is important to carry out this procedure immediately before polishing, if it is important for you that the marble coating serves for many years. The work is carried out as follows:
- Thoroughly prepare the surface - clean it with a vacuum cleaner, detergents, organic solvents and plain water with rags.
- If there are significant irregularities on the marble, remove them with grinding beams and circles. A smooth surface is created with fine grain sandpaper.
- Grinding itself consists of three stages - rough, normal and fine-tuning. For each, an ever smaller grinding disk number is used.
- As we already said, you need to remove the layer no thinner than 3 mm.
- If marble is polished on a special machine, it is best to use a circle made of cast iron, copper or lead.
- As auxiliary materials, pumice, fine sand, fine-grained sandpaper are used.
Polished marble surface
Before this procedure, the surface must be thoroughly cleaned. One of the most popular ways to polish marble at home is to use worn-out fine sulfur oxide and iron. The powder is applied to a surface that is rubbed with a piece of skin until it shines. Then marble is sprinkled with paraffin. Now rubbing is done with soft rags. This gives shine and protects from environmental influences.
Carrying out polishing on the machine
If polishing takes place on the machine, then the first step is to remove the plastic case and faceplate from the mechanism. They must be washed, and then returned to their place. The polishing wheel is fixed, on which the powder is poured. The latter is moistened with water and rubbed on the disk.
As a powder, you can use diamond dust, aluminum, zinc, chromium oxide. It is good to use cloth, felt or felt. Circles of 1-2 cm thick are cut from materials. They are glued to a cast-iron faceplate using sealing wax or shellac.
Between the material and the metal is sheet rubber. Circles of matter are wetted before the procedure. The material is carefully raised and pressed during operation. It is important to move your hand against the rotation of the circle.
In conclusion, the marble surface is treated with a polymer substance for added protection. It is considered more desirable than wax, because of its durability. Before applying polymers, it is important to thoroughly clean the surface. After all, even a drop of fat can cause peeling of the coating in the future.
Crystallization
You can choose the chemical type of polishing, the essence of which is in the impregnation of marble with crystallizers - weakly acidic substances that “heal” damage and generally strengthen the surface. Another good effect is the mirror shine. Processing with molds allows you to get a very strong coating, hardness not inferior to marble. In addition, it can be, without fear, cleaned with traditional detergents.
For a home procedure, you need a rotor mechanism with one disk and special concentrates and powders. The floor must be cleaned before the procedure. A paste is mixed from the compositions, which is applied to the surface. Processing is carried out until it is completely dry.
Thus, for the proper effect, it is worth walking the machine along one section about 15 times. At the end of the procedure, the paste will be more like the appearance of sour cream. If you are processing a large marble area, it is best to divide it into sectors. In the future, in order to maintain the gloss of the surface, it is sufficient to periodically clean it with ordinary detergents.
Polishing marble at home is quite time-consuming, but possible. The most important thing is to stock up in advance with the necessary compounds and tools. A regular Bulgarian with diamond floppy disks will help you in your work.