OUR BRANDS

Polishing Marble and Terrazzo

How to use Powdered Marble Polish  

Read Entire Preparation and Procedure Before Starting. The Use Of Rubber Gloves is Recommended  

Step 1: All dirt, wax, floor finish or floor sealer must be removed entirely by properly stripping, rinsing and allowing the floor to dry completely before proceeding.  

Step 2: Because marble and terrazzo vary dramatically, and with the advent of synthetic flooring of this type, a small inconspicuous area should be tested prior to proceeding on the entire floor, using the method outlined in Step 4.  

Step 3: If results in Step 2 are satisfactory, proceed as follows.  

Step 4: Place wet floor signs around work area. Mask adjoining carpeting and baseboards. Best results are obtained when small areas of approximately 2' x 2' or 3' x 3' are polished at a time. Sprinkle a small amount of powder onto 2' x 2' or 3' x 3' area. Wet surface with water and proceed to burnish with a Floor Machine (slow and heavy machine) fitted with a red pad, using a side to side motion, moving slowly. (The poultice should be a light paste). If surface begins to dry, sprinkle more water onto the area. Since the surface of marble and terrazzo vary, the time it takes to develop luster varies. The amount of shine developed can be determined by wiping a small section of floor with a dry cloth and observing the degree of luster. If satisfactory, squeegee the poultice onto the adjacent section of the floor, sprinkle additional powder onto the area, add more water and proceed in the same manner as above.  

Step 5: Rinse area that has been polished with clean water, pick up rinsate with a wet-vac and proceed to polish the next section in the same manner as above, rinse second area, pick up and proceed until entire floor has been polished.  

Step 6: Flood rinse entire floor and pick up with a wet-vac. Repeat rinsing 2 or 3 times to remove all traces of residue. When floor is dry, buff entire area with floor machine fitted with a white pad.

Materials needed (for both liquid and powdered methods)

A heavy, slow floor machine. Drop cloths to prevent tracking residue onto adjacent areas.
White and red polishing pads of proper size.* Clean mops and buckets with wringers.
Grade #00 and #1 steel wool pads of proper size (for liquid). Wet-vac.
Wet floor caution signs. Squeegee.
Powdered Marble Polish and (or) Liquid Crystallization. Rubber gloves.
Duct tape or masking tape, plastic or cardboard for masking carpeting and baseboards.

* Manufacturer's colors may vary. White - softest, generally used for dry buffing. Red - medium, generally used for spray buffing.

Handling Tips  

  1. Do not allow powder poultice to dry. Keep wet by sprinkling or spraying water onto area.  
  2. Always test an inconspicuous area, including border areas before proceeding.  
  3. Begin buffing immediately after solution of polishing powder or liquid crystallization is applied to prevent etching.  
  4. Wear gloves when using these or any chemical products.

How to use Liquid Crystallization  

Read Entire Preparation and Procedure Before Starting. The Use Of Rubber Gloves is Recommended  

Step 1: All dirt, wax, floor finish or floor sealer must be removed entirely by properly stripping, rinsing and allowing the floor to dry completely before proceeding. (The use of rubber gloves is recommended)  

Step 2: Because marble and terrazzo vary dramatically, and with the advent of synthetic flooring of this type, a small inconspicuous area should be tested prior to proceeding on the entire floor, using procedure outlined in Step 4.  

Step 3: If results in Step 2 are satisfactory, proceed as follows.  

Step 4: Place wet floor signs around work area. Mask adjoining carpeting and baseboards. Shake liquid crystallization well before using. Pour liquid crystallization into a spray bottle with an adjustable trigger sprayer. Adjust sprayer to emit a light stream. Place a clean, steel wool pad (#1 will remove surface scratches and #00 will create a higher luster) under a slow and heavy floor machine. Squirt 3 or 4 squirts of liquid crystallization onto a 3' x 3' section of floor, buff immediately in a side to side (east to west) motion moving slowly until dry. After several sections are completed, buff entire area in toward-backward (north to south) direction. A luster will develop. Repeat procedure until desired luster is obtained, turn over or change steel wool pads as they become overloaded with liquid crystallization. Damp mop entire area to remove steel wool shavings and buff with white pad.