Melbourne's Premier
Stone Restoration
Specialists

Industrial diamond-bonded abrasive pads are the only tools capable of properly honing and polishing natural stone. We work through a sequence of grits — from coarse (50–100 grit) for scratch removal, through medium (200–400 grit) for honing, to fine and super-fine (800–3000 grit) for the final polishing stages. Each successive grit removes the scratches left by the previous one — the final result is a surface refined to a true mirror finish.

For floor work we use multi-head planetary grinding machines where satellite grinding heads orbit a central axis — distributing grinding pressure evenly across the entire work area. This eliminates the circular patterns and uneven results that single-head machines produce and is connected to industrial vacuum extraction to contain dust and slurry during the process.

Benchtops, vanities, edges and detailed areas require specialist hand-held polishing machines — angle grinders fitted with diamond polishing pads and variable-speed polishers for tight spaces. Edge profiles require dedicated edge polishing tools with profiled pads that follow the stone contour precisely. This hand work is where true craftsmanship matters most.

Stone grinding and honing is performed using the wet method — water is applied continuously to cool the diamonds, lubricate the cutting action and capture stone dust in a slurry. Wet grinding produces a superior surface finish and significantly extends diamond tool life. Where water cannot be used, dry diamond systems with vacuum extraction are employed.

Before any mechanical work begins, surfaces are deep cleaned using pH-neutral stone-specific alkaline cleaners that lift grease, oils, soap scum and biological contamination without attacking the stone. The pH balance is critical — acidic cleaners will etch marble and limestone on contact.

The final stage uses solvent-based penetrating impregnators — low-viscosity sealers that penetrate deep into the stone's pore structure rather than sitting on the surface. Once inside the stone, the active components react with moisture to form a hydrophobic barrier within the pores — repelling water and oil-based contaminants at the source.

Penetrating sealers carry active water- and oil-repellent molecules into the stone's pore structure via a solvent carrier. Once inside the stone, the solvent evaporates and the active molecules bond to the interior pore walls — creating a hydrophobic and oleophobic barrier within the stone rather than on its surface. The stone's appearance is unaffected and it remains breathable.

Solvent-based sealers carry active ingredients deeper into stone than water-based products because solvents have lower surface tension. Professional-grade solvent-based sealers provide superior stain resistance and significantly longer service life than consumer water-based products. We use only solvent-based impregnators — the depth of penetration directly correlates to protection performance and longevity.

Before applying any sealer, we test the stone's current absorption rate using a water drop test — a few drops placed on the surface tell us how quickly the stone absorbs moisture and whether the existing sealer is still performing. This prevents wasting sealer on a surface that doesn't yet need it and identifies surfaces requiring multiple coats due to extreme porosity.

Sealer is applied generously using clean lint-free cloths or low-nap rollers in overlapping passes to ensure full coverage. A dwell time of 5–15 minutes is allowed for the sealer to penetrate — then excess is buffed off before it can dry on the surface. Any sealer left on the surface forms a film that clouds the stone's appearance. Highly porous stones may require two or three applications.

We use two-part polyester and epoxy resin systems mixed with dry pigments and coloured fillers to match your stone. The colour matching process examines the stone in natural light, building up colour in layers — starting with the base tone and adding veining effects where required. For complex patterned stones, this requires patience and significant experience.

UV-curing polyester resins remain workable indefinitely under normal light and cure hard in seconds under UV — ideal for precise application on small chips with no time pressure. Larger repairs use standard two-part systems with controlled cure times. Structural cracks may require flexible epoxy systems that remain slightly elastic after curing — matching the movement characteristics of the stone to prevent re-cracking.

Once cured, the repair is ground flush using an angle grinder with a diamond cup wheel, followed by progressive diamond hand sanding through increasingly fine grits. The goal is to remove all excess material without touching the surrounding stone — requiring careful hand control and regular checking by touch and sightline.

The final stage is polishing the repair to match the surrounding surface finish exactly. This requires careful feathering — polishing the centre of the repair and gradually blending outward into the surrounding surface. The goal: a seamless transition indistinguishable from adjacent stone both visually and by touch. This blending skill is what separates a professional repair from a visible patch.

Travertine's characteristic holes and voids are filled prior to grinding using colour-matched cementitious grout or flexible resin compounds — selected based on whether the fill needs to remain rigid or accommodate slight movement. The filler is applied slightly proud of the surface so that the subsequent grinding stage removes the excess and creates a perfectly flush finish.

We use diamond abrasive pads from coarse grits through fine and super-fine. The cellular structure of travertine means more care is needed at coarser grits — slower machine speeds and lighter pressure prevent void enlargement during initial grinding stages. Each stage removes the scratches of the previous before progressing.

For travertine requiring a gloss finish, crystallisation is a chemical hardening treatment applied with weighted steel wool pads under a low-speed machine. The chemical reaction creates a harder, denser surface layer that takes a brilliant polish and strengthens the surface around filled voids — particularly effective for travertine.

Due to travertine's high porosity, we use penetrating sealers with smaller molecular structures that penetrate deeper into the stone. Fluoropolymer-based impregnators provide excellent stain and water resistance while remaining completely breathable — critical for preventing moisture entrapment within travertine's cellular structure.

Terrazzo floor restoration begins with heavy diamond grinding using planetary machines — multi-head systems where satellite grinding heads orbit a central axis, distributing pressure evenly across the entire floor. These machines use their own significant weight to press diamonds into the surface consistently — producing a perfectly flat, even grind with no circular patterns or high spots, impossible to achieve with single-head machines.

Professional terrazzo restoration uses a sequence of 6–10 abrasive stages — from metal-bond coarse diamonds for initial grinding through resin-bond progressions for honing and finally polishing pads for the mirror finish. Each stage must fully remove the scratches of the previous before progressing — skipping stages produces visible scratch patterns under the final polish even in professional work.

Cracks are opened, cleaned and filled with colour-matched two-part epoxy or cementitious repair compound. Damaged brass or aluminium divider strips are removed and replaced. Repair material is applied slightly proud and ground flush in initial grinding stages — producing a seamless repair indistinguishable from the surrounding floor.

After coarse grinding, the stone slurry produced is worked back into the surface and allowed to cure — filling micro-pores in the terrazzo matrix with matching material. This grouting technique significantly improves final surface quality and colour consistency. It is a critical step in professional terrazzo restoration often skipped by less experienced operators.

Professional deep cleaning uses low-speed rotary scrubbing machines fitted with appropriate pads — soft for polished surfaces, medium for honed surfaces. The machine's weight and rotation work the cleaning solution into the stone surface, lifting embedded contamination that hand scrubbing cannot dislodge. The dirty solution is then extracted and the surface rinsed — leaving a genuinely clean stone rather than just a surface pushed around with a mop.

Stains that have penetrated into the stone are treated using poultice — an absorbent material saturated with a chemical agent specific to the stain type, applied as a paste and covered with plastic film. As the poultice dries, it draws the stain out of the stone through capillary action — reversing the direction of penetration. Different stains require different chemicals: alkaline for organic stains, acidic for mineral deposits, solvent-based for oil contamination.

Grout lines accumulate biological growth, soap scum and mineral deposits that chemical cleaners alone cannot fully remove. We use commercial steam cleaners producing steam at high pressure and temperature to penetrate and loosen deeply embedded contamination. The high temperature kills biological growth at the source without chemical additives — followed by mechanical agitation with a grout brush and extraction of the loosened material.

Spray crystallisation is a maintenance technique for marble and limestone floors — a chemical compound is applied and worked in with a weighted steel wool pad under a low-speed machine. The chemical reacts with the calcium carbonate in the stone surface under the heat of friction to create a harder, denser surface layer — brightening the gloss and filling micro-scratches without mechanical abrasion. This extends the interval between full diamond polishing cycles significantly.

Avoid any cleaner containing acid, bleach or ammonia — including most bathroom and kitchen cleaners. These will etch marble and strip your sealer. Use only pH-neutral stone-specific cleaners.

Liquids — especially acidic ones like wine, lemon juice, coffee and vinegar — should be wiped up immediately. The longer they sit, the greater the risk of etching and staining penetrating the stone.

Always use coasters under glasses, placemats under plates, and trivets under hot pots. Heat, moisture rings and impact from utensils are common causes of surface damage that can be entirely prevented.

After showering, wipe down marble and stone surfaces with a squeegee or dry cloth to prevent mineral deposits and soap scum building up. This is the single most effective daily habit for bathroom stone.