Q: What about being Green and Sustainability?
A: Our restoration process will rejuvenate your old worn down floor allowing you to save it instead of replacing it. By having your stone polished, you can get rid of the finishes and strippers you now use which are harmful to people and the environment. We use no chemicals to restore your stone, NO VOC’s to your indoor air, no chemicals down the drain, no chemicals into the environment. Putting a finish or wax on your stone can prevent it from properly ventilating because the stones natural pores get clogged; our process allows your stone to ventilate properly which reduces the potential for mold growth underneath your stone. The water used during the restoration process is contained and recycled, minimizing waste and our impact on the environment.
Q: If I don’t put a finish on my terrazzo or natural stone floor, what will protect it from getting damaged?
A: Natural stone and terrazzo floors are actually very durable. With regular housekeeping these floors will last a lifetime. There is a common misconception that these floors need a protective coating. The truth is that they don’t. As you can see from our history, Boylan Marble & Terrazzo Restoration Ltd. started out as a janitorial company that specialized in floor care. We have extensive experience applying finishes to hard floors. It has been our experience that a coated surface attracts and holds more dirt than a surface restored using our sustainable no-chemical process. What we have found is that most finishes do the opposite of what they are designed to accomplish. That is, they become a dirt magnet. Dirt, dust, tiny stones, and particles tracked into your building will become entrapped in the finish and remain there even after cleaning. As people continue to walk on the floor, entrained dirt and particles are ground through the finish and into the surface of the stone, over time this will cause scratching, spalling, etching, discoloration, and deterioration. Our restoration process will leave nothing but a finely polished stone surface. Dirt, dust and material tracked into the building can be quickly and easily swept or dust mopped because there is nothing on the surface to hold it in place. A floor polished by us will last longer and look better than a floor coated with wax or finish.
Q: If I have my floors polished by Boylan Marble and Terrazzo, will they be slippery and unsafe?
A: No! According to the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA), slip resistance is based on the frictional force necessary to keep a shoe heel or crutch tip from slipping on a walking surface under conditions likely to be found on the surface. The coefficient of friction provides a close approximation of the slip resistance of a surface. A higher coefficient of friction means the floor is more slip resistant. OSHA recommends that walking surfaces have a minimum static coefficient of friction of 0.5. Our work yields floors that consistently satisfy the OSHA and the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) recommendations.
Q: How much does marble, granite, or terrazzo restoration cost?
A: Terrazzo restoration cost is dependent on many different variables. Standard prices for terrazzo restoration can range from $3 to $6 per square foot. The initial investment of having Boylan Marble & Terrazzo Restoration restore your natural stone or terrazzo will cost very little when compared to the cost of having new natural stone or terrazzo installed (average new terrazzo prices range from $12-$15 per sq.ft.). For a more exact restoration cost an on site visit and determination of expectations is needed. If you are maintaining your natural stone or terrazzo floors by applying a finish to them you are probably spending between $2.50 and $3.00 per square foot per year just to maintain them. Boylan Marble & Terrazzo Restoration will polish your floor and eliminate the need for you to apply a finish to it. Eliminating the requirement to “strip and wax” your floors and the reduction in maintenance that is required of a polished natural stone or terrazzo floor could possibly save you up to $1.25 per square foot per year.
Q: How will my maintenance requirements change after you restore my floor?
A: That depends on what you are doing now, but typical floor maintenance generally involves dust mopping, wet mopping, spray buffing, scrub & recoat of finish, and strip & finish. With polished stone floors you will be able to eliminate the need to scrub & recoat, and strip & finish. In addition, our service will include training of your maintenance staff on the proper cleaning procedures of your new polished floor. Your maintenance staff will notice improvements in the way the dust mop now glides over the polished floor much easier than it did with the waxed floor. General floor maintenance will now be accomplished in less time and give your maintenance staff more time to concentrate on other important building maintenance issues.
Q: Is there any dust created?
A: No. Our process of restoration is done using water to eliminate the creation of dust. After each honing step the water is vacuumed up and recycled for later use. Adjacent surfaces are masked off for protection.
Q: How long will my floor shine after you are done?
A: Your new polished floor will shine a lot longer than a surface coated with a finish due to the fact that there is no soft coating to show scuff marks, mars, etc. Exactly how long the shine lasts will depend on several factors that include; the type of floor, amount of traffic, the level of shine you desire, and how well you maintain your floors after we leave. The important thing to remember with polished floor surfaces is to keep them clean. At entrance ways where dirt and stones are being carried into the building frequent dust mopping and the use of throw rugs 6-8ft long will help maintain the shine throughout your building.
Q: Can you get the stains out of my natural stone?
A: It depends on the type of stain and how long the stain has been there. In most cases we can reduce the stain or even eliminate it.
Q: How long will the restoration take?
A: We have a large, highly trained staff and the latest equipment which allows us the flexibility day or night, to work around your schedule. Most residential jobs can be completed the same day they are started. Commercial jobs can take longer. When we are done, your restored natural stone or terrazzo will be immediately ready for use.
Q: Some of my tiles are uneven, can you fix them?
A: Yes, uneven tiles are fixed by adding a grinding step to the restoration process. Grinding is the process where the surface of the stone is aggressively honed to remove raised edges of the stone. This process is usually recommended when stone tiles are uneven.
