Stone Restoration Standard

Why this is so important

Why is the creation of this Stone Restoration Standard so important?

  • What is causing the stains in my floor?
  • Why is my granite counter cracking and can it be repaired?
  • My stone shower has mold and is always wet…
  • My travertine floor is not shiny anymore…
  • How should my floor be polished so it will last?
  • What does sealer really do for me?

These and thousands of other questions are asked every day by customers looking to have their stone surfaces look like new again. Still others are asking similar questions about surfaces prior to choosing them. Until April 2016 there was no real resource for customers and stone professionals to consult to get answers to these and other questions.

The stone restoration industry is the wild west. Customers can not always compare apples-to-apples when judging between multiple companys’ proposals because methods vary drastically and different methods yield different results. This standard allows customers:

  1. Fully understand the correct and approved methods of refinishing and polishing marble, travertine, or limestone MTL (Pages 21-53 to 21-58)
  2. Have a thorough understanding the the adhesives used for and their benefits for all applications (Pages 21-39 to 21-49)
  3. How to diagnose common problems that occur and suggested solutions (Pages 21-17 to 21-26)
  4. Sealers, their use, benefits and limitations (Pages 21-67 to 21-74)
  5. Stain Removal Procedures (Pages 21-80 to 21-83)
  6. Best practices for commercial and historical restoration (Pages 21-85 to 21-88)

You can download the entire document in pdf format directly form the Marble Institute of America here: http://pubs.marble-institute.com/pub/2f75dbd6-a265-da4e-5340-c1e3dc3d0622

This is the single most important and comprehensive document ever created for stone restoration. And the Marble Institute of America is providing it the the public free of charge. The hope in providing this tremendous value to the public and non-members is that non-member stone restoration companies will see the value in becoming a member, so that those that seek to provide long term real value to their customers by learning these best practices will want to become part of the organization.

Disclosure: Though I am a member of the MIA, I am not affiliated with the membership committee or staff.