LIMESTONE Limestone is one of the most prevalent natural stones in the United States and is gaining popularity in design since it requires little maintenance, offers excellent wear-ability and is quite versatile. It is a popular and excellent choice for floors, shower walls, mantels, outdoor tabletops and kitchen countertops. It is quarried in nine states, with Wisconsin and Indiana producing the most. While hardy, beautiful and elegant limestone is a calcite based stone, mak

Marble Cleaning Other Marble Services Marble is an eREasy surface to maintain when cleaned periodically using a non-acidic cleaner, such as BNA Stone & Tile Cleaner, available to purchase in our online store.    However, if you aren’t diligent in your maintenance efforts, wear will set in and create hollows and low points for dirt to collect.   Some tips for cleaning and maintaining your marble: Sweep or dust your marble surfaces regularly. This removes loose grime and deb

CAUSES AND CURES (AND WHY WE RECOMMEND WHITE OR VERY LIGHT MARBLE NEVER BE USED IN A SHOWER) Sitting in my office one morning I received a call from a very upset home builder. He told me he was building a two million-dollar home and had installed nearly 3500 square feet of a white statuary marble tile. Over the weekend one of the water pipes broke in a bathroom and completely flooded the home. They managed to vacuum all the water and started to assess the damages. Beside warp

IT SEEMS AS THOUGH YOU ARE HEARING IT EVERYWHERE THESE DAYS: COLOR SEAL YOUR GROUT! But is this merely the newest fad or is there genuine value in having this done? The answer is, it depends. The truth is, when performed by a quality contractor using a quality product there is a lot of value and in many circumstances the absolute best option without question. The problem is some are touting this service yet doing nothing more than ‘painting grout’ with what amounts to house p

Caring For Your Stone GENERAL Never use home-brewed concoctions (such as water and dish soap, or water and vinegar) to clean your natural stone installations. Don’t use generic cleaning products (such as glass cleaner, etc.), unless their label specifies that are safe on natural marble (“cultured marble” is man-made plastic material and is NOT marble). Use cleaning agents that are specifically formulated to deal with the variable makeup of natural stone. We recommend MB Stone

How much dust will be created during the restoration of my floor?There is minimal dust created during the restoration process, because we use diamond abrasives and water. There is minimal to no dust created during the restoration process, because we use diamond abrasives and water. I have a sealed marble vanity with what look like cup rings on it. Is this actually damage? Sealing DOES NOT prevent etching, it inhibits staining. You do not need to replace your vanity tops but s

PROPER CARE WILL ENSURE A LIFETIME OF BEAUTY We make it a point to educate our customers on proper stone care. To keep your stone, tile & grout surfaces looking their best, follow some simple but important care instructions. Download our Stone and Tile Care Guide for all of our care tips and information. We strongly recommend you use only quality products designated safe for natural stone. Don't hesitate to ask us for recommendations. Here are some other quick pointers to kee

10 Tips for Maintaining Your Natural Stone 1. Cleaning your granite and other natural stone surfaces requires using the proper stone cleaner. Ask us for recommendations. 2. Do not drag objects over your floors or countertops. 3. Remember that acidic food and drinks can and usually will etch your marble. 4. We recommend having your granite countertops and marble vanity tops professionally cleaned and sealed at least once ever two years 5. Attend to spills as soon as they occur

Polished finish Polished floors are the hardest to maintain, but have the most impressive look. Typically Marble and Crem of Marfil are found polished and are probably the best looking polished. Things to consider with polished floors are the amount of natural light that enters your house and the amount of traffic in certain areas. A polished floor will reflect light like a mirror and show wear-and-tear faster then a honed floor. Honed/Flat Honed floors are the most common st

MARBLE A marble island can pull the backsplash or countertop marble together. For an easy backsplash, have marble cut to size and installed. Because there are no seams like there are in traditional tile, your backsplash will visually enlarge the kitchen and be easier to keep clean. Living areas Marble is especially at home in living areas as a fireplace surround. Clean-edged and sans mantle, marble would make a fabulously elegant accent around the fireplace. Or, give the inse