This Beautiful Marble Foyer in Nashville, TN, Was Brought Back to Life Thanks to a Stone Honing and Polishing Service

June 26, 2017

People that care about the impression their homes make, care about their foyers. Great hosts know that nothing will make a better impression than taking the time and effort into turning the foyer into one of your home's key features. However, if you are more modest and not very keen on exciting your guests upon arrival, it is still important to at least keep your foyer looking decent. Unkempt grout and dull floors can also create an impression on your guests, but not the good kind.


Our client, a sweet lady residing in Nashville, TN, was struggling with the state of her foyer. She had been doing some renovations on her house before moving in, and working on her foyer's marble floor was still on her list of priorities. It was a beautiful marble floor, but the stone looked dull and etched, which undersold her beautiful foyer. Wanting to make everything as perfect as possible, she started looking for a reputable Nashville stone honing and stone polishing company that could do a high-quality job restoring her foyer's beauty.

Finding the right hard surface restoration provider wasn't difficult, she just googled stone honing and stone polishing services in Nashville and soon stumbled upon a variety of companies. After browsing through several portfolios, she decided that Sir Grout Nashville was the provider for her thanks to the notable quality of our work and the positive feedback from our customers. Without wasting any more time, she signed up for a free evaluation and quote.


On the appointed day for the assessment, our stone expert arrived at her residence to take a look at the floor and offer the most effective solution for her. This floor was extremely dulled and etched, and given the marble's original glossy finish, the staircase should have reflected off of it. Honing and polishing would both be necessary to restore the marble floor, and our client agreed.

Despite its popularity among interior decorators and affluent crowds due to its classic beauty, marble can be a bit more prone to etching and scratching than other natural stones like granite and travertine. This doesn't mean that marble is feeble; it is actually a very strong metamorphic type of rock, but its chemical composition doesn't sit well with exposure to acidic substances. Because of this, several instances of spills as well as the use of very stringent detergents can turn a glossy marble floor into a dull and unappealing mess.

Next, on the day scheduled for the services, our crew showed up early and got to work right away. The first thing in order was to completely clean the stone surface. To do this, the team soaked the floor with a marble-appropriate cleaner for a few minutes to stir up whatever dirt could be lodged in the scratches and over the stone surface, and then machine scrubbed the entire floor before wet vacuuming it.

Once the marble was clean, they proceeded to hone the stone with low grit diamond pads to grind away the etched surface and scratch marks. When the stone was mark and etch-free, they then continued with higher grit pads to polish the stone to its original finish. At last, with the honing and polishing ready, they applied a layer of deep-penetrating sealant to protect the marble against spills and damaging substances in the future, and buffed the floor to a glamorous glossy finish.

When our technicians were done, they proudly showcased the results to our client. She was pleasantly surprised when she noticed her staircase reflected off of her gleaming marble floor, which she mentioned looked like a brand-new installation.

Marble is beautiful, but to keep it that way, it is important to know a few essential facts on marble care. Wanting to help our client prolong these results, our team of techs gave her a few recommendations to take care of her floor.

First, they suggested to ditch common cleaners and detergents. If you have a marble floor, it is important to make sure that you are using products that are designed specifically for marble, as these tend to be non-acidic. This helps to avoid the sealer from dissolving and protects the marble from etching.

Second, all spills of acidic substances like orange and lemon juice, or products like white vinegar, must be cleaned immediately, as the longer they stay on the surface, the worse the etching will be.

Third, marble should be resealed every two to three years. Sealer is important to counter marble's natural porosity and prevent staining, and mold and mildew due to humidity.

If you want your foyer's floor to be ready to impress your guests, here at Sir Grout Nashville we have the team and the experience you need. Contact us by calling (615) 649-5929 or fill out our "Request a Quote" form to schedule a free in-home evaluation. Also consider signing up for our newsletter to be privy to our most recent promotions.

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