Stone & Tile Restoration

The picture framing you describe is nothing more than moisture. As the tile dries the moisture is wicked to the edges of the tile. The picture framing will disappear as the tiles dry. TIP Sometimes this picture framing will deposit salts and cause a... Read More

Yes, you can replace the missing grout. Be sure to use only unsanded grout . You will also need to wait 24 hours before proceeding with honing or you can wait until you have polished the floor and then replace the grout. Matching the color of the... Read More

This is a condition known as efflorescence. There are soluble salts in the grout coming to the surface. The large amount of water you used dissolved the salts and they are depositing on the surface. Efflorescence will eventually disappear when the... Read More

Short of removing it and installing new grout I would try cleaning it with stone soap or neutral cleaner. Be sure to use a soft brush and scrub the grout lines throughly. If this does not throughly clean the grout you may need to replace it. TIP The... Read More

The are many reasons why the grout becomes powdery. If the tile is very absorbent it will soak up most of the moisture from the grout preventing it from curing properly. Too much water added to the grout mix can also make the grout powdery. To repair... Read More

The are several reasons why the grout may have cracked. The installer may have used too much water when he mixed the grout causing it to crack or there may be movement in the floor causing the cracking. To repair the grout you can overlay a thin coat... Read More

Anything is possible, but in this cause it is very difficult. If the scratch is deep, there is a possibility that you will have to grind very deep which will put a depression in the floor. If this is case it is better to replace the scratched tiles.... Read More

It is very difficult to hone a granite floor without removing the lippage. If you do, the result will be an uneven shine. When granite needs honing and polishing the damage is relatively deep and will require starting with at least a 60 grit abrasive... Read More

If the spots are light a #00 steel wool pad may remove them. Use the steel wool dry. If the deposits are heavy use a solution of sulfamic acid and water. Sulfamic acid is sold under the name of sulfamic acid crystals and is used for cleaning grout.... Read More

The same problems with edges on marble also apply to granite. See question #62. Try to avoid edges when polishing grnite, it can be very time consuming and very hard work. It may prove difficult to feather into the edge when polishing granite. If you... Read More