Stone Honing

Natural stone floors can come in either a honed or polished finish. The word “honed” in this instance refers to a matt look finished product, this is not to be confused with the honing process, which is the process needed to prepare the floors for sealing. During the honing process the floor will be ground with a variance of diamond abrasives from course to fine. This is done to remove the majority of etch marks, scratches and staining to prepare the floor for sealing. Sometimes stains are not completely removed by the honing process alone, if this is the case they will need to be chemically treated before the final stage of the restoration process can be completed. Which diamond abrasives are used during this honing process will depend on the finish shine level that is required as the end result
A natural honed floor would be finished by a final grind using a fine 400 grit diamond pad. The floor would then be cleaned with a neutral detergent followed by the application of a good quality impregnating sealer.

To achieve a polished finished, the last grind would be with a very fine diamond pad, followed by the application of our own Mirror Image Marble Polishing Process which results in the floors having that mirror image finished look.

Honed and polished floors will require periodic maintenance to keep them looking in pristine condition. The frequency of this maintenance will depend on the quantity of foot traffic on the floor area.

Restoration of natural stone benches also requires honing, but in this instance the honing process requires the sanding of the surface using a diamond disc and a sanding machine that has a vacuum attached. Most people are concerned about the possibility of dust during this honing process; however the system we use assures that the environment remains dust free. Honing of the benches eliminates existing etch marks, scratches and most staining and prepares the surface for the application of Clearstone protective coatings. As with the preparation of the floor surfaces, if stains are not removed with this honing process they will need to be chemically treated prior to the application of the final protective coating. Stone benches can be finished in either a honed or polished finish as desired.

If you are wanting to sell your house and your benchtop needs a little attention, you may not want the added cost of applying a long term protective coating. In this instance, we also offer a service whereby we will hone your benchtop to remove etch marks, scratches and staining and we will apply an impregnating sealer which will restore the look of your benchtop in preparation for the sale. However, this option is not something we would recommend as a long term solution for the protection of your benchtop.