A Glowing Kitchen in No Time! A Stone Polishing Service Refreshed the Looks of this Countertop in Manhattan

July 21, 2017

Large families need large kitchens. This family of ten lived in a big, lovely house in Manhattan. The family was composed of a married couple with five kids, their grandfathers, an uncle, and a couple of dogs. They had been living in the residence for three years. The dad, foreseeing his family would need a bigger space to eat together, had the kitchen renovated to make room for everyone before settling into the new house. Among the remodels, he had a large island with a stone countertop installed in the middle of the room. Such an addition turned out to be more than useful, and the family quickly adopted it as their favorite place to eat breakfast, chop vegetables to make dinner, prepare school lunches, or have a tea before bed.


Nonetheless, as years passed, the countertop started to deteriorate until it looked dull and faded. Also, etch marks appeared on the surface. The mother of the family tried different methods she read on the Internet to reverse the damage, but no matter what she did, the etching didn't go away. Both parents missed how the kitchen countertops used to look, so they decided to seek for a professional stone polishing company in Manhattan to bring it back to life.

The couple went online and searched for a company in Manhattan who offered stone polishing services for kitchen countertops, where they found Sir Grout Manhattan's website among the first results. The homeowners navigated through our pages, read our testimonials, and discovered the before and after pictures we display along with the stories of our previous stone polishing work around the area; all this guaranteed the couple we were the right ones to call. They wanted to work with a diligent and professional team, such as our past clients described us in their reviews, that could get the job done quickly and efficiently, since the family couldn't live without their kitchen for very long. They contacted us through our "Request a Quote" form asking for an in-home consultation and free quote.

The day they chose for the examination arrived and our team went to Manhattan to visit the residence. The family gently welcomed us and walked us in so we could take a look at the stone countertop. At first sight, we noticed the etching that covered a big portion of the surface. All natural stones are, to a certain degree, porous. Without proper and regular sealing, they are prone to etching and staining, not to mention that improper cleaning products—such as acid or abrasive cleaners—do more harm than good on delicate natural stones like this one. Our inspectors also found several scratches on the surface, a common sign of deterioration caused by everyday wear and tear, sharp-edged tools, accidents, or even by pets.

Refinishing the stone was the main goal for the homeowners. However, we explained them that for a complete makeover, we could clean the surface more deeply by honing it before polishing. The residents agreed to our proposal once they heard the project would take less than a day.

Our team of hard surface restorers returned to the Manhattan property a few days later to set up for the task. Prior to anything, we moved away all household items that could get harmed during the procedure. To start the countertop restoration, we first used Sir Grout's stone cleaner to remove any dirt or sticky residue from the surface—we do this as a previous step before the honing and polishing. When everything was clean and dry, we masked off and protected the adjacent areas of the countertop, like the cabinets underneath and the sink, that could get damaged by the products or our machinery. Then, we began the honing process—our team carefully and skillfully used diamond honing tools and specialized machines to bring out a fresh layer of stone while also removing scratches and other signs of damage. Afterward, we continued by polishing the stone to give it a glossy finish using a series of abrasive materials and powders. Finally, we applied Stone Armor, Sir Grout's impregnating, solvent-based sealer designed to protect the countertop from future wear and tear.

Our stone polishing services were exactly what the countertop needed to return to its former beauty. The change was remarkable, the polishing really brought the stone back to life, emphasizing its colors and original markings. The entire family was amazed when they saw their renewed kitchen.

Seeing that the countertop seemed to be in constant use, we gave the family some tips to maintain it. For cleaning, we advised them to always use a pH-neutral cleaner, which are safe on natural stones. Even though the surface became stain-resistant thanks to Stone Armor, our team still recommended to clean up spills immediately as a precaution. To prevent scratches, it's best not use steel wool or any other abrasive utensil to clean; they can dull the surface. Our recommendation was to use a terry cloth or a clean towel instead. The mother and father thanked us for the advice and assured us they will put them into practice from that day on!

Have any of the stone surfaces in your kitchen lost its former glow? At Sir Grout Manhattan, we can help you restore it! We are known worldwide for being a reputable, professional company that can repair any kind of hard surface. We offer tile and grout cleaning services, as well as stone honing and polishing! Call us at (718) 557-9283 or fill out the "Request a Quote" form on our website to ask for a free, in-home consultation today. To keep up to date with our promotions, subscribe to our newsletter.

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