We specialize in cleaning and sealing slate floors showers and countertops!!!

We love working on slate because we can show what sets us apart. We use the best machinery, products and scrub brushes to achieve our desired results. Most of all we feel like you can really see our years of experience coming out in the work we do when it comes to cleaning slate floors. We really do make the colors pop like you see in the pictures. We prefer in most cases to use a penetrating sealer if our customer likes the natural look because their is almost no maintenance.

Penetrating sealers look good and natural, but don't provide a shiny floor. Many people like the natural look and are not looking for a shiney floor so for that reason penetrating sealers are the best choice when a shine is not required. The reasons we like penetrating sealers so much is they never need to be stripped out later,
You can go year after year, just cleaning and coating, because penetrating sealers do not cause build up.

A water base acrylic provides a good shine and can be coated through out it life, but will need to be stripped out, approximately 1 to 4 years, if maintained well I have seen acrylics last as long as 10 years but that's under the perfect conditions. Enhancer makes the floor quite dark and it seems to have a shorter life than some of the others. Oil-based acrylic is a a better choice in many cases it last longer and brings out just as much color.
To remove old finish from slate we use a buffer or sometimes a steam machine. 
We will help you to make the best choice for your floor.

Slate

Slate is a fine grained metamorphic rock that splits into thin smooth surfaced layers. It is caused by strong compression causing fine grained clay flakes to regrow in planes perpendicular to the compression. When expertly cut by striking parallel to the foliation with a specialized tool in the quarry, many slates will form smooth flat sheets of stone which have long been used for roofing and floor tiles. Slate has a very unique mineral composition that consists of quarty and muscovite or illite, often along with biotite, chlorite, hematie and pyrite. The tiles of slate are often used for interior and exterior flooring, stairs, walkways, and wall cladding. Tiles are set on mortar and grouted along the edges. A sealant would then be used to improve durability, increase stain resistance, reduce surface smoothness, and reduce efflorescence. Efflorescence by definition is the loss of water(or solvent) of crystallization from a hydrated or solvated salt to the atmosphere on exposure to air. On porous materials efflorescence may present a cosmetic problem only, but can sometimes indicate serious structural weakness. In conclusion, slate is a beautiful natural stone that can add elegance to any room, but also needs to be cared for properly. Whether you have a new slate floor that needs care or an older slate floor that needs to be restored to new; Texas Floor Restoration knows slate.

Before we removed all the old finish on this beautiful slate floor we taped off all the carpit. The walls we are careful not to hurt and clean when where done. Then we cleaned the slate and prepared the floor for sealer.

Marble Polishing Houston, College Station, The Woodlands, Katy Texas

Marble Polishing Services:

Marble polishing processes can be very controversial because of the many different ways to polish marble and the different techniques used by many contractors. What technique is the best, and who can I trust? I'm going to address the different ways marble can be polished.

The most popular one is acid polishing with steel wool most commonly known as crystallization or vitrification. This process is not recommended by Texas Floor Restoration for reasons (showen or stated) in the video on the homepage.

Another populur marble polishing process is diamond polishing. With hard diamonds and pads. Diamond polishing which is basically running a very fine grit diamond with water until you receive the desired polish. this alone is not recommended by Texas Floor Restoration, as a much better result can be acheived with our technology.

Another popular system for polishing Marble is with polishing powders, or pastes. These pastes and powders are very complex with alot of different components, but to simplify it, these powders are very abrasive and acidic and when used correctly they can yeild good results. This alone is not recommended byTexas Floor Restoration, as a much better result can be acheived with our technology.

At Texas Floor Restoration we are trained to polish with all the above technologies, and techniques. We recommend using a combination of diamond polishing, with a unique powder we have developed that works with diamond polishing. We don't feel that one polish gives all the benifits that we can give by using this superiorcombination approach.

How to Polish Marble

 To polish marble you must start off with a Clean floor. The next step is to evaluate the marble to see how badly the floor is scratched or etched and the overall "health" of the floor. WE then can determine how deep we must go with the diamond grindind. Typically most floors will start off with a #200 diamond and then proceed with the next steps #400-#600-#800-#1800-#3000-#6000 diamonds (Every system is different this is just a generic example). After running all the needed diamond gritss we can start with polish if more shine is desired. After cleaning, grinding, and polishing is done then we will need to seal the floor with a penetrating sealer to complete the job.   

What is Marble?

Marble is a rock resulting from the metamorphism of sedimentary carbonate rocks, most commonly limestone or dolomite rocks. Metamorphism causes variable recrystallization of the original carbonate mineral grains. Marble comes in many different colors and designs. Pure white marble is the result of metamorphism of a very pure limestone. The characteristic swirls and veins of many colored marble varieties are usually due to various mineral impurities such as clay, silt, sand, or chert which were originally present as grains or layers in the limestone. Another type of marble, green marble, is often due to serpentine resulting from originally high magnesium limestone or dolostone with silica impurities. These various impurities have been mobilized and recrystallized by the intense pressure and heat of the metamorphism. Construction marble is a stone which is composed of calcite, dolomite or serpentine which is very easily polished. Marble is a stone that many cultures use to show status or wealth. Marble is a gorgeous stone than can transform any room to elegance. Whether you have a new marble floor that you want to keep its luster or an older marble floor than you want restored to that brand new shine; Texas Floor Restoration knows marble.

If you have any questions don't hesitate to contact us at 713-306-4822 or email us using the email contact form on this site at info@texasfloorrestoration.com with your questions or concerns.

Travertine Cleaning Services In The Houston, College Station, And Surrounding Areas:

What is Travertine?

Travertine is a form of limestone that is deposited by mineral springs.It has a fibrous or concentric look to it. It is formed by rapid precipitation of calcium carbonate at the mouth of a hot spring or in a limestone cave. It is sometimes known as travertine limestone or travertine marble but these are the same stone, although travertine is classified correctly as a type of limestone and not marble.The stone is characterized by the holes or troughs in its surface. Even though these troughs naturally occur, they suggest signs of considerable wear and tear over time. These holes can be filled with a special travertine filler. Travertine is one of the more popular stones in modern architecture. The largest building in the world is actually constructed mostly of travertine. In conclusion, travertine is a beautiful and often times unique natural stone that can make any room look beautiful. Whether you have a new travertine floor that you would like to keep looking like new or an older travertine floor that you want to restore, Texas Floor Restoration knows travertine.

Our travertine cleaning typically involves an intensive cleaner that is very affective, yet very gentle on your stone. We are very careful not to get the stone too wet, because any floor can be water logged or flooded. This is very important because water and soap can hurt or damage your floor by penetrating too deep. Some companies use a surface cleaner on natural stone. Although it may save money short term, long term it will create extensive damage to the floor.

Surface Cleaner

One of our most frequent questions is What is a surface cleaner? Why can we not use this on our travertine? Surface cleaners come in all different shapes and sizes but all do the same thing. To explain it basically,  a surface cleaner is a pressure washer with a vacuum. Carpet companies started using surface cleaners on natural stone as an easy and cheap way to clean them. Although it is fast and it is cheap one thing these companies do not tell you is that you will pay more in the long run. A surface cleaner on travertine creates holes and disenigrates the porus stone. Do you want somebody pressure washing your $20,000+ floor?.

On a side note if you have a ceramic floor a surface cleaner will work for a deap clean. 

I warn you against this machine for travertine.

Travertine Maintenance Services :

Another great question we get:

How long will my travertine floor last after I have it professionally done?

The floors should last about 2-6 years depending on traffic and if the floor was sealed correctly. We recommend getting your floors done as needed in that window.

Never wait longer than six years to have your travertine serviced.

Different Types of Travertine Finishes

It is no surprise that travertine has become more and more popular in home flooring, walls, backslpash, pavers, and around the pool. It is a beautiful choice of tile. All travertine can look uniquely different due to their different finishes. Some of the most popular finishes are honed (matte), tumbled (rough or pitted surface), brushed (worn or textured suface), or polished (shiny). Your Texas Floor technician will be able to successfully identify which type of travertine you have and can further advise on how to clean to it's maximum potential. Each travertine is different and they varry on color, durability, porosity, and density depending on the quarry that it came from. No two travertine floors are the same so be cautious when a company has a "one size fits all" answer to your floor cleaning plan.

Mistakes We See When Cleaning Travertine

Cleaning travertine requires special tools, chemicals, sealers, and protectants to prevent scratching, etching, and permanent staining. If your professional DOES NOT have the right tools, chemicals and expertise he could create a scenario for some fairly signifigant damage to your travertine stone. CAUTION: never clean travertine with cleaning products containing lemon, bleach vinegar, or any type of acidic product. Also never use scouring creams and powders. These types of products will etch or scratch travertine floors and cause costly travertine restoration services to your budget. Also NEVER clean with high alkaline cleaner as they break down the sealer leaving your floors vulnerable to water stains, etch marks, and other stains. We also NEVER recommend using OxiClean or Mr.Clean Magic Eraser as a cleaner on any type of natural stone. OxiClean and Mr. Clean Magic Eraser have many beneficial uses but using it to clean your travertine is NOT one of them. All our clients receive a comprehansive Stone Care Guide that address these issues.

The next biggest mistake we see people make is that either home owners or their professional travertine cleaner will use a generic sealer from the local hardware store that leaves the floor with a sticky residue. The reason for that is because your honed, tumbled or polished travertine has various different porosities. You will need a sealer that correctly matches your travertine type.

In many instances when cleaning travertine the process may result in uncovering surface scratches, small holes, and even hairline cracks that are disguised from the soiling. Simmularly, the travertine maintence cleaning may dislodge filler in the travertine that is not stable. Our travertine repair or travertine honing process wiik adequetly address these issues. If you have any questions on our process of travertine cleaning please feel free to reach out. We love answering any and all travertine questions.