Natural stone protection: Sensitive Countertop

  This is a project completed at Andaz Wailea. These counters are sensitive and prone to etch marks and scratches. 

Our team performed a cutting edge process to create a high quality protection, adding life to the stone.  This natural stone countertop will continue to have superior reflection and luster. 

To determine if your project is a good candidate, schedule a free consultation. 

808.877.0222

2015 is here and it's starting off with a bang!

Goodbye 2014 and Hello 2015!  We are here and thriving - last year we had the privilege of working with a lot of new clients and were happy to reconnect with familiar home owners we enjoy as well! 

We were sad to say goodbye to one of our favorite techs who left the island, but happy to welcome some new team mates who are doing an awesome job making our clients rave.  We're so fortunate to have techs who care and who have developed the skill to make our work shine, and the eye to keep our results at such a high levels.  We get frequent feedback from our clients who love our guys and their work.

Our favorite part of this business is still capturing the before and afters that make our customers happy.  Although Lisa has had her hands too full lately to blog example projects, we're starting to get a stock pile of pictures just waiting to be shared.

If we've worked with you in the past, we'd love your reviews and comments..  

 

CALL FOR SERVICE or recommend us

808.877.0222

 

Travertine Before



Travertine After

Travertine Before

Travertine After

Stone Restoration and Tile Care Maui

Marble - Granite - Travertine - Tile - Grout Cleaning Care and Restoration

 by EUROTECH Maui 877.0222



Travertine Marble Stone and Tile Care by EUROTECH Maui


 

Choosing a stone professional to care for and maintain your natural stone is a worthy investment.

All natural stone, whether marble, granite, travertine, slate, or one of the many other types of stone need ongoing care. The National Home Builders Association asserts that you can get a lifetime of beauty and reliability out of stone that is properly cared for.

Proper care includes sealing stone regularly. Proper preparation and choosing and applying the right professional sealer takes time and experience. Learning to perfect an even finish and remove damage takes even more experience.

Waxing and coating natural stone can be a costly endeavor. Those types of finish wear faster and more obviously than a professional polishing. Smearing, smudging, or ugly traffic patterns are more likely with waxes or coatings. Those types of quick fixes may also trap moisture within the stone and compromise the integrity of the stone in the long run.

Maintaining natural stone showers, floors and countertops properly will prevent damage and prolong their life and beauty.

It's our goal at EUROTECH to provide the best stone care solutions for the long term.  Our mission is to recommend the most cost effective solutions for the long run - prevention, protection and preservation. 

Call 808.877.0222 for Service

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Travertine Floor Wailea, Maui Hawaii

Travertine Floor Clean and Seal by EUROTECH Maui 808.877.0222

 

Travertine Floors are beautiful.  Natural stone's porosity can lead to discoloration over time.  This floor was well cared for, but dusty red dirt conditions in Maui tend to cause an orange tint to floors.  After a deep cleaning, the floor was sealed with an impregnator to effectively reduce the amount of liquid that the tile and grout will absorb.  By sealing up the porosity of the stone, it slows future discoloration down, and preserves the natural color of the stone.

Why Seal Natural Stone?

For Service, Call

808.877.0222







Contact Us - Articles - Services - Reviews - Gallery

Stone Restoration - Marble, Travertine, Granite, Slate, Limestone

Choosing a stone professional to care for and maintain your natural stone is a worthy investment.

All natural stone, whether marble, granite, travertine, slate, or one of the many other types of stone need ongoing care. The National Home Builders Association asserts that you can get a lifetime of beauty and reliability out of stone that is properly cared for.

Proper care includes sealing stone regularly. Proper preparation and choosing and applying the right professional sealer takes time and experience. Learning to perfect an even finish and remove damage takes even more experience.

Waxing and coating natural stone can be a costly endeavor. Those types of finish wear faster and more obviously than a professional polishing. Smearing, smudging, or ugly traffic patterns are more likely with waxes or coatings. Those types of quick fixes may also trap moisture within the stone and compromise the integrity of the stone in the long run.

Maintaining natural stone showers, floors and countertops properly will prevent damage and prolong their life and beauty.

CONTACT US

FOR PROFESSIONAL RECOMMENDATIONS CALL808.877.0222

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Stone Floor Deep Clean and Seal

Natural Stone Floors are porous and require on-going maintenance to preserve their beauty and integrity. The National Association of Home Builders expect natural stone, particularly granite, marble and slate to last approximately 100 years with proper maintenance.

This photo shows flooring that had a lot of dirt and deposit buildup deep cleaned out of the stone flooring.

What causes discoloration and damage to stone flooring and surfaces?

• Improper care and lack of maintenance




• Liquids and spills that are not wiped up




• Acidic or Alkaline products and cleaners




• Too much time between resealing




• Grit and dirt sanding a wear pattern




• Soap residue




• Improper stain removal

CONTACT US

Article Why Use a Professional? link: http://eurotechmaui.blogspot.com/2011/02/why-use-pro.html

Article Should I Use a Coating? link: http://eurotechmaui.blogspot.com/2010/12/should-i-put-topical-sealer-on-my-stone.html

Floor Care Tips Here: Floor Care Tips

Call 808.877.0222 for Service and Recommendations

Marble Granite Travertine Tile Grout - Cleaning Polishing and Sealing by EUROTECH

*Special thanks to Sean Jones at AUTO TRIM HAWAII for the new Van Signs http://www.autotrimhawaii.com/contactus.htm

Professional Stone Care

Tile & Grout Cleaning

• Cleaning



• Sealing



• Polishing



• Restoration and Resurfacing

Inspections - Maintenance Programs - Consultations

Marble and Natural Stone require ongoing specialized care to protect and preserve its beauty and lifespan. Stone Care professionals are trained in the best methods and stay on top of the latest products and technology to promote natural stone service life.

Call (808) 877-0222 for Service

CONTACT US

Stone Care and Tile Cleaning

This is some recent stone care and tile cleaning work in Lahaina and Kihei, Maui. Both floors were well taken care of, but a service level clean and seal definitely brought them up a notch.

Floors, Showers and Counters can all benefit from a Maintenance Program. Regular cleaning and service resealing protects and beautifies stone, tile and grout.

For a consultation, call 808.877.0222

Travertine Floor Clean Reseal Lahaina Maui

This jewelry store in Lahaina, Maui, Hawaii had a beautiful floor hidden beneath buildup and dirt deposits. You can see in the photo above that the cleaning made a drastic difference in the appearance of the floor. That dark area in the far top of the picture isn't shadow - you can see the cleaning line midway through the floor.



Travertine flooring deserves maintenance cleanings and service reseals. Visit our article Why Use a Professional?



Call 877-0222 if you have travertine tiles that need care.

Why Use a Pro?

When it comes to resealing your natural stone surfaces and grout (for tile), getting professional results will go a long way in protecting your investment. The National Home Builders Association says granite and marble floors can last a lifetime, with proper care and maintenance.

Proper care and maintenance includes regular resealing (service level clean and seal) and maintenance cleanings (surface level cleanings) for upkeep. See our article on Maintenance Programs here.

1. Professionals understand the make up of the type of stone you are sealing. Professional stone care experts get extensive training in the different types of natural stone and how to take care of them.

2. The surface is properly prepared. Eurotech thinks this quote is true, even in the area of stone care “Success depends upon previous preparation, and without such preparation there is sure to be failure.”

3. Choose the right sealer. When it comes to sealers, you get what you pay for. Professionals have access to sealers that are professional grade. It takes training and experience to know which top of the line sealer will work best on which material on which type of surface. Some sealers are rated for 3-5 years and some are rated for more than 10 years.

4. Proper saturation. Wiping or spraying a sealer on a surface may not effectively protect a surface. Professionals will use techniques to ensure full saturation and maximum protection.

5. Excess. One problem caused by 'quickie' resealing jobs is residue that causes a buildup pattern. Professionals are trained to address the problem of excess sealer residue and won't cause them when they do your initial application or a routine resealing.

In summary, your stone care professional has spent numerous hours getting extensive training and expertise in cleaning, polishing, and maintenance of natural stone. At Eurotech, we follow our industry closely to stay on top of the best methods and the best products available. The experience in working with many types of natural stone in many applications cannot be replaced by guesswork.

Protecting the investment that was made in installing your natural stone or tile is certainly worth taking the time to consult with an expert. To reach a Maui stone care expert from Eurotech for a free consultation call 808-877-0222.

Marble - Granite - Travertine - Tile and Grout 2011

So the big question is....

What can EUROTECH do for you in 2011?

We have some exciting developments and we're looking forward to finding out how we can help you in 2011.

First, we're constantly improving our natural stone care and tile and grout service methods. We have been restoring and cleaning and sealing and polishing marble, stone, tile and grout all over Maui and plan to continue doing the same in 2011.

Secondly, we're working alongside one of the top Porcelain Refinshing Companies from Honolulu and bringing their excellent methods and work to the Island of Maui. So, if you have fiberglass shower stalls or porcelain bath tubs that need improvement, we can do the consultation and schedule the work.

Lastly, 2011 will bring faster glass restoration. We trained with a leading expert in Oakland and are bringing the latest technology in glass restoration to Maui. In the past, glass restoration has been tedious and slow, but now whether its a scuff, scratch or simply swirl marks on your window or glass, we can clarify it quickly and thoroughly.

Eurotech's Mission is to provide restoration answers that are more cost effective and environmentally friendlier than replacement.

Give us a call and let us know what your needs in 2011 will be and we'll put together a plan that fits your needs and budget.

What is the recommended Service and Maintenance for Tile and Natural Stone?

See our articles on:

Benefits of Tile & Stone Maintenance
FAQs - What kind of sealer and when?

FLOORS - MAINTENANCE PROGRAM

• Interior and Exterior Flooring Maintenance Program
  SERVICE CLEANING & SEALING - Always start with a Service Level of cleaning. This means a deep cleaning that pulls out deposits and discoloration of stone, tile and grout - properly preparing the surface for sealing. It takes several steps of scrubbing and agitation and pressure extraction and drying to get the floors ready for sealing. This should be performed every 2-5 years. The determining factor for frequency is a bead test. Check your sealer condition on the grout lines or natural stone with a bead test in multiple areas, which shows if your sealer has deteriorated or if it is still protecting the floors. If water does not clearly bead, get a service performed by a professional.
  
  LIGHT MAINTENANCE CLEANING - May be performed every 6-12 months and may only require traffic area light scrub and a pressure extraction. The sealer should still be intact. This level of service is for floors which have only a surface level of deposits and are on a maintenance program. The light maintenance cleanings will delay the need for service level cleanings.

SHOWERS - MAINTENANCE PROGRAM

• SERVICE LEVEL CLEANING & SEALING - Start with this level of service and then begin a maintenance program. The soap scum and deposits will be removed and surfaces deep cleaned. The grout integrity may be reviewed and skim coated. The grout may be treated for discoloration. The shower may be polished or rehoned (if natural stone). The shower walls and floors will be properly dried and resealed with a breatheable penetrating sealer. This service should be performed approximately every two - four years, depending on daily cleaning practices, maintenance, and shower and sealer condition. We recommend stain-proofing (permanent bonding 10 year sealer) tiled shower floors.



• LIGHT CLEANING - This maintenance level of service may or may not include the walls but always includes the floor. It will involve a cleaning and touch up sealing of the shower floor, and may include deposit removal on the walls. We recommend this step to be performed annually as it will delay the need for costlier service level cleanings.
  

COUNTERS - MAINTENANCE PROGRAM

• Cleaning, polishing and resealing of countertops may be performed every 3-5 years.



• Annual maintenance on kitchen granite may include removal of the buildup around the faucets and a touch up sealer around the sink areas and/or the range.

Professional Tile and Stone Care - An Investment that pays

Why is Professionally Maintaining your Natural Stone and Tile Cost Effective?

1. Preserves and Extends the lifespan of the material

• Proper preparation and sealing will prevent staining

2. Prevents future costly repairs and restorations

• Much like auto maintenance, an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure. Regular cleanings and sealings are like doing your oil changes. Maybe you can get away with skipping it, but that may cost much more in the long run.
• Trained tile and stone professionals will use the correct agents, sealers, and process. For example, marble, ceramic tile, and granite have differing limits for withstanding pressure cleaning. To much pressure can cause damage. Porcelain tile, marble and granite would require different products and methods. The wrong cleaner may not clean or could cause damage. Use a stone and tile professional.
• Using too much pressure on unsanded grout can cause grout erosion.

3. Saves time and labor - makes cleaning easier

• Unsealed surfaces hold deposits differently than properly sealed surfaces. Treated stone and grout makes daily cleaning quicker and easier.

4. Prevents purchasing unnecessary cleaning products


5. Makes your rental property more desirable and may have tax benefits (see below).*

• May Provide Tax Benefits: "A repair keeps your rental property in good condition and is a deductible expense in the year that you pay for it. Repairs include painting, fixing a broken toilet and replacing a faulty light switch. Improvements on the other hand, add value to your property and are not deductible when you pay for them. You must recover the cost of improvements by depreciating the expense over your property's life expectancy. Therefore, from a tax standpoint, you should make repairs as the problems arise instead of waiting until they multiply and require renovations."* See FULL article by George D. Lambert at http://www.investopedia.com/articles/pf/06/rentalowner.asp *We do not provide tax advice. Ask your accountant about qualifying repairs and tax benefits.

Floor Cleaning - To Bleach or Not to Bleach

The question of what to clean floors with comes up on almost every floor service we do. Whether or not to use bleach is another FAQ. Here are some basic guidelines to keeping stone and tile floors clean:

Keep doormats inside and outside of doorways if possible to trap dirt.

Daily Cleaning
Sweep and vacuum a lot more often than mopping.

If and when you mop, keep a bucket of clean rinse water and use a clean mop head. Dirty mops and dirty mopwater are the leading culprit of dirty grout and stone.

Use the right floor cleaning products: When you are doing daily cleaning, bleach is NOT recommended. Whether it is natural stone or ceramic tile, you'll want to avoid bleach and bleach based products. The constant exposure to bleach will damage stone and break down grout over time. Bleach also destroys most penetrating sealers that are used on grout and stone. We recommend using a neutral stone and tile cleaner for daily cleaning. We like Rinseless Cleaner because it doesn't leave behind a soapy residue. Residue buildup can make the floors look worse over time than they should.

Deep Cleaning and Stain Removal
NEVER use bleach on natural stone as it could leave a permanent mark that needs professional restoration. When you have a one time stain removal, bleach is okay for ceramic tile. But, be sure the material is really ceramic tile and not a natural stone. If you are going to use bleach on ceramic tile and grout, we strongly recommend triple rinsing the bleach to prevent any damage and to preserve the sealer as much as possible. Bead test the grout after cleaning to see if the sealer is still in tact. If water quickly soaks into the grout, we recommend a professional sealing. On natural stone, you should always contact a professional to address stains. The risk of damaging natural stone with do it yourself stain removal is too high to make it worthwhile.

So, use a non-residue stone and tile cleaning product for daily cleaning. And get professional recommendations when you're dealing with stain removal and setting up a floor maintenance program. We want to help you make your floor lifespan and clean appearance last as long as possible.

CONTACT US

Travertine Cleaning - Tile and Grout Stain Removal

This is a sample cleaning performed in Kaanapali, Maui, Hawaii. The red dirt on the patio was baked on and required special cleaning processes to remove the staining. The owner had attempted to pressure wash with high pressure as you can see in the grout lines in the sample cleaning area. It minimally reduced the discoloration and so we did a profession deep cleaning.

This would be a great candidate for stain proofing the stone with a permanent sealer. Stain proofing would make future cleanings much easier and prevent the deep staining that occurred here. I'll be blogging some of the stain proofing information here soon.

Travertine - Marble - Granite Polishing Before and After

We arrived to the Kaanapali, Maui, Hawaii luxury villa in the morning. The travertine countertops in the master and guest bathrooms had a mild to moderate amount of wear and tear. Lance performed a 3 step deep cleaning, polish and reseal to remove the water deposits and light etching and wear on the travertine surface. Bathroom and kitchen counters often have waterspotting and calcium buildup around the faucets and sink edges.

This photo above shows the before and after of the polishing. The travertine was already cleaned and prepared. The left is before polishing and the right is after the polishing. Notice the detail in the reflection of the light fixture comparing the unpolished left side to the polished right side.

Most clients opt to deep clean and reseal for protection. It removes all the buildup that won't come out with daily cleaning. And once the surface is cleaned and prepared, it can be resealed to protect and preserve the life of the natural stone.

This particular client opted for a high polish finish, that added another step to the process. It looked shiny and new when the clean, polish and sealing were complete.

Kaanapali Hillside, Maui - Red Dirt Cleaning on Travertine

BEFORE/AFTER

















This was a large private residence in Kaanapali Hillside, Lahaina, Maui. The red dirt in the area is infamous for staining everything and wreaking havoc on homes, floors, and furnishings. In fact, if you've visited Maui, you might be familiar with Red Dirt Shirts, a tshirt line developed using red dirt as the pigment to dye Tshirts. It stains most anything porous, and this travertine floor had some heavy traffic throughout the dining, kitchen, hallway and living areas. These pictures show opposite ends of the same hallway before cleaning and after. They were not altered in any way, but the lighting was at different times of day. The cleaning made such a drastic difference, that the clients were very happy with the service.

The Eurotech Marble & Stone Care technicians used professional strength cleaning agents and prescrubbed all the grout and stone. Then the floor was rinsed and pressure extracted to get it ready for sealing. It was then resealed with the selected top grade penetrating stone sealer.

The reason sealing flooring, or any natural stone surface, is so important is that it helps to make the stone more resistant to oil and water-based stains. In an area like Lahaina, where red dirt is such an issue, we recommend bi-annual deep cleaning and resealing, and annual light professional cleanings.

Understanding the levels of service is key when hiring a professional to clean your floors. A light cleaning, such as that a janitorial company could do (even with machines) would still be considered a light professional cleaning. Be sure to ask what kinds of cleaning agents will be used in the cleaning (see the following paragraph) and what kind of process will be used. Stone is such a big investment, the last thing you would want is someone treating it like ceramic tile and putting bleach or acids on it. That could potentially marr the stone, and would definitely reduce the effectiveness of whatever sealer is on the flooring.

Most natural stone owners know that they shouldn't use anything except stone specific PH neutral cleaners on their stone countertops, showers and floors for daily cleaning and maintenance. This is to not only prevent damage to the stone itself, but also to protect and preserve the penetrating sealer that protects the marble, granite, or travertine.

Remember: Preserve your sealer, protect your stone.

If you have stone surfaces in Maui that you'd like a consultation on, call the Eurotech Marble & Stone Care Maui Office at 808.877.0222.