White River Rock

  All of us know how bad red dirt on maui can look and how much maintenance it can be on property. This deck was done on the west side of maui with years of red dirt build up. We specialize in cleaning and sealing all types of stone both exterior and interior. 

If you need a free consultation call 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 - 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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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.

Natural Stone and Tile - Restoration vs. Replacement

Everything has to be replaced sooner or later right? In a perfect world, everything would last forever - youth, beauty, summer and our flooring and countertop surfaces. When it comes to replacing flooring and countertops, tile and natural stone surfaces, it might make sense for you to consider restoration before replacement. The National Association of Home Builders says natural stone floors can last a lifetime if they are cared for properly.




Restoration will extend the life of your floor, wall or countertop for 5-15 years. Extending the life of your surfaces is not only cost effective, it helps the environment.

• Cost Effective - Generally a fraction of the cost of replacement. Replacing surfaces equals Demolition, disposal, plus new materials and installation.


• Less time out of service - the work is usually quicker to complete than replacement


• Greener - Avoids costly and environmentally unfriendly disposal of the original material. Avoids the byproducts and environmental impact of manufacture, fabrication and installation of new materials


• Tax Benefits - Rental property repairs (restorations) are deductible in the year they are performed. Renovations (replacements) must be depreciated over multiple years. *we do not provide tax advice - see your accountant for advice.

Replacing your tile or stone floors and counters makes sense if the surface doesn't match your renovation designs. But, if you work around the existing material, restoration may be the best, most cost effective choice for you. For a professional assessment of your surfaces to determine whether they are a good restoration candidate, call us at 808.877.0222

Restoration Photos: Portfolio

Notes on Refinishing

"Reduction benefits the environment

The goal of "Reduction" is to reduce the amount of new goods that we buy and consume. When you refinish your old bathtub, sink, cabinets or countertops, they look almost brand new and there is no need for replacement and there is no need to dispose of them, thereby benefiting the environment.

When we refinish cabinets for instance, we decrease the need to cut down new trees, process and transport them for manufacturing into the beautiful kitchen or bathroom cabinet. Refinishing cabinets, porcelain or acrylic surfaces reduces pollution, saves money and time and importantly the environment." - Quoted from: http://refinishingstars.com/best_green_remodeling_alternative.html

Reference: National Assoc of Home Builders Quote

Natural Stone - Porcelain - Tile Cleaning and Care

"Because of its natural variations, stone flooring in a facility’s entryway and lobby can easily lose its appealing aesthetic qualities due to damage resulting from the everyday wear of foot traffic, spills, harsh cleaners and weathering elements. Since stone is absorbent and rejects most conventional cleaners, proper chemical selection is important in successfully cleaning stone floors.

Distributors are forced to educate end users on the correct chemicals to use. Distributors say they often find cleaning crews using all-purpose cleaners instead of cleaners specifically formulated for natural stone.

Bill McGarvey, training manager for Philip Rosenau Co., Inc., Warminster, Pa., says most distributors educate their customers on the value of using a neutral pH chemical that is designed for specific stone types. Mostly, it helps end users avoid costly gaffes and unnecessary maintenance down the line.

Most all-purpose cleaners have a pH ranging from slightly acidic to an alkaline base with a pH of 8 to 10. Thus, the use of all-purpose cleaners gradually breaks down the stone’s sealer, removes its protective properties and makes the stone’s natural polish susceptible to dulling, discoloration and irreversible changes.

Stones vulnerability can be greatly minimized by using the correct chemicals and having the stone treated at the time of installation and manufacturer recommended intervals, says Jerry Hoffman, vice president of business development at National Paper & Sanitary Supply Co., Omaha, Neb.

“The first step after a new installation is complete, is to impregnate the stone with a durable sealer,” he says.

The main objective of an impregnator is to protect the interior of natural stone from staining. Impregnator seals help prevent fluids from penetrating below the stone’s surface and into the micro-pore structure. It also makes the stone’s surface easier to clean.

As part of a stone maintenance program, distributors recommend end users keep a record of when the stone was treated, the product used and its service life. Over time the treatment will eventually lose its effectiveness and the stone should be retreated.
...
Porcelain’s dense, low-absorptive body inhibits the penetration of contaminants and, therefore, is a tile that is easier to maintain than stone. Porcelain not only limits dirt and stains, but also prevents top sealers and most chemicals from penetrating the surface. Also, porcelain tile does not need to be sealed, but does need surface protection to impede dirt collection and improve ease of cleaning.

General maintenance and cleaning of porcelain varies depending on the surface texture and soil load.

Distributors say daily cleaning should be performed with non-oil, non-acidic and non-soap based neutral cleaners diluted to manufacturer recommendations."

Quoted from article at - http://www.cleanlink.com/sm/article/Floor-Care-Cleaning-Stone-And-Porcelain-Tile--8282

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.

Marble Fills Luxury Villa Maui, Hawaii

It was a beautiful day with kitesurfers flying by outside the large picture windows from this oceanfront luxury villa in Maui, Hawaii. The villa was purchased with the existing beige marble tiled floors. Pencil eraser sized holes started appearing throughout the flooring over time and the Owner asked if we could replace the marble tiles with his extra pieces. Once we started counting up the number of holes in the tiles, they numbered over 35. So, as a cost effective remedy, we offered him the option of filling the holes instead of replacing the tiles.

Lance was able to fill the holes in an afternoon successfully and buff the finish back to get it even. Some issues were identified with loose tiles that will likely have to be replaced in the future.

Needless to say our client was happy with the work, the appearance and the safety of the floor was greatly improved and we called it a day.