Damaged Serpentine? These Homeowners Had Sir Grout Recover Its Beauty with a Honing and Polishing Service in Phoenix, AZ

October 26, 2017

Though homeowners always try to choose the most durable materials for their homes, they also are concerned about appearance. That's why many of them go for natural stone, which offers durability and adds beauty to heavy-traffic areas of their homes. However, regardless of how durable a stone is, time will take its toll sooner or later. For these Phoenix homeowners, nearly thirty years of use were showing on the serpentine marble counter. It hadn't been restored since being installed in 1988. No wonder it was heavily scratched and torn around the sink. The clients wanted to have the counter restored, but for this type of job, they needed the help of a restoration company with extensive experience in stone honing and polishing in Phoenix, AZ. They came across Sir Grout Phoenix after an internet search and requested an in-home consultation.


Serpentine is a very popular stone among homeowners, architects, and designers for its beauty and durability. It is known for its attractive color and is ideal for vanity tops, countertops, backsplashes, fireplace surrounds, floors, and other areas that get heavy use around the house. On the day of the consultation, our clients told us how much they liked their stone. They did not want to get rid of their counter. We assured them that our work would completely restore its beauty. We observed the counter and realized that something other than normal wear and tear had caused the deep scratches around the sink area. When we asked the homeowners how they had been cleaning the counter, they said they cleaned it very often and had used abrasive cleaning methods on more than one occasion to remove stains. We immediately knew that was the culprit. To fix the scratches and restore its shine, we recommended honing and polishing the stone. The homeowners agreed, so we got to work.

First, we cleaned the counter and masked off the area to avoid damaging the rest of the counter. To start the honing procedure, we used a high-grit diamond pad that buffed the stone, removing scratches and stains. In some cases, honing is enough to leave a stone surface looking as good as new, but we decided to polish this counter to give it a brilliant shine. We then used a polishing compound that contains minute grains of aluminum or tin oxide, which act as a fine abrasive that smooths and brings out the stone's sheen. The smoothness that we achieved with the honing procedure is what caused the stone's surface to regain its shine.

Our clients were ecstatic with the results. The serpentine counter regained its deep color, the scratches were gone, and the surface looked luxurious and glossy. No one would have ever thought that the counter had been installed nearly thirty years ago! Our clients were thankful for the work we did and told us they would recommend us to friends who wanted to get their stone floors restored.

It's important to remember that the honing and polishing procedures are not enough to ensure that natural stone surfaces will remain spotless forever. Homeowners should keep a few tips in mind for maintaining their stone in pristine condition. For surfaces like this kitchen countertop, we advised the owners to avoid cutting directly on the counter and cover the stone with placemats when using metal or heavy objects. It's also a good idea to use mild cleaners and cleaning procedures to avoid scratches. Serpentine has little to no calcium content. As a result, it rarely etches from acid, but it is a softer stone that is susceptible to wear and tear. With these tips, our clients can rest assured that their beautiful serpentine counter is going to look wonderful for many years to come.

Sir Grout Phoenix is your best choice if you need stone and hard surface restoration services. Your damaged stone is not a lost cause. Allow our experienced technicians to work their magic. For a free in-home consultation, fill out the "Request a Quote" form on our website, and for more information, call us at (480) 588-0731. Stay up to date on our work by subscribing to our newsletter.

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