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Stone Tips

Problems, Causes & Solutions

A Quick Reference Guide for Natural Stone Care
Problem	Cause	Solution
Worn, dull, scratched	Traffic patterns, construction	Hone and polish
Uneven tiles (lippage)	Poor installation, uneven floor settling	Grind floor flat with lippage tool
Dull, clouded spotting	Acid etching	Polish or Hone
Powder residue	Efflorescence	Allow floor to dry; buff off excess powder
Cracking	Poor installation/settling	Fill cracks or replace tiles
Holes and Pits	Naturally occurring, chemical damage	Fill with polyester resin or Portland cement
Spalling	Salt crystallization	Grind, hone, polish
White dots	Stuns/crystal fractures (high heels)	Hone, grind
Water ring/spots	Drinking glasses, hard water	Hone and polish
Yellowing	Coating build up/iron oxidization	Strip and clean, polish, poultice
Swirls	Steel wool or buffing pads	Hone and polish
Sticky/Cloudy surface	Wax buildup, dirty mop, too much cleaner	Strip and clean, polish
Plastic, wavy shine	Crystallization build up	Hone
Dimpled look (orange peel)	Polishing with improper powder	Hone and polish
Warped tiles	Too much water during setting or refinishing	Hone and polish
Dull/Haloed Edges	Poor feathering, blending or lippage	Grind or hone
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