To the untrained eye, "polished stone is polished stone". And properly polished natural stone can create such stunning beauty in your home that nothing else comes close. But there is much more to looking at and evaluating natural stone like granite, marble, travertine and quartzite and others than just going by the shine. Let's talk a little about that shine first. You should probably be aware of some of the major differences between what is called a mechanical shine and a chemical shine.
A chemical shine is created by applying an acidic powder that is right for that particular type of natural stone, that then reacts with the chemical components of the stone. The first issue that can come up is the quality of these acidic polishing powders which, like everything else, can range from poor to excellent. The second issue is the skill and experience of the professional stone polisher. A poorly skilled operator along with a low quality acidic powder can cause an excessive chemical reaction with the calcium crystals in some stones. This actually can burn away some of the crystalline structure (called calcite). It can leave an unpleasing plastically or 'orange peel' type look. Not good. The only way to correct this is the restore the entire area with only great quality diamond resin abrasive pads and create a mechanical shine.
Another issue with using acidic polishing powders just for a shine, although quick, is that it opens up the pores in the floor. It does this by increasing the surface area of the stone and that makes it much more susceptible to scratching and wear patterns. So the shine won't have the depth and clarity it dulls quicker too. Some will actually add thick topical sealers to try to make the shine last longer, which can cause even more problems and may give an even more plastically look.
It also won't have the depth and clarity that a mechanical shine offers, which also closes down the pores and makes your stone floors and counters and showers more resilient to wear and scratches. A mechanical shine can only be achieved using the best quality diamond impregnated resin pads. This closes down the surface area on the stone and in turn closes down the natural pores in the stone making it more resilient and more resistant to light scratches, wear and traffic patterns. It also adds depth and deep clarity visually to the shine in the stone. Taking the natural stone in your home to its highest possible mechanical shine with diamond resin pads makes it more beautufil and more reliant at the same time.
For annual or semi-annual maintenance for light wear patterns or light scratches, all that may be needed is a powder polish with a high quality stone polishing compound to tease back its natural brilliance. But for heavier scratches, stains, etches and heavy traffic patterns, diamond resin pad polishing is a must to get the most out of your granite, marble and travertine.
