Stone Surface Services Polishing

Polishing is difficult to define. A natural stone surface can be shiny, but that does not make it polished. A polished surface is defined by multiple visual cues. There is no current industry standard to define a true polish, so what follows is the Stone Restoration Works standard that we hold ourselves to.

1. Angle: A polish can be defined by the angle at which one must stand in relation to a light source for a reflection to be visible. Even a surface left with a low grit (i.e. 200grit or lower) finish will produce a reflection at a wide enough angle. A large floor with a matte finish and an expanse of windows that allows for a lot of natural lighting will produce a reflection when one stands far enough back from the light source. In this case, the light coming through the windows.
2. Clarity: How clearly can one see detail in the reflection? When a surface is polished, it is common to see a light source such as a lamp and vanity light bar but is the detail of the light fixture visible in the reflection? Can the writing on the light bulb be read in the reflection of the stone? That’s clarity.
3. Depth: When looking into the reflection, how far can one see when looking at the detail? It is common to see a window frame in the reflection of the floor, but can the details of what is on the other side of the window be seen in the reflection on the floor? Does the reflection reveal the 3-dimensional nature of the image it is reflecting? That’s depth.

So to determine the level of polish you have on your floor ask yourself: How much detail can I see, at what distance in the reflection is that detail and how wide of an angle must I take from a light source to see anything at all?

The tighter the angle, the more detail one can see at a father depth into the reflection, the higher the quality of the polish.