The back story- a bit of history worth noting

From cowboys to presidents if only the marble could talk! After an interesting tour of the house seeing and learning the history we honed in on the marble bathrooms throughout the house. For the customer this project was a labor or love. Her childhood home, she basked in the comfort as her father built it for her mother at the ripe young age of 73. Gathering reclaimed materials, the marble was no exception.

A man with a vision, this gent definitely had a penchant for thinking outside the box as he sourced items for his home. Always on the hunt, he found out that the Stetson Hat Company’s building would be demolished, and certain pieces were available and worthy of re-purposing. So wasting no time they collected the large marble 3’x4′ foot slabs along with some finials.  A perfect accouterment, the marble would do nicely in his new house.

Not quite fit for a king, but certainly of noble stature it was history worth preserving. You see these marble pieces were extracted from the floor of Mr Stetson’s private office. And along with Mr. Stetson himself, this marble greeted every President during the time he was at the helm in his Philadelphia Office. Likewise, he was visited by every famous cowboy in his time. What history to be preserved, and a much more suitable resting place for the marble than that of  a junk yard.

And because of the history the clients were extremely timid and cautious. But as we walked and talked she relaxed, gained trust and let her guard down. Trading wharf rat stories (about life of boating on the water and at the marina) our client warmed up to me.) It became obvious she was comfortable enough to want to have us help her with her project, a labor of love.

The challenge

• Restore the bathroom marble floors
• Brighten and restore the marble fireplace hearth

The bathroom work

Clearly these elements are treasured by this family, and deserve some TLC. So we embraced the work and the importance of restoring them. As much a sentimental treasure, this was a tribute to both her mother and father, and Mr Stetson.

Wasting no time we set about our work. First the powder room and downstairs master bath. The normal procedure of diamond grinding, honing and polishing. Like night and day the transformation was significant.  So much so, when taken to see a sneak peak our client thought the surface we showed her was wet, it was so shiny.

Other areas of the marble needed poultice work (a process where a powder like paste is applied to the surface which draws out discoloration and contaminants from within the stone). Some areas needed a couple poultice applications.  To be specific, the powder room had a toilet ring with iron deposits that remained visible in the white marble. Also there were some chips missing along the seams. Each bathroom needed some spot grouting, grouting and caulking. Some stone trim was needed to cover seams.

Our team moved upstairs and continued. Say it was rinse and repeat (like what was done and described above). And this upstairs was a transformation, not only to restore the marble, but with other contracting it became more of a spa like retreat, having a gorgeous soaking tub being added.

The fireplace work

Finally attention turned to the marble hearth in the den. Eventually all bright and brilliant again, this hearth is breath taking. If floors, like walls could talk, the marble is happy. And my hunch our client’s father and Mr Stetson would be pleased.

And after seeing the work our customers are again stunned!

The results

As much as this was a routine marble restoration job, it was much more. Clearly we delivered. The brilliance, shine and condition of the marble was evident.

This was as much a job in doing our work as it was comforting the client. Protecting and preserving the surfaces meant everything to her world. And with restoring the marble she can continue to cherish her memories and honor her parents.

What a pleasure it was, and Team Sparkle is also beaming with pride!

We delight in saying we are in the customer service business, and it just happens to be cleaning, polishing and restoring is how we show it. This was no exception.

PS- Our client shared with Chris, finding us was like finding a diamond in the ruff! The personal interaction was important to her. and she got that in us. Workmanship of course is key, but in addition. faith gained, trust earned and care and comfort delivered and received during the process is priceless!

Marble madness- a condition where marble has lost its shine. Let us help you restore its brilliance and beauty once again. Free estimates. Call us at 609.953.0472 or contact us online.