Recently BSR refinished a Saltillo tile floor in Concord, MA.   The home was a 150 year-old farm house with tile in both the kitchen and dining area. The challenge was  some of the tile was original to the home and some was new from a recent addition.  The experts at BSR carefully cleaned and stripped the floor of all the built up dirt and sealants.  They then artfully applied a color enhancing sealer that didn’t damage the vintage tiles, to insure that the old and new tile matched in color and finish.

Confused about the difference between terra cotta and Saltillo tile?  They are both clay tiles that are first dried in the sun, and then kiln fired, but Satillo tiles come from Saltillo Mexico, and terra cotta tiles come from clay from Italy, France and Spain. They all provide a wonderful rustic look to your home. With proper installation and maintenance they can last for years.

The advantage to terra cotta, is that the tiles can be hand formed or machine made, where as Saltillo is handmade only. The machine made tiles can be more consistent in size, and are compressed in the trimming process thus more durable.

However, if it is that beautiful, rustic look that you are trying to achieve Saltillo is the way to go!  Just keep in mind you will need to know how to properly care for it.

More ideas for Saltillo tile.

Just in time for Spring cleaning, we are offering a special $429 granite kitchen clean and polish special. Deep clean, repolish and seal. Call 781-793-0700 or email info@bostonstonerestoration.com.

Keep your kitchen looking its best for spring and let Boston Stone Restoration provide the maintenance necessary to protect those counters and keep them looking their shiny best.

BSR can also remove scratches and repair cracks and chips!

Boston Stone Restoration was contracted by a family planning a memorial to commemorate an 80th birthday. The granite headstone was covered with moss and stains and the family engaged us to restore and clean it to its original beauty.

A headstone of beautiful Indiana limestone needed restoration per the family’s request. Before we worked on it, the color was gray and dingy. After, the rich original color of the stone came back.

Marble Countertop Refinish

Newton, MA – Bathroom Vanity, Marble Surface Restoration.

Choosing a stone countertop for your bathroom is a great investment in your home, but keeping that like-new look may need a professional from time to time, especially when considering the sale of your home.  Restoring the smoothness and shine to marble vanity tops are common restoration projects we work and quote on.

The damage is often caused by personal care products or cleaning products that contain a high pH which makes them acidic. Certain soaps, cleaners, saline solution and even toothpaste can cause fine etch marks resulting in dull surfaces.   While the causes are many, there is a sure fire way to bring back the original shine of the marble.  Our professionally trained team uses diamond abrasives to buff and natural polishing compounds to create the beautiful results in the photos below.

To keep your marble in top condition, use a pH neutral cleaner, which we have available.

Photos taken in Newton, Massachusetts.

Taking seriously the impact our work would have on a place with such historic impact (listed on the National Register of Historic Places and designated a National Historic Landmark) BSR carefully planned the project with the library.  We honed the stone surfaces, then polished the floors up to a high shine. Subsequently we were also contracted to restore the Northwest Corridor which attaches the McKim building to the newer Johnson Building. The Boston Public Library was the first publicly supported municipal library in the United States established in 1848 and was designed by Charles McKim in 1887 and built in the Renaissance style of architecture in 1895.  Located in Boston’s Back Bay on Boylston Street, the library has recently become a popular destination for weddings and other social events. Notably, the Boston Athenæum, located nearby, is another historic Boston library and one of the oldest independent libraries in the U.S. est. 1807.

We are professional stone restorers, well-trained experts with an in-depth knowledge of stone. We offer quality customer service to our clients and are fully versed in the wide variety of natural stone including marble, limestone, slate, travertine, saltillo, terra cotta, and granite.

We were initially trained by Master Stone Processor, Maurizio Bertoli, and have had advanced training through The Stone and Tile School.

• We will supply you with references upon request.
• We will offer you a comprehensive written contract.
• We will educate you on how to maintain your stone properly, after we have completed the job.

For Your Marble, Travertine Granite, Limestone, and Other Natural Stone

Cleaning

Call on us at the end of construction projects, to remove grout residue, or to strip waxes and heavy coatings—whatever contaminant is affecting the the surface of your marble, travertine, limestone or natural stone. Our cleaning professionals provide excellent service and results. We take pride in applying proper industry techniques, cleaning with products specific to your stone and a special machine that scrubs and extracts the contaminants. We can clean any natural stone as well as slate, ceramic, and porcelain tile and grout.

Marble Polishing

Polishing creates a brilliant, glossy luster on the finished surface of your marble or other natural stone floors and surfaces.

Honing

Over time, regular use or exposure to the elements leave your stone with scratches, stains, and etches. Honing will remove these marks from the surface and create a newly uniform finish.

Honing with Diamond Abrasives

This state of the art approach to honing uses diamond abrasive pads and water to remove the scratches, stains, and etches from your natural stone and return its surface to a uniform finish.

Uneven Stones and Stone Repair

To even out stone tiles with lippage, we finely grind the surface until it is uniform. For pitted, chipped, or cracked stones, we fill a resin material into the damaged areas. For stain removal of stubborn stains deeply set into the stone, we can apply a specific poultice mixture to extract stains from oil, grease, rust, water, and wine. If the stone is scratched, we polish or spot-sand the damaged areas.

Sealing

To protect certain natural stones from water, dirt, oils, and grease, we can apply a sealer to protect without affecting the natural color, appearance, or texture of the stone. We use the highest quality sealants and will only treat stones that can safely be sealed.

Sealing with Color and Gloss Enhancement

To deepen the natural color of your stone and add a protective barrier (resistant to water, dirt, oils, and grease), we can apply a color enhancing sealer. Also, if you wish to add a sheen to the surface of your stone, we can treat it with a gloss enhancing sealer.

Our Commitment to You

Boston Stone Restoration will provide you with outstanding customer service, quality craftsmanship and knowledge that only trained professional can provide. We recognize the investment that you have made In your home and will work with you to ensure that it will maintain its natural beauty over time.

Call us today at 781-793-0700 to make an appointment

Granite is one of the hardest surfaces on Earth and is an excellent choice for kitchen countertops. It is truly a wise investment. You want to keep your granite countertops looking their very best for years and years… and years. It’s pretty easy, actually.

TIPS:

Use stone safe cleaners. Granite is much more resilient than marble, but you still want to treat it with the respect it deserves. Make sure any cleaning products you use clearly state it is safe for stone. Better yet… ask us for specific recommendations.

Number one thing you need to do? Keep ‘em sealed. Granite is porous. Some granites are very porous. Unsealed granite countertops are vulnerable to staining.

How to tell if it’s time to reseal? Spill a few drops of water onto the surface and give it a couple of minutes before wiping the water away. If there is a darker spot where the water was, this tells you the water was absorbed and it’s time to reseal. (Be sure to check in various spots… )

If you do get scratches, stains, chips or any other damage, call us to restore it to like new.