Merano marble, travertine and limestone
polishing process and directions.
Ever imagine bringing stone back to a shine with just one simple step? Take your limestone, travertine and marble from shine to ultra shine. pFOkUS has redesigned stone polishing with Merano. No honing or diamonds needed Merano lets you capture every stone polishing process – in one process. The only stone Merano wont polish from the list is green marble which is a rare stone. Learn how to become a stone polishing expert below.
Why does Merano work so good?
Lets step into chemistry and geek out.
The industry needed a product any customer can use, from a cleaning lady repairing etching and scratching to professional contractors saving time and money. We started off formulating the Merano with an acidic to etch as it polishing. With this mindset we are able to eliminate all the diamonds used to polish stone. Next aggregate is added to take over most all work leaving the end user with a product that shines stone like no other. Note: Merano has an acidic base, its very important to keep the surface wet around the polished area and keep the left over slurry sponged or retracted.
Deep clean the surface removing any penetrating sealer or soil.
One bottle of Imperia deep clean dilutes into a 1/2 gallon of water covering 200 sq feet of surface. Imperia is a very high alkaline pulling soil and sealer from the surface without damaging the stone. Imperia was formulated to work with Merano. Mop it on and scrub the surface – use a wet vac to retract all the liquid off the floor.
Three ways to apply the Merano.
One arsenal of tools.
1. By hand: Use pressure as you rub in a circle motion with a workable area about 1’ x 1’. Wipe the area Polishing by hand is usually for small areas on a countertop that has been etched or scratched.
2. Polisher: We recommend a polisher 4” or 7” and has variable speed. The reason being – friction mixed with Merano is what causes the product to polish faster and removes more scratches. Most all polishers come with a Velcro pad, if yours doesn’t have one we suggest you order one at your local hardware store. The Merano pad will bond to the Velcro. Adjusting the polisher 800-1200 rpm gives a nice consistent speed and doesn’t sling the Merano all over the floor or countertops. The harder you can press down the less mess.
3. Floor Machine: Floor machines can be rented at a local hardware store or most all contractors own one. A floor machine works best when 35 lbs to 75 lbs is placed on the machine creating a strong friction. The floor machine will work just fine without weights, it will just take more time. The floor machine works best with a driver which holds the Merano pad.
The power of the Merano pad.
Taken further.
pFOkUS carries a line of Merano pads that are manufactured to carry Merano polish from one area to another saving the customer product usage. The pads come in 4”, 7”, 18”, and 20”. Pressure and weight is key to a faster and deeper polish. We do not recommend other pads as some are imported from other countries and fall apart in a short order.
Applying Merano to the surface.
Lightly sprinkle Merano across the area you are going to polish not to exceed the workable areas listed below. Use a sprayer or a mop and lightly add water to an area, making sure it’s not puddling just moist. The workable area should be no larger than 10’x10’ area for floors and 3’ length Lightly sprinkle the Merano on to the floor. Note: adding a lot of Merano to one area will simple waste product, Merano goes a long way. Always perform a test area using less product and add more as need to you find the perfect consistency. Use a squeegee and move the left over product to the next location and keep reusing the old product while sprinkling new product with it. Merano comes in three different size bottles.
1. Small bottle – 130 sq ft
2. Medium bottle – 260 sq ft
3. Large bottle – 517 sq ft
Stay polished while polishing.
Move at a slow pace completed a section at a time. The longer and slower you polish, the better the results. Use multiple applications to achieve desired shine. Squeegee all the slurry to the next area. Spray Or mop Imperia across the floor, agitate and remove the residue with a wet vac. Follow this by moping or spraying clean water over the area and retract it with a wet vac.
The final stages of polishing.
Step back and enjoy the shine.
Final polish with a scratch free pad. This process buffs off any leftover residue bringing the marble to a like new finish.
1. By Hand: buff with a back and forth circle motion at a fast pace.
2. Polisher: Place the pad to the Velcro and lightly mist the pad with water. Run the polisher at high rpm 2600-3500 and move across the surface at a steady pace. Move back and forth covering the surface with at least 3 passes.
3. Floor Machine: Place the pad on to the driver and mist the pad with water. Buff the floor moving across the flow slowly, buffing off any residue and adding an extra shine.
Protection is what counts.
So, we count on Protection.
We offer many types of natural stone sealants and we will cover all the sealers that are used on polished natural stone. We formulate these sealers based on ease of application and the protection they offer stone.
Naturello – Is a natural look solvent base sealer that soaks deep into the stone. The stone is still allow to breath giving a reaction time to remove spills and liquids off the surface.
Enhancio – Is an enhancer pulling out all the colors of the stone leaving no sealer on-top of the surface. The stone looks like it was never sealed except the fact the colors are vibrant and water will bead off the surface. The stone is still allow to breath giving a reaction time to remove spills and liquids off the surface.
Tivoli – This is a topical sealer that dries to a natural look. This sealer is our strongest natural look sealer for stone. We only recommend this Tivoli for shower floors, pools or harsher environments. For the most protection of our stone, this is the sealer. It doesn’t just give reaction time to wipe up spills, it waterproofs the surface.
All-in-one kits. One for all.
Lets take your restoration a step further. Take a look at what our master designers put together for you. We tried to cover all the details giving you all the products you need based on sq footage and the machinery you are working with.
View our kits >
Questions?
We have answers.
My cleaning lady used a cleaner that etched my travertine, can I use Merano to repair this?
Yes. Merano is very easy to use and with a little elbow grease, your travertine will look new again.
Do I need to seal the stone after we polish it?
Yes. It is best practice to seal all stones once polished. Sealers help prevent stains and etching.
Do I need a polisher for my entire shower or could I perform the work by hand?
A polisher is recommended. By hand – is usually for small areas that were etched or scratched. If a couple tiles are damaged in the shower, by hand, is an option.
Does Merano have a smell?
Merano has a minimum smell. Most will not be able to smell it.
Should I wear gloves while using Merano, even on a small area.
We recommend PPE for all products (wearing latex gloves). We have many contractors who purchase from us that do not wear gloves but we recommend.
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