A New But Old Polishing Procedure for
Natural Stone/Terrazzo Flooring
By Frederick M. Hueston
Putting New and Old in the same sentence is somewhat of an
oxymoron. But in this case both of these
adjective apply. What I am talking about is a polishing system for stone
flooring that was used many years before chemicals came into existence and is
now fast becoming the preferred method
specified by architects and others. The
word “Green” has entered our industry
and I am finding that many projects across the US are now specifying that a
green and sustainable restoration process be implemented in restoring both
natural stone and terrazzo surfaces.
This article will present not only what is sustainable but will give you
an alternative to traditional polishing methods that is fast becoming the
preferred method.
What is Green?
Everywhere you look individuals, government agencies,
universities and schools and even private businesses are going green. As we hear news about global warming and how
we are polluting our own environment, it is of utmost importance that we all do
our part in saving our planet not only for our present generation but for
generations to following.
What Does Going
Green Mean?
The term Green or Going Green has entered our vocabulary but
few really know what the term means. Going Green is principles that minimize
the use of nonrenewable resources and seek to prevent air, water and ground
contamination and other activities that degrade the environment. According to The US Green Building Council worldwide
buildings account for 17% of fresh water withdrawal, 25% Wood Harvest, 33% CO2
emissions and 40% material and energy use.
Going Green is simply changing the way we build, operate
and maintain buildings to reduce the negative impact it is having on our
environment.
Many small businesses feel that they are too small to make
an impact on the environment. Even individuals feel the same. Take a look at
the following facts and you will see this is simply not true.
·
A single quart of
motor oil, if disposed of improperly, can contaminate up to two million gallons
of fresh water.
·
A 1/32" leak in a
faucet can waste up to 6,000 gallons of water a month, or 72,000 gallons a
year.
·
Americans throw away
25 billion Styrofoam coffee cups every year, and 2.5 million plastic beverage
bottles every hour.
·
The amount of wood and
paper we throw away each year is enough to heat 50 million homes for 20 years.
And the list goes on and on.
Stone Restoration
and Green
Traditionally the
restoration, repair and maintenance of stone and terrazzo surfaces use
chemicals that are harmful to the environment and to people in general.
Chemicals such as polishing compounds contain harmful acids. Solvent based
cleaners and sealers emit harmful VOC’s. Not to mention the carcinogens and
toxic effects many of these chemicals have on humans. The procedures used to restore stone
surfaces also produce a copious amount of waste and use large amounts of fresh
water.
I am currently working with a stone restoration company
that is taking steps to eliminate all these harmful chemicals and processes.
This company has developed methods to restore , repair and maintain stone
surfaces using no harmful chemicals. As matter of fact the restoration and
polishing of marble, granite, limestone and terrazzo uses no chemicals at all.
Here is a summary of their process
The floor is ground and resurfaced using a fixed diamond
abrasive and water. These abrasives are similar to sandpaper but differ in that
there is no grit removed or left behind on the floor. The diamond abrasive is
fixed to a pad. There are no chemicals used at all.
The water used will be recycled and reused in a specially
designed system.
To polish the stone or terrazzo super fine abrasives are
used. These abrasives contain no harmful chemicals.
Many stone restoration and janitorial companies are also
using floor finishes to achieve a high luster on the stone or terrazzo surface.
In addition to these finishes containing chemicals that are harmful to the
environment. They also have a negative impact on the esthetics of the surface
in the following ways:
-Most finishes used on stone and terrazzo are soft and tend
to show wear and scuff marks in a very short time. This increase the amount of
maintenance as well as cost for daily maintenance
-All floor finishes at some point will need to be stripped
off. The chemical strippers used are caustic and can cause damage to the stone
or terrazzo, not to mention the environmental impact.
-The old finish once it is removed will need to be disposed
of. Most of these waste finishes are considered a hazardous waste.
-Most finishes do the opposite of what they are designed to
accomplish. That is they become a dirt magnet.
I have conducted experiments that show a coated surface will attract
more dirt than a surface restored using a green system.
Even today’s stone restoration companies are using
polishing compounds that contain dangerous oxalic acid.
A Green stone and terrazzo
restoration process have no negative impact on the building environment or the
occupants since no chemicals or finishes
are used. The maintenance requirement after the stone or terrazzo is restored
is reduced by as much as 50% or more saving on labor and chemicals.
Objections:
There are many professional stone
restoration companies as well as others who will object to the fact that stone
can be restored, polished or maintained without some chemical procedure. The
following are some of these objections:
Stone cannot be polished without the use of chemicals?
Many stone restoration companies
will argue that it is impossible to achieve a deep high reflection on natural
stone without the use of chemical polishes. This in fact is not true. Mechanical polishing using diamond abrasives
alone with the proper equipment can achieve results that are as good as or
superior to chemical polishes. There are
several great examples of this. Take a look at the floors at Syracuse
International Airport and Chicago Ohare and you will some great examples of
sustainable polish. In addition I have worked with several school systems that
have their terrazzo floors polished with this method.
It costs more to go green?
Again this is not true. As a
matter of fact going green cost a lot less. This is especially true after the
stone is restored and needs to be maintained. An independent study shows that
the payback is under 3 years with a saving of around $1.85 per square foot per
year.
As a small Contractor I can’t afford the large machines
necessary to do this work?
I will not disagree that it takes
large machinery that is expensive. In fact for small residential and commercial
projects these large machines will be impractical. However, technology is advancing and there
are now diamond abrasives that will achieve a polish equal to or greater than a
polish achieved by chemical methods. I
am old enough to remember when there used to be small corner grocery stores all
over the US. Today the large chains have put these small stores out of
business. I’m afraid this is what will happen to the small contractor if they
don’t keep up with current methods and seek to develop sustainable methods to
compete with the larger companies.
Even with small to medium hotels etc, it is impossible to
use 220 V or three phase machines since they will require a large generator that
is too noisy for these facilities?
Again, I cannot agree more and
this is why there are propane powered machines available. These machines are
quiet and are rated by EPA and OSHA to be used indoor. I know of several
contractors who are using these machines
and methods vey successfully in small to medium size buildings.
Times are changing and technology
is advancing. Sustainability is fast approaching and in no time it will be
required in many states. Yale University
has already put policies into place that ban the use of any chemicals for not
only restoration but for maintenance.
Several states now have legislation in place that will mandate that sustainable
methods be used in maintaining flooring surfaces.
The small contractor that fails to
see the future and at least be aware of these advances will be zapped back to
the Stone Age and struggling like a caveman hunting for his next meal.
Be Wary of Green Washing
Caution must be exercised when looking at what constitutes a
“green” product. Many chemical companies have reduced the percentage of hazardous
chemicals in their formulations. However this does not make the product any
safer. Many articles have discussed this and have called it Green Washing. A
great example of this is in a article by The Environmental Working Group(www.ewg.org/schoolcleaningsupplies
, which uses the cleaner Simple Green as
an example. There article states
that Simple Green claims to be non-toxic
and biodegradable but fails to mention that the principal cleaning ingredient
it contains is a possible human carcinogen. The hazardous ingredient is still
present along with all the dangerous it exhibits. To be totally sustainable it is best to use
NO CHEMICALS at all.
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