Has anyone used the National Chemical Laboratories(NCL) Stone Care product line? Specifically the MRP and their Stoneblazer machine?
I was contacted by a sales rep of the local NCL distributor with a name and phone number of a customer who purchased a Stoneblazer machine and some of the NCL marble care products. The customer has a marine accessories manufacturing facility in the area with marble floors. The customers wife and daughter weren't successful in trying to maintain the floors and they are looking for someone to help them. I am meeting with them next week to find out more, but am under the impression they are wanting someone to use their Stoneblazer machine and products(at first, at least) and go from there. I've done a little snooping and was told the marble was from China(the manufacturer also has a plant in China, might have worked a deal?), it is light in color with white/cream, green/teal, and some blue in it. The marble is everywhere, wall to wall, offices, hallways, restrooms, etc. as far as I could see. Just eyeball, ballpark measurement would guess it to be at least 10,000 to 15,000 square feet. The Stoneblazer is a 17" machine which would seem to make that amount of space very slow going? I have some limited marble experience with the NCL Marble Restoration Paste, Aqua Magic Pad, and a weighted machine (Mercury BOS dual speed with unicorn kit) around 150+lbs. Frankly I'm a bit nervous that folks would put that much product down on a floor and then try to maintain it "in-house" with family members is a perilous mindset. However am I correct in thinking the pricing in the Midwest for use of an MRP(paste/slurry) type of product with an AquaMagic type pad, procedure as being in the $2-$3 per square foot range? The lure of $20,000 is enticing, but realize this could be a potential time consuming nightmare. I also have concerns about the marble in offices, under chairs, etc. The entrance matting isn't adequate for carpet wouldn't think it would be for marble. Especially if the grit and soil is bieng rolled on by an office chair.
Thanks for the advice.
Dave

Hi Dave

I could go into a tree page dissertation on why this is such a bad idea but it seems you have already figured out that it all just doesn’t add up.

At $2-3 per sq ft for powder polishing, that’s probably about right for most. You’re also looking at about 300 man hours. That’s if you can get that marble to respond, green can be a challenge. Do a test area and see what’s involved and how long it will take you to do it. Also if you can get together some more info I might be able to help you more but you don’t have too much to go on right now.

Based on what you’ve said so far you have:
1. A potential client that has a LOT of marble.
2. They have no inclination at all of what is involved in stone care or restoration.
3. Being that the wife and daughter are doing the floor I get the impression they’re
are not in favor of spending much money.
4. It also appears you have a high wear / traffic environment.

(Get some mats under those chairs NOW)

From everything you said, if it were me, I’d be cautious how much time and expense I invested into it. It’s true, nothing ventured nothing gained. But this dog might just not hunt.

Keep us informed, if it should turn around let us know and I’ll do anything I can to help you, but I get the impression this particular job might not yield a whole bunch.

David Gelinas
Marbleguy