Stone floors worth looking into?

[leofry@1966]

i see that Rick sales the diamond disc. I have been watching a lot of videos. so my questions

how much per sq ft can you get ?
how much to get set up with disc and anything else you may need ?
how long does it take to do say 1000 sq ft 
whats the learning curve ?
how easy is it to screw up ?


John  

[encapman]

how much per sq ft can you get ?
~ There's no set number. All floors are different. And you will progressively use multiple abrasive grit levels.
how much to get set up with disc and anything else you may need ?
~ Depends. A simple setup will cost a few hundred.
how long does it take to do say 1000 sq ft
~ There's no set number. All floors are different.
whats the learning curve ?
~ It takes time to become proficient.
how easy is it to screw up ?
~ It's not easy to mess up a floor, because you can always regrind it if you encounter a problem.

[leofry@1966]

Ok a few more questions.

i would assume and yes i know your not supposed to assume but i assume you can do $150 to 225 an hour would that be correct ?
how long with the diamond disc last ? 
if i had a job which i don't is it something i could do if i had never done one before ... of course i would and have watched about 15 viidoes and would watch another 30 more over and over and also ask questions on here ... i do not have time to go for training though.
is the cimex the right machine or is it something that once you start you realize you need a another $4000 machine ?


I also realize there might not be very many jobs out there but if you can do 20 a year might be worth it 

[GroovyJon]

Hello Leofry,

I wanted to go over a few things with you regarding natural stone. My company has a stone division as well as carpet, flood, metal, wood. I have been doing stone since the early 90's. In the early 90's diamond disc technology was somewhat new, before diamond disc it was bricks I believe. What im going to say may come off in terms of (you cant do it) but I promise its not. I honestly do not wish what I had to go through learning this craft on my worst enemy. So in other words im saying take caution, there is no worse feeling then being in the middle of a stone restoration job and nothing is working + its all on you to figure it out. I would highly suggest apprenticing on a few jobs get some experience before you take one on your own.

There is no procedure or proven diamond system that works for every stone imo. You can get lost in the sea of different diamonds out there and not all work the same. For example I have used "granite diamonds" for one job that did not work for the next granite job.

Also on the how long do diamonds last question, well there is no answer... all natural stone is different and diamonds will act different depending on what your doing. The kicker is sometimes diamonds that are working for a particular job may last a total of 300, 400 or 500 square feet.

Long story short - This is nothing like carpet, there is no proper procedure. Stone restoration is an art or craft that only comes with experience and even then you learn something new everyday. The person that tells you they know everything about stone restoration, polishing etc...... take caution. I have been doing this since the early 90's to present day and can show plenty of my work. Some of my technicians I train can take a year if not more.

Please if you can apprentice or go on a few jobs in progress to see what its like before jumping in..(.like I did)... it may give you a much better understanding before you take this on. I truly hope this helps and again im not saying its not for you or anything of the sort.... but may give you a reality on what it takes etc. before jumping in.

Best of Luck Leofry

[encapman]

GroovyJon nailed it.

I agree completely. There isn't any way to lock it up and establish a "one size" approach to stone care. It's way too diverse, on every level. And as he said - it's a craft that needs to be learned. If you choose to go down that path and learn it, the field of stone care can be very prosperous! It's not a quick and simple thing to do though. Plan to take some classes and plan to spend some time becoming familiar with the nuances of stone care.