Written in Stone

News and Tips from International Stoneworks

Posted on October 2, 2017 at 5:44 pm by Jacqueline Tabbah and modified on October 2, 2017 at 5:45 pm.

To Restore or Replace Stone Floors After Flooding
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After flooding or water damage, it is not always evident whether or not stone surfaces can be restored or if they need to be replaced. Here is a quick guide to help you designate which issues can be addressed through restoration:   Surface dirt, mud, silt   It is hard to evaluate the damage water … ∞

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Posted on September 1, 2017 at 12:33 am by Jacqueline Tabbah and modified on September 1, 2017 at 12:35 am.

Water Damage To Your Stone Floor – What Next?
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First things first, make sure the water has drained from your home or building and use dehumidifiers to dry the floor as much as possible. If you see white residue… Once the floor is dry, you may see a white film appear on the floor; this white residue is most likely efflorescence/calcium residue.   According … ∞

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Posted on August 28, 2017 at 6:37 pm by Jacqueline Tabbah

Houston Strong: A Special Note to Those Who Endured Hurricane Harvey
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I wanted to take this opportunity to say that we are proud to be Houstonians. Houston is a resilient city full of courageous people. I constantly hear locals describe Houston as a melting pot, a city full of many cultures, people and industries. In difficult moments, such as Hurricane Harvey, Houstonians come together and lift … ∞

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Posted on August 14, 2017 at 5:07 pm by Jacqueline Tabbah

Hurricane Season Top Stone Care Tips
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Hurricane Season is here and lasts until November, so this week I am reminding everyone how to protect your stone when it comes to large rain events and hurricanes. You can’t always prepare when disaster strikes, but there are measures that you can take that may help protect your natural stone surfaces, or as I … ∞

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Posted on July 24, 2017 at 6:56 pm by Jacqueline Tabbah and modified on July 24, 2017 at 9:10 pm.

Adventures In Stone: Richard Ginori
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We’re going to take a short break from our usual stone care tips and go on another journey in our Adventures In Stone! I recently traveled to Florence, Italy to see my wonderful family and I had the opportunity to take a tour of the Richard Ginori Porcelain Manufactory, which is a working factory as … ∞

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Posted on July 17, 2017 at 7:26 pm by Jacqueline Tabbah

Quartzite and Marble: Stone Care Do’s and Don’ts
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Quartzite Definition: “A dense hard metamorphic natural quartz-based stone typically formed of sandstone” (Marble Institute of America)   1. Don’t get Quartzite confused with Quartz countertops Quartzite is a natural stone; it is a hard, non-foliated metamorphic rock. Quartz is an engineered, man-made material. It typically contains a combination of natural ground quartz and polymer … ∞

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Posted on July 10, 2017 at 9:30 pm by Jacqueline Tabbah and modified on July 10, 2017 at 9:35 pm.

Granite and Soapstone: Stone Care Do’s and Don’ts
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Granite Definition: “A very hard, crystalline, igneous rock, grey to pink in color, composed mostly of feldspar and natural quartz” (Marble Institute of America)   1. Do seal your Granite countertops Even though the porosity ratio of Granites varies between .46% and 1.5%, I recommend sealing your Granite with a penetrating/impregnator sealer such as Seal & Go® … ∞

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Posted on June 19, 2017 at 5:33 pm by Jacqueline Tabbah

5 Essential Facts About Marble
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  1. Marbles are not necessarily “Soft” Many people say that marble is a “soft stone,” but really what they mean is that it has a tendency to react to acids. Actually, the minerals in marble are not the softest on the Mohs scale; it is a common misconception that stone softness has a correlation to chemical … ∞

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Posted on June 5, 2017 at 8:03 pm by Jacqueline Tabbah and modified on June 5, 2017 at 8:06 pm.

How To Remove Sealer Residue
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First off, what is sealer residue?   Let me elaborate: It is a common misconception to think that all stone sealers are surface coatings. Yes, there are certain sealers that are meant to coat the surface; however, we typically recommend a penetrating (or impregnator) sealer for natural stone. Penetrating sealers/impregnators are either water-based or solvent-based. … ∞

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Posted on May 8, 2017 at 6:11 pm by Jacqueline Tabbah

Protecting Wood & Carpet While Cleaning Natural Stone
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It’s no secret that natural stone is our thing, but let’s be real here: we know you also love other surfaces such as carpet and wood floors. We don’t blame you at all! In fact, in this week’s blog, we’re giving you advice on how to protect your wood and carpet, while you clean and … ∞

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