Sandstone polishing...

Anyone know how to polish sandstone tiles ??

just laid a floor with them and they were polished prior to placing, also treated with the waterproofing and sealant....but now they are in, looks like they need another going over....also cos the knobs laid a couple of em upside down....

What kind of machine and process is best ?

tried sanding, but seems to be scratching it.....I would think wet sanding would do the trick with that black wet and dry paper....but what machine do you use with it on a scale like that ?

God damn, sandstone to damn soft to polish ain't it?
I would think so anyway.

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Originally Posted by blackgang

God damn, sandstone to damn soft to polish ain't it?

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The sandstone must be treated in some way first, otherwise you will just dislodge individual sand grains and end up scratching the surface even more, but no idea what would treat it effectively, other than maybe very strong glue.

Try one of those high pressure water blasters with a mix of acid solution to firstly clean out all the foreign particles and then try a rotary brush (soft bristle) polisher.

I have one here you could borrow if you feel like taking a drive. :)

Is soft, but not that soft.

We put a treatment on it which seals the stone...it soaks into the stone and seals it up so it becomes stain and waterproof. Basically you drop water on it now...it just sits on the surface until it is wiped up.

So now need to buff the top basically again.

Like i said, i think a water type polsih, like wet and ry paper is what they use, but not sure how and on what machine.....might have to go to the sandstone shop again....sigh

Never heard of polishing sandstone before. Might be possible, but wouldn't think so.

Thats what I thought too. maybe a varnish type stuff to seal it, but I wouldn't think a soft stone would make a very substantial flooring.

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Originally Posted by Nawty

We put a treatment on it which seals the stone...it soaks into the stone and seals it up so it becomes stain and waterproof.

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Maybe do that again?

I come from an area in the UK that is built on 'sandstone'. They use it to build with locally, but I've never seen it polished. It's usually pressure treated with a waterpoofer come hardner. Do what 'Nawty' says and reseal it.
Paint on a well diluted clear polyurithane varnish, maybe 2 coats, finished off with a straight coat of said varnish. First experimenting with an old tile, if possible.

Nawty...would not recommend sanding wet or dry as that will just scratch the surface..do not use any form of acids either...general cleaning is recommended using bleach and water and a SOFT tampico brush) and all yer biceps (btw keep the windows open !). For oil stains a poultice of tissue and acetone for 24 hours covered in clingfilm for non oil stains i think it is poultice and hydrogen peroxide ( same method).

Of corse the problem is knowing what the sealer that was used in the first instance. I have heard linseed oil it an excellent treatment (3 to 4 coats) ( darkens the stone a bit ) and you could also use a normal domestic wax polish.... use spare pieces first and see the effect.

but on the basis that it will have to be treated at least every couple of years rip the feckin lot up and use replace with ceramics !!!!

sorry that was boiled linseed oil

You can indeed polish it.

The 60x30 tiles we bought from the quarry....they still had some saw marks on them and we ordered them to be polished and what we got was nice and smooth....in general.....sandstone tiles.

Some were so smooth you run your fingers across it and it feels like marble....almost....with some imagination...and eyes closed.....anyway, it can be done.

Sandstone is a wonderful material if used correctly and i shall prove it by putting up the pics when completed next week......if not fucked up in the meantime.

I have plans for s asuperb sandstone house one day and already priced the blocks for it.

In Oz there a some old spectacular homesteads made from sandstone that have been around for a hundred years.

In Sydney, there are buildings in the business centre completely constructed of snadstone and look spectacular.

Thanks Dubai for that info, will come in handy.

The waterproof/stain treatment we put on the stone was one recommended by the stone company, it is one they always use.....cannot remember name, but a US import job.

I have run a couple of experiments on scrap stone pieces, first was using a stone sealant called 'topcote'....I used this with both normal spirit thinners and a natural Gum/citrus thinners......second was using Tung oil with the citrus/gum thinners and have various results from both.

the Tung I have this time around is a little dark and makes the stone finish darker than the other finishes, but getting a very light Tung oil is possible and might be the go.

Tung and Citrus has a very nice effect and the smell is glorious.

Since you have sealed it, you can use regular floor wax and a buffer to get a gloss on it... It may take a couple coats of wax, being buffed in between coats to get a nice luster... Use a decent paste wax and not a liquid out of a can...

Natural Stone Care and Maintenance

look forward to the result...seems Tung and citrus thinners is the way to go...along as yer not a nut allergy sufferer !..will have to wait till i get to LOS in a couple of weeks to see the results as my IP seems to have banned viewing attachments here in Dubai for some inexplicable reason... sandstone flooring...pure XXX porn !

its what they do on or with the sandstone....then again you are in the desert and they do funny things in the sand.....with camels....

So found out that you not supposed to polish the sandstone again after the sealing for some time, basically when it shows wear and tear.

But even then it is a special diamond tipped machine that is used and can do it in place, probably expensive.

So, gave the stone a wash.....then gave it one coat of sealant and then did the grouting with chosen colour.

I have not seen it yet, tomorrow......so dont know if looks crap or not.

needs one more coating of sealant to go over the grout and all this time.

I was worried that the grout would find its way into the stone and leave it stained all around as they cannot simply put it in the gaps alone and then washing would send it all over the stone.

Hope they not fucked it....

Pics please.

Hmmmm.....did not turn out as nice as I had hoped.

Some stains on it and does not look perfect, but does lokk ok.

Problem was none of us actually knowing how to do it properly.

I will say that it is a nice effect and i will also say that at night when you cannot seen the imperfections, it looks stunning. done propely and it is a very beautiful looking floor.

Pics next week.

sandstone is, as the name suggests, a stone consisting of sand grains

the grains can be any size, so sandstone can be a smooth stone or very rough

also, depending on its history, it can be fairly friable (soft) or extremely compacted and cemented, so very hard

the latter can be polished with diamond pads, whuch are hard enough to grind away parts of the individual grains. If well cemented then it can be ground down smooth