Natural Stone Floor Restoration in Dallas

October 14, 2011 By

white marble floor polish Dallas

IMS Texas restored the polish, clarity and gloss of this white marble floor in Dallas.

The process of reviving the original beauty of a natural stone floor in a home or an office is what is referred to as natural stone floor restoration.

Natural stone is used a lot in corporate offices, downtown skyscrapers and the like. Office lobbies are often marble, serpentine or similar stone components. These are beautiful surfaces, but the disadvantage is of course that over time they lose that original luster, deep gloss, clarity and shine. The floor soon appears dull, perhaps “milky” and overhead lights and objects that once reflected brightly in its surface, now are just blurry dimmed forms.

So is there a solution? Absolutely.

IMS Texas Natural Stone Restoration Techniques

Restoration of natural stone floors can sometimes be difficult, but not impossible. At IMS Texas we have excelled for years in restoring a natural stone floor to near original shine and gloss.

Using specialized equipment, fine diamond abrasives, proprietary surface treatments and years of expertise, IMS performs scratch and finish maintenance to restore virtually any natural stone floor to it’s near-original finish. We’ve even conquered previously “untreatable” surfaces like black granite.

We do not use waxes or a topical coating. Why? Because although these may achieve a temporary “deep gloss,” they will not have the clarity of a diamond polish. It will be shiny, but not clear.

IMS Texas provides a consistent, wall-to-wall finish that will match the professionalism, look and appeal of your organization, building and raise your image both in the minds of your staff and your clients.

Call IMS Texas today at (214) 351-9390 for a free estimate on our natural stone floor restoration process.
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Granite Countertops Lost Their Appeal?

September 19, 2011 By

Granite counter top, IMS Texas

Whether you have granite or other natural stone countertop, IMS Texas can restore its luster to near original condition.

Do you have “granite fatigue”?

A recent Los Angeles Times article espoused the idea that in home-building and renovations “granite fatigue” has set in for consumers, builders and renovators. That is, that the recent wild popularity of granite now means that it’s a “been there, done that” option as a material for kitchen countertops and kitchen islands.

Instead, alternatives such as glass, metal and other natural stones, like marble and soapstone are being sought out by homeowners and builders alike. And if you want to go even more exotic, think volcanoes. One contractor uses lava stone in his high-end kitchen renovations.

Regardless of how “hot or not” the surface is, kitchen counters require proper care, particularly because natural stone maintenance is vital to keep your kitchen “cooking,” both literally and from an aesthetic point of view.

Granite countertop cleaning requires specific actions, just as any natural stone maintenance does, whether it is on your counter or floor.

You can read the full L.A. Times article here.

To find out more about countertop restoration, countertop polishing or other IMS Texas service, call (214) 351-9390.
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Counter Top Material Options

September 7, 2011 By

IMS TX granite restoration

Granite is one popular choice for kitchen counter tops

Many homeowners find the task of selecting a kitchen counter top material daunting. The vast types of material, not to mention colors and styles, often make it as difficult as choosing a floor plan.

There is one important issue to keep in mind however, which help makes the process an easier one.

What is the water resistance of the material? As demonstrated in one of IMS stone demonstrations, some natural stones are simply more absorbent than others. In the kitchen, obviously it is of paramount importance to know this information, and to thoroughly test your preferred natural stones, as shown in the video.

Particularly, with kitchens often seeing a variety of substances and not just water, this is a vital action to take so that later down the line, you’re not muttering over stained counter tops, unsightly marks and a “ruined” kitchen.

Once you know the relative water resistant properties of the counter top materials, you’ll likely find it easy to now simply pare the choices from your personal preferences based on look or durability or ease of cleaning.

This article may also help with choosing a material.

Regardless of your choice, IMS Texas has been restoring, polishing and maintaining natural stone surfaces for years. Already known for their stellar natural stone restoration work with some of Dallas’ most well-known buildings and natural stone lobbies and floors, IMS Texas also offers their stone restoration services to homeowners.

To get a consultation on polishing or restoring your kitchen counter top or other natural stone surface in your home, call IMS Texas at (214) 351-9390.
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IMS’ Dedication to Our Customers

August 29, 2011 By

From IMS Texas Account Representative Liz Harrington:

One of the best things about IMS is that they are actually known in the industry as problem solvers. We often get many calls for something that we don’t necessarily do, but they know that because we’ve been in the industry for so long that they can contact us we know someone who can help them with whatever it is that we need and we’re very proud of that. We like to know that our customers can actually contact us and we can help them with the problems that they have, even if it’s not related to stone or carpet, they know that they can contact us and we will help them.

carpet cleaning ims texas

Bleach stains don't submit easily, but IMS helped two clients handle one as part of a carpet nightmare.

For example, recently I got a phone call from two customers that had bleach spots or some other chemical spot on their carpet. What do you do? Bleach Spots! You can’t get out bleach spots! But, with the connections we have at IMS we were able to call somebody in and take them to these two different job sites, they were able to evaluate the spots, determine what they were, and right there, on the spot, for both customers, that very same day we were able to color correct these spots that were created by bleach. And now, if you went to look at those two spots you would never know that there was ever any damage from bleach or any other chemical. So that’s just one example of the problems that IMS is willing to solve for their customers and they are both so very happy.

To have IMS Texas clean your carpets, restore your natural stone or polish your concrete floor, call us at (214) 351-9390.
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Common Customer Questions: Post Restoration Maintenance

August 26, 2011 By

ims inc logo

No matter which IMS division you need, we ensure that your questions are answered before, during and after our services.

At IMS we usually get a variety of questions from customers, and we make sure they are fully answered before, during and after our service. Here, Account Representative Liz Harrington talks about what she is most often asked after IMS restores a natural stone floor or cleans a carpet:

One of the most common question is, “How do I maintain my floor once IMS has done their service?” A really great thing about IMS is that we actually give you a list within your proposal of all the different ways you should maintain your floor, whether you need to add interior mats to your building, whether you need to add exterior mats to your building, how the janitorial service needs to maintain your floor on a daily basis, what chemicals they should use, what chemicals they should not use, how the floor should be swept, etc. You know, we really want to make sure that when we are finished our customers are educated on how they need to maintain the finish of the floor.

And if our bid includes work on carpet we also include information on how to maintain you carpet on a day to day basis. For example, a janitorial company may use a backpack vacuum and that may not be the most effective vacuum to use on your carpet, so we give education and suggestions on what kind of vacuum you should be using for your specific situation.

We don’t want to clean your carpet or restore your floor only to have it damaged, dirty or in need of attention again just a few months down the road.

Call IMS Texas at (214) 351-9390 for natural stone restoration, carpet cleaning, concrete polishing or any of your interior maintenance needs.
Filed Under: IMS TX Carpet Cleaning, IMS TX Concrete Floor Restoration, IMS TX Natural Stone Restorators Tagged With: , , ,

The Most Common Mistakes Made When Selecting a Granite Countertop

August 24, 2011 By

Choosing a granite countertop, IMS Texas

Once you have your granite countertop, call IMS for professional granite polishing and restoration.

  1. Being Distracted By The Huge Selection Of Engineered Stones On The Market.

    Engineered or man made stones are now in every big box home improvement store and showroom. The colors and selections are so vast that before you know it you have forgotten about the granite material that you wanted in the first place. Engineered stones are a combination of aggregate such as quartz, granite chips, marble chips, and even glass chips combined with a matrix such as epoxy.

    So what are the problems with engineered stones?

    They are not constantly renewable like granite. Granite is there forever. If it wears or scratches it can be diamond polished to look like new again while it is still in your kitchen or bathroom. This is not possible with quartz based engineered stones. Although quartz based engineered stones are very hard and scratch resistant they are not scratch proof. Years of wear will eventually show and when it does you will have no option but to replace it.

  2. Picking The Wrong Granite.

    When shopping for a granite material to use as a countertop you will do yourself a favor if you go into it with a mindset that half of all of the granites that you see are not suitable for the application of a countertop.

    How can one know if a granite material is good for use as a countertop?

    Go to the showroom or big box store and get samples of all of the granite selections that you like. Then, take them home and apply 10 – 20 drops of water in a single area. Allow the water to dwell for 10 minutes and wipe off. If there is darkening from absorption discard the sample. Now, with the samples that passed the water test repeat the same test with mineral oil and discard the samples that fail this test. The samples that have passed the water and oil resistance tests will be excellent materials to use as a counter.

  3. Picking The Wrong Installer.

    By this stage you have endured the frustration of testing and selecting a granite material and you have paid good money to have it installed. However, there are installers out there that simply don’t give a darn. The obvious thing to do is to check references but there is one other thing you can do to ensure that your granite will last and last.

    The biggest problem that we see is cracked counters. Usually we are being contacted because we are restorators and the owner wants to know if there is anything we can do to repair the crack and make it invisible. The truth is that no one can repair a large structural break and make it look like it never existed.

    So what causes these breaks and why do they only appear well after the installers warranty has expired?

    They were not shimmed. Lets take a residential counter as an example. Typically it is made of wood that isn’t cut completely straight. When the flat granite slab is applied to this structure it needs to be shimmed anywhere that it is not flush with the supporting structure. If it isn’t than the granite may eventually crack under it’s own weight. As a tip be sure to open up the cabinets and pull out the drawers when the installer is finished. If you see any gaps with light shining through than those areas may need to be shimmed. Talk to your installer before he begins work and make sure he knows the importance of shimming because many simply don’t care to do it.

For professional granite countertop restoration, polishing and maintenance, call IMS Texas at (214) 351-9390
Filed Under: IMS TX Natural Stone Restorators Tagged With: , ,

Types of Concrete Restoration Processes

August 22, 2011 By

before after concrete polish ims texas

IMS Texas polished and restored this concrete floor.

Concrete floors are known for their strength and durability, making them popular for office buildings and homes alike. Concrete floors can be colored a variety of colors, and treated and polished to an incredible shine. Despite the fact that concrete floors are durable and easy to maintain, they do need to be serviced on a regular basis to keep looking their best. Concrete floor restoration specialists can be called in to maintain and restore concrete floors.

  • Cleaning Concrete floors need to be cleaned on a regular basis. When concrete is laid inside homes and office buildings, it is treated with a special epoxy layer in order to make it waterproof, easy to clean, as well as to add color and shine. However, to keep their shine, they do need to be regularly cleaned. Regular maintenance cleaning of interior concrete floors includes dust mopping and cleaning with a mop and mild cleanser. To achieve that brilliant shine, however, concrete floors should be regularly polished using a professional polisher. This is typically done by a concrete restoration and maintenance specialist.
  • Resurfacing When concrete floors become damaged due to flooding, scratching or simply from years of year, they will lose their luster and shine. The epoxy layer can wear down, allowing water to soak in to the floors, staining and warping them over time. When this kind of damage occurs, it is time to resurface the concrete floors. This multi-step process includes removing the outer paint and epoxy layers, sanding down scratches, refilling holes and cracks with fresh concrete filler, and finally polishing it down to a smooth finish.
  • Concrete Overlays Concrete overlays are becoming a popular solution to refinishing old concrete floors. They are also being ranged initially in projects where a more interesting and beautiful concrete floor is desired. Concrete overlays can mimic stone or tile, and can take on almost every design style between. Concrete overlays are created using special polymer resins along with cement and aggregates. If you want concrete overlays for your concrete floors you will want to call a concrete restoration specialist. Overlays are difficult to do and get right. In addition, the resins used for the overlay process can be dangerous if handled improperly. If done right, however, the result will be a stunning concrete overlay floor.
  • In addition to these, IMS Texas specializes in staining concrete floors and polishing them much as we would polish a natural stone floor. Our abrasives and techniques have restored many types of natural stone floors to their original luster and shine, and we can do the same by polishing your concrete floor.
For concrete polishing and restoration, call IMS Texas at (214) 351-9390.
Filed Under: IMS TX Concrete Floor Restoration Tagged With: , ,

Concrete Floor Polishing and Maintenance Tips

August 19, 2011 By

concrete floor polishing ims texas

Polishing concrete floors, like this stained one, will help their appearance and longevity

Have you had the experience lately of walking into a room and being impressed with the elegance and beauty of its concrete floors? Owners will tell you they love concrete floors because they look good pretty much all of the time. It’s true, keeping your concrete floors looking their best doesn’t require a lot of work. These floors are known for their durability and low maintenance, which is part of the reason why they have become so popular today. Knowing what to do, and not to do to your concrete floors, makes maintaining them easier. It only takes a little bit of effort to keep concrete floors looking their absolute best.

  1. Dry and damp mop. Sweeping once a day should be followed by a dry round of dry mopping at least once a week. A dry mop uses static electricity to pick up lingering dust and hair that brooms miss. When damp mopping, only use a mild soap, preferably one recommended by the manufacturer.
  2. Only scrub concrete floors with a soft brush. If there is a tough, hard-to-remove stain on your concrete floors, you should scrub them only with a soft, non-metallic brush.
  3. Keep it clean. Whenever spills do occur, you should always clean them up immediately. The longer a substance stays on concrete, the longer it has to permeate though, causing possible damage such as staining. While the top layer will protect the floors to a certain degree, liquids that are acidic or darkly tinted may have lasting effects.
  4. Be gentle. While concrete floors are tough, you should still be as gentle with them as possible. Avoid dragging heavy furniture across your concrete floors, and be careful not to drop heavy objects. Clean them with a mild cleanser, and keep any abrasive or acidic substances away from them. Treating your concrete floors with care will keep your maintenance low.
  5. Know a good concrete restoration and maintenance specialist. Having your concrete floors regularly polished by a professional concrete restoration specialist will keep them looking shiny and new. A concrete restoration specialist will also be invaluable in the case of flooding. It is important to address any issues that arise with your concrete floors as soon as possible to prevent the damage from becoming worse.
For more information on concrete polishing and maintenance, call IMS Texas at (214) 351-9390.
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Marble Finishing and Polishing

August 17, 2011 By

IMS TX Chase Tower marble restoration

IMS TX restored this marble table to a near-original shine and gloss.

Have you wondered about how marble is prepared for use in commercial and residential buildings?

Below is a short video provided by a UK stone supplier. It shows marble being polished in the production line.

IMS Texas excels at ensuring this marble polish remains as close to “factory” quality as possible. Our nearly 20 years of experience has resulted in techniques for polishing, restoring and maintaining natural stone that rival even the “old-world” masters of Europe.

In fact, our natural stone division and technicians have received international attention for their ability to restore and polish some of the most notoriously difficult stones, such as black granite.

Trust IMS Texas to polish your marble, granite or other natural stone surface by calling (214) 351-9390
Filed Under: IMS TX Natural Stone Restorators Tagged With: , , , ,

Natural Stone Cleaning Products

August 16, 2011 By

Natural stone cleaning ims texas

There's an army of natural stone cleaning tools, but which one do you take into battle?

Cleaning natural stone surfaces is a common question. Here, IMS co-owner Jason Johonnesson provides the answer:

In other articles and videos we’ve covered in detail the equipment that is needed to perform the second step of stone maintenance [see video Part 2-Janitorial], the cleaning step, and what the janitorial firm is responsible for. Basically, it’s simple. In a nutshell, it is getting them off of mops and onto automatic floor scrubbers or extraction type machines. This makes floor cleaning much quicker, the labor cost is much less and they do a much more thorough job of cleaning the grout, in which case the stone is cleaned as a byproduct.

Another question pertaining to cleaning I get asked a lot is what chemicals, what cleaning products do I recommend? This really isn’t as important as the equipment you use. If you are cleaning the floors every night you can probably just use water and occasionally a stronger solution. What’s important is to not use any type of acidic cleaners. Stone can be very sensitive to acids and there are a lot of acidic cleaners on the market. You want to be sure the pH of your cleaner is above neutral.

I recommend you use a good old run-of-the-mill neutral cleaner. It will not cause any harm to the stone whatsoever. If you prefer, you can buy a dedicated stone cleaner. There are many on the market and so long as it is designed for natural stone or says for “daily use” it will be fine. It’s not rocket science or a big secret. It’s really the equipment, the diligence, and the discipline that gets the floor cleaned. The cleaning solution is secondary.

To have your natural stone floors professionally cleaned and restored, call IMS Texas at (214) 351-9390.
Filed Under: IMS TX Natural Stone Restorators Tagged With: , , ,
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