Marble, granite or terrazzo: why does the type of stone matter?
All three are called stone floors, but they differ in composition, hardness and reaction to chemicals. A step that works on marble may do nothing on granite, and a solution that is harmless on granite can take the shine off marble, so identifying the stone is the first task of the survey. Hardness figures are approximate Mohs values; an individual slab varies with its origin and mineral content.
| Stone | What it means for polishing |
|---|---|
| Marble | Calcium-based, hardness about 3–4. Grit scratches it easily, and lemon, vinegar and acidic cleaners etch it into dull marks. It responds well to polishing and crystallisation; in kitchens and bathrooms it should also be sealed. |
| Granite | Mainly silicate minerals, hardness about 6–7. It resists wear and household acids better than marble, so it is harder to scratch and also harder to hone. Granite is not crystallised: it is polished with dedicated compounds, then sealed. |
| Terrazzo | Stone chips, usually marble, set in a cement or resin binder and ground flat. Its hardness depends on the chips and the binder, and the binder is usually more porous than the chips. Where the chips are calcium-based, terrazzo is treated much like marble and can be crystallised. |
| Other materials | Travertine, limestone, quartz-based engineered stone and porcelain tile each behave in their own way. Send close-up and wide photos; a specialist confirms whether we take the job after seeing the condition. |
What is the difference between honing, polishing, crystallising and sealing?
Stone floor polishing is a sequence of steps, each solving a different problem. Few floors need all five: the plan includes only what the condition of the floor calls for and the test patch has confirmed.
| Step | What it does |
|---|---|
| Deep cleaning | Removes residue, surface stains and the dirt built up in the grout. Many floors are dull only because they are dirty, so this step alone brightens them noticeably. |
| Honing | Diamond pads in progressive grits, coarse to fine, take off the scratched or etched layer and level tiles that sit unevenly at the joints. It is done wet to keep dust down, and only when needed, because every pass removes a thin layer of stone. |
| Polishing | Raises the shine step by step on a clean or honed surface, with machines and compounds matched to the stone. This is the main step for granite. |
| Crystallisation | A specialist solution reacts with calcium-based stone under the machine and forms a glossier, more durable surface. It is for marble and calcium-chip terrazzo only; granite does not crystallise. |
| Sealing | An impregnating sealer soaks into the pores of the stone and slows water, oil and coffee from soaking in and staining. It wears with use and has to be reapplied. |
| Wax and gloss coatings | A film over the stone shines quickly but wears along walking routes, can hold dust and can be slippery when wet. UpClean prefers a shine that comes from the stone itself. |
Why is a test patch polished before the whole floor?
The same procedure gives different results on two floors, depending on the age of the stone, its wear and earlier treatments. So the specialist carries out the proposed plan on one small area, next to an untreated part, for you to compare.
Look at the patch in daylight and under your own lighting, from where you normally see the floor. Once you approve it, its shine becomes the standard the whole job is signed off against; if it is not what you want, the plan is adjusted before the rest is done.
The patch also shows the limits in advance. Deep-set stains, cracks, broken tiles and colour differences between tiles may not be fully corrected by polishing; the specialist points these out and photographs them before you decide. For 48 hours after you receive the Up Report, the before-and-after photo record of the job, any area that does not match the approved patch is treated again free of charge.
How much does marble or granite floor polishing cost?
There is no single rate for every stone floor: the cost depends on how many steps the floor needs, which is known only after the survey and the test patch. The home survey is free, and you can send photos or a video first for an initial assessment. The written, all-inclusive quote lists each step, the area and the working time, and does not change unless you agree in writing.
| Factor | How it affects the quote |
|---|---|
| Area | Several small, separate areas usually take more time for moving machines and masking than one continuous floor of the same total area. |
| Type of stone | Marble, terrazzo and granite need different materials, pad grits and polishing time; granite is hard and usually takes longer to hone. |
| Condition | Only dull, or deeply scratched, etched, uneven at the joints, yellowed or dirty in the grout: this decides whether the floor needs honing or only cleaning and polishing. |
| Finishing steps | Whether crystallisation and sealing are included, and for which areas. |
| Access and protection | Floor level, lift, the route for the machines, the furniture to be moved, and nearby timber floors, kitchen cabinets and rugs that need protecting. |
| Stairs | Treads, risers, landings and skirting are worked mostly with hand-held machines and by hand, so they take longer than the same area of flat floor. |
| Working hours | The working hours allowed by the building or compound, or a job split over several visits so that the household can carry on as usual. |
How often should a stone floor be polished?
Main living areas are usually maintained once a year; the real interval depends on foot traffic, the type of stone and how the floor is cleaned. The specialist proposes a schedule after the survey.
| Area | What to watch |
|---|---|
| Entrance hall and foot of the stairs | They take the most grit from outside and usually dull first. When a faded track appears along the walking route, maintain them sooner. |
| Living room and corridors | The general interval applies. Check around table and chair legs that are dragged often. |
| Bedrooms and low-traffic rooms | The interval can be longer; correct mopping and a sealer check matter most. |
| Kitchen, bathrooms, stone worktops | Constant contact with water, grease and cleaning products. Check the sealer first and, on marble, look for etch marks. |
| Testing the sealer yourself | Put a few drops of water on the stone. If they soak in quickly and darken it, the sealer has worn thin and should be reapplied; if they still stand in beads, it is working. |
How do I care for a marble floor day to day?
Many scratches and stains start with daily habits. These keep the shine for longer.
- Dry-mop or vacuum before wet mopping. Fine sand is what scratches stone, marble most of all.
- Mop with clean water or a pH-neutral floor cleaner and a well-wrung mop; do not leave water standing on the stone or in the grout.
- Keep vinegar, lemon, bleach, acidic bathroom cleaners and limescale removers, scouring powder and metal scourers off natural stone, worktops included.
- Coffee, wine, soft drinks and cooking oil: blot at once with kitchen paper without spreading the spill, then wipe with clean water and dry.
- Put saucers under plant pots and vases and felt pads under furniture legs, and lift heavy items instead of dragging them.
- Lay mats at the doors from the garden, balcony and garage so that sand stays outside.
Can stains on a marble or granite kitchen worktop be removed?
It depends first on the stone. Worktops and stone basin tops meet water, grease, lemon juice and coffee every day, so they stain more easily than any other stone in the home. Old yellow stains have usually soaked in deep and may only fade after cleaning; the specialist tests on the stain itself at the survey and tells you what result to expect.
| Worktop | Usual problem and treatment |
|---|---|
| Marble | Sensitive to acid: lemon juice, vinegar and limescale removers can leave a dull mark that is an etch, not a stain. Chemicals will not remove it; it needs light honing and re-polishing on the spot. |
| Natural granite | Harder and less porous, but cooking oil can still soak in once the sealer has worn, leaving a dark patch. Deep cleaning followed by resealing limits the recurrence. |
| Quartz-based engineered stone | Its resin binder does not tolerate high heat or some strong solvents. A specialist reviews photos before confirming a method. |
Can ceramic or porcelain tiles be polished like stone?
Not by the method on this page. A tile's shine is made in the factory: ceramic tile has a glaze, and porcelain is polished during manufacture. Honing it like natural stone can damage the glaze or leave uneven marks, so honing and crystallising are for natural stone only.
Most dull tiled floors are in fact dirty, with soap residue and grease on the surface and in the grout; deep scratches and worn glaze cannot be restored by cleaning. If you are not sure whether your floor is tile or stone, send a close-up and a wide photo by WhatsApp or Zalo on 0773 521 104 and a specialist will advise before quoting.
- Tile & grout cleaning
- The separate service for the tile surface itself and for whitening grout lines.
- Floor scrubbing
- For a floor that only needs an overall machine clean.
- Concrete floor polishing
- Cement and concrete floors have their own service and procedure, quoted after a survey.
- Timber floors
- Not polished, sanded or recoated by UpClean; that is work for a timber contractor. We clean timber with a low-water method as part of deep cleaning and floor scrubbing.
Which areas do you cover, and what should I prepare?
In an apartment, the slurry (the water and stone fines produced by honing) is vacuumed up as the work goes on, the adjacent timber floor and kitchen cabinets are protected, and the schedule follows the working hours set by building management. You do not need to empty the room: the specialist photographs where things stand, moves furniture within the agreed scope and puts it back. Put away fragile, valuable and small items beforehand.
The team works regularly in An Khanh (Sala, Thu Thiem, Thao Dien), Binh Trung, Cat Lai, Phu My Hung (Tan My and Tan Hung wards), Thanh My Tay (Binh Thanh), the former Districts 1, 3 and 4, the former Phu Nhuan and Nha Be commune. In Districts 5, 6, 8, 10, 11 and 12, Go Vap, Tan Binh, Tan Phu and the former District 9, the date is confirmed when you book. Wards replaced the city's districts on 1 July 2025, but the old district names are still in everyday use. Enquiries, quotes and the Up Report can all be in English.
- Request a survey
- Send photos or a video of the floor and its approximate area.
