Tarnished Marble Floor in Century-Old New Milford Bank Is Given a Makeover

June 12, 2015

This month marks the 113th anniversary of the fire that swept through New Milford in 1902, causing 33 buildings and 12 barns to go up in flames. As you probably know, the main areas affected were Bank Street and a sizable section of New Milford's business district. The city was rebuilt out of the ashes soon after the fire. Recently, our help was requested at a building that was part of this reconstruction phase.

The building in need of our services, a bank on Bank Street, had originally been constructed in 1903, so it was no surprise that over one hundred years later its floor was no longer looking its best. With time, the once-luxurious marble had now become worn and weathered and its color had faded tremendously. This restoration project wasn't a job for just any New Milford stone honing company – only Sir Grout of Greater Fairfield County could properly breathe new life into the delicate stone floor by cleaning, honing, and sealing it. To see how we fixed it up, watch the video below and then keep reading:



After arriving at the bank, we were eager to begin the project. We would need to place an even greater emphasis than we normally do on making sure no damage was left behind on the antique walls or, for that matter, on any other part of the bank as a result of our procedures since the building had been built so long ago and was thus very delicate.

As usual, our first step was to mask and protect the surfaces surrounding the floor. Once that was done, it was time to begin the honing process. We started by setting our honing machine to 150-grit. From just this first round of honing, the floor was already starting to look much lighter and its deep shades of maroon were now much more vivid. We then switched to 250-grit. This made the colors of the floor even deeper. The grit was then upped to 400. Now, the color of the marble was really starting to pop! Next we needed to give the floor a semi-gloss finish which we did by increasing the grit to 800. When we were done, the floor was once again as vibrant as it was back in 1903 and the damage that could previously be seen on the stone was no longer in sight.

Our final step was to apply a high quality sealer to the stone's surface. While the floor had already been around for well over 100 years, the application of our proprietary impregnating sealer would allow it to be around for 100 more, at the very least, since it would provide the marble surface with an excellent barrier of protection.

Our work here was finally done. As shown in the picture below, the beautiful mosaic marble floor was now cleaner and brighter and had a soft glowing finish. The floor's updated appearance would now be able to add an elegant touch to the new banquet hall that would soon be replacing the bank.



Buildings from a much earlier time, such as the bank on Bank Street, add a sense of charm and mystique to our city's landscape. If you're the owner of one of these such properties, be sure to preserve its beauty from by keeping it in good condition. If its stone floors could also use some fixing up, don't wait any longer to get it taken care of. We can clean, hone, polish, and/or seal any floor. no matter how delicate. Schedule an appointment with us today by calling (203) 763-1332. We know you'll be glad you did.

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