Week 1 : Hitting the roads with Simon Gabriel a.k.a. Stone Doctor

I had been assigned to start following Simon Gabriel assisting him on jobs which he carries out servicing customers all around Melbourne. From cleaning to restoring, re-polishing, re-honing and sealing, I knew for a fact that this wasn't any ordinary task as it required a certain set of skills and determination to master what Simon Gabriel has been able to do throughout these years with his experience and knowledge in the industry of stone care.

Before starting onsite work with the Stone Doctor himself, I was told that I needed to obtain a "White Card" . A "White Card" is required for all persons who carry out construction work, or whose employment causes them to routinely enter operational construction zones. In order to obtain a "White Card", a person must successfully complete a unit of competency "Work Safely in the Construction Industry CPCCHOHS1001A" which I did at Edway Training Pty Ltd.

My very first job on the road along with Stone Doctor was to Hone, Clean & Seal an existing white marble entrance floor at a residence in Glen Iris. I was told that that the white marble was called Statuario.

As it was only my first time out on a job site, I was told to observe and absorb as much as I could. Even though my contribution to this job was at its most minimal level, I'd proudly say that it was a great accomplishment for both Simon Gabriel and I as we had achieved our target in getting this job done.

The existing worned-out polished white marble floors was brought back to a honed / matt finish using diamond abrasives to remove minor etch and scratch marks. This delicate process was precisely done by Simon Gabriel and I was amazed to see how professional he was in what he does or is known for.

john wipfli glen iris - before

Once the white marble floors were brought to a honed finish, the surface and grout of the floors were thoroughly cleaned using an appropriate deep stone cleansing product from Germany called Lithofin MN Power Clean.john wipfli glen iris - after

24 hours after cleaning of the surface, it was sealed with an invisible penetrating sealer known as Lithofin MN Stain-Stop. Sealing your stone is a simple apply on, let it absorb and then to wipe-off in it's procedure. The key is to completely remove any sealer residue from the surface but before it dries. Check out the before & after photos.

 

Harish Rijkaard. Visit Us At: www.stonedoctor.com.au
Back to blog

Leave a comment

Please note, comments need to be approved before they are published.