How do you polish marble floors?

To polish marble floors, prepare the work area, put on safety gear, and sand the stone with special silicon-carbide sandpaper that is meant for stone polishing. Start with a coarse, 24-grit sandpaper, and continue sanding, progressing slowly from 60 grit up to 1,000 grit.

1. Prepare the room

   Since sanding creates dust, remove furniture and objects from the room. Cover any remaining pieces with a drop cloth. Open any windows, and keep the space well ventilated.

2. Put on protective gear

   To protect your eyes from the dust, put on goggles. Avoid breathing in any dust, and wear a respirator or breathing mask.

3. Sand the stone

   Affix a piece of the 24-grit silicon-carbide sandpaper to the bottom of the floor sander. Turn on the sander, and slide it across the surface of the marble. Keep the sander moving, and avoid staying in one spot for too long.

4. Change the sandpaper

   Once the entire floor has been sanded, change the sander to a higher grit of sandpaper, and sand the surface again. After 24-grit paper, use 60 grit, then 120, 220, 320, 400, 500, 600 and finally 1,000. Try not to skip a grit, which can result in tiny scratches being seen through the polished surface.

5. Clean the floor

   Use a damp rag and a vacuum to clean up the dust. Then dry the floor with a clean, cotton rag.