Restoration Professionals
By Tom McNall For many years, I’ve sensed a perception within the stone industry that restoration is a job for the janitorial industry. I’ve also seen many janitorial firms present themselves as stone professionals....
Category: Clean Perspective
Power and Production
By Tom McNall
It’s been a long, long time since I ran a 110V stone-restoration machine. When I started out, that was all I could get; with the 220V machines, the prices were astronomical when first offered. Today, some are still priced upwards of a small SUV, but there are more-reasonable options available.
Setting Things Straight
By Tom McNall
When I visit my friendly neighborhood fabricator (shout out to Mike Dean from The Top Shop), I’m always amazed at the cool tools they get to use. Those laser-guided saws and precision CNC machines can transfer a digital image of someone's dream into a real-life countertop. And for the hundreds of thousands of dollars invested, you expect to receive such a masterfully crafted piece of work every time.
More Myths in the Stone Industry
By Tom McNall
The more I talk to customers, acquaintances, so-called experts or even that creepy guy who hangs outside the corner store, the more I laugh when I hear all of the crazy myths and legends about stone.
Required Reading
By Tom McNall
How did anyone great become great? Were they born spouting wisdom? And how do we become learned and wise?
Too Many Hats
by Tom McNall
In last month’s article, I mentioned one of the biggest problems facing the small business today: Business owners try to do everything themselves. They become the salespeople, the technicians, the installers and the collection agents.
Diary of a Rock Star (May 2009)
By Tom McNall
As you can imagine, I get plenty of questions. Usually, they run along the line of, “How often should I drown my countertop with sealer?” or, “What should I have paid for a good installer?”
However, my latest favorite question, when being introduced at mixers or reuniting with old friends, is, “Where do you find time to write your monthly column?” (And, judging from the e-mails from my editor, I’m sure he is beginning to wonder.)
Clean Slate (January 2008)
By Tom McNall
No longer in the domain only of chalkboards, pool tables and roofs, slate has entered the North American market for cladding – and in a big way.
Filling a Void (December 2007)
By Tom McNall
There’s nary a floor out there today that doesn’t have the odd void or hole in it — in the case of travertine, it has several holes. Whether it be from spalling, nature or just old-fashioned sledgehammer games, they need to be filled for many reasons.
Wetter is Better (November 2007)
By Tom McNall
If there’s one thing I’m constantly asked when teaching in the restoration business, it’s for hard-and-fast rules when it comes to polishing. Neophytes want to rely on constants that can help them feel confident and secure in this scary new world.