Onyx Countertop, Cleaning, Sealing & Refinishing
Onyx is often installed on beautiful countertops and on wooded vanities and coffee tables. Onyx beautiful veining and banded colors help to make a bold statement in kitchens, bathrooms, backsplashes, bar areas, cladding and walls decorations. Onyx is one of the most exotic and extraordinary natural stone installed in homes of discriminating homeowners who only want the best! If you own Onyx, you are reading this to educate yourself on how to take care of your Onyx. What is the Geological origins and characteristics of Onyx?
ONYX ORIGINS & GEOLOGICAL CHARACTERISTICS
Onyx comes from the Greek word onux, meaning fingernail or claw. Onyx was named due to its pink and banded translucence colors that resemble fingernails. Onyx harvesting and cutting into slabs originated on the continent of Africa. On the plains of Egypt, the Egyptian called Onyx, the alabaster stone. It was coveted for its banded minerals and colorful translucency. On the continent of Africa the Egyptians would hand crafted bottles for precious oils and beautiful vases for their sacred worship. Onyx or Egyptian alabaster was also crafted into bowls, sepulchral objects, water basins, and canopic jars.
Onyx is a sedimentary stone of the deposited minerals that solidify into a rock formations. Onyx is a calcium carbonate natural stone with small terrestrial fossils that are calcified within. Onyx is formed from dripstone deposits where limestone caverns forms stalagmites and stalactites. The slow dipping make gentle waves in pools below while evaporating where the minerals will collect incrementally enlarging the rock's size overtime.
Onyx is harvested into dimension stone. The dimension stone is cut into dedicated slabs based on the rareness. The price of the of the Onyx slab increases based on its uniqueness.
The image below : Dimension stone.
The Onyx slab will go through a finishing process that includes honing that remove all of the rough edges and makes the Onyx slab flat. The next step is the polishing steps that create a nice polished appearance.
As shared previously, Onyx slabs are predominately used as a countertop, and on horizontal walls and as decorative eye candy. However, it is very rare to see Onyx as flooring and installed in showers these days due to its unsuitability.
If you have Onyx floors and Onyx showers that need cleaning, sealing and Onyx refinishing, Please give Stone Care of Arizona, the Arizona stone care expert a call at
480-625-0557.
We are here to help!
Homeowner loves their Onyx, however were unaware of the negative characteristics. If this describes you, please read the next paragraph.
NEGATIVE CHARACTERISTICS OF ONYX
Onyx, Travertine, Marble, Conglomerate and Limestone are all calcite carbonate based stones. This means, Onyx, Travertine, Marble, Conglomerate and Limestone are acid sensitive and can be affected by strong alkalines such as bleach and ammonia based cleaners.
COVID-19 alert:
We recommend that you avoid using bleach and ammonia on Onyx, Travertine, Marble, Conglomerate and Limestone surfaces.
Now, that we have a foundational understanding of how Onyx is harvested and its sensitivities when a certain substances are spilled on the surface of a Onyx countertop, we will govern ourselves accordingly. Onyx, Travertine, Marble, Conglomerates and Limestone share other negatives, what? Did you know that Onyx Travertine, Marble, Conglomerates and Limestone can scratch easily? Stone Care of Arizona, the Arizona Stone Care expert would like discuss the reason Onyx, Travertine, Marble, Conglomerate and Limestone countertops can scratch easily.
THE MOH SCALE OF HARDNESS
One of the unexpected surprises is the realization that Onyx can scratch with little effort. Onyx, Travertine, Marble, Conglomerate and Limestone have a low surface scratch threshold based on the MOH scale of hardness. Simply, stated Onyx, Travertine, Marble, Conglomerate and Limestone countertops can scratch easier when harder objects impact the profile or the countertop surface.
ONYX COUNTERTOP CLEANING
Onyx countertop need professional cleaning. Cleaning helps remove unwanted soil that that is trapped on the surface and in the micro-pores of the Onyx countertop. When prespray is applied to the Onyx countertop, the surface active agents arrange the molecules into tiny clusters called micelles. The surface active agent's water-loving part of the molecules sticks to soil and become trapped into a slurry. (see the image below)
The MOH scale of hardness was created by Frederick Moh
a mineralogist. The mineral's hardness was one way to help identify and measure the surface resistance. The sizes or
measurements are based on taking a mineral and scratching it against another mineral.
As you read, the below countertop scratch values below, Stone Care of Arizona, would like for you to keep the countertop scale numbers in mind and notice how they may apply to you.
Below is an example of the common countertops and their scratch resistance:
Granite
countertop MOH scale: 6-7
Quartzite
countertop MOH scale: 6-7
Engineered Stone
MOH scale: 6-7.
Marble
countertop MOH scale: 3-4
Limestone
countertop MOH scale: 3-4
Onyx
countertop MOH scale: 6-7
Travertine
countertop MOH Scale: 4-5
The MOH scale of hardness numbers
can vary depending the measurement being cited. As you consider your countertop MOH scale value, Let's connect this to when you are using cookware, objects scouring pads, abrasive cleaners.
To illustrate, when a homeowner cut meat and chop vegetables on their Granite countertops with a MOH scale of 6-7 would be less problematic, why? Steel bladed knifes have a MOH scale number of 5-6. Glass MOH scale is 5-6, and metal cookware could have a MOH scale between 4-7. The bottom-line, many of the previous inanimate objects could scratch Onyx, Travertine, Limestone and Conglomerates countertops. The way, you can prevent these types of scratches is to use a cutting board.
If you are have issues with chipped Granite countertops or scratched Onyx, Limestone, Travertine, and Marble countertops, please give Stone Care of Arizona, the Arizona chip and crack repair company at 480-625-0557.
Stone Care of Arizona, the Onyx countertop cleaning, sealing and refinishing expert uses a professional stone specific presprays that breakdown the trapped soil. If you need help to clean your Onyx countertop, please give us a call at
480-625-0557
ONYX COUNTERTOP AGITATION PROCESS:
We agitate the Onyx countertop with a stiff nylon brush that assist in soil mobility. Soil mobility is a aqueous action to distribute surface active agents evenly across the surface of the Onyx countertop. Once the surface active agent is agitated it is allow to dwell on the Onyx surface for cleaning reaction to occur as emulsification and suspension.
ONYX COUNTERTOP REFINISHING:
Onyx countertop refinishing is needed when etching has become a source of frustration when you are unable to remove a water-spot. The refinishing of Onyx, Travertine, Marble and Limestone countertops is centered on removing a etch or water mark that looks like an dissolved impression or dimpled area with a serpentine border. The countertop refinishing process revolves around honing the etched (removal) area and polishing the subsequent areas to match the existing finish.
There are two types of etching:
1. SURFACE COUNTERTOP ETCHING
If you can feel a crusty or rough surface with your fingertips, it is likely a “surface” etch. Surface etching is much less of a restoration process due to the proximity of the etch and how the substances lightly etched the surface.
2. SUBLEVEL COUNTERTOP ETCHING
If you cannot feel a permutation or rough area on the surface with your fingertips, it is likely a “sublevel” surface etch. Whereas, sublevel etching has dissolved deep into the surface of a countertop, due to prolong substances contact and or the pH of the substance allowed to make contact.
With this in mind, the above is our baseline thinking. We identifying the depth of the etching to help us to limit not using the wrong honing approach.
COUNTERTOP REFINISHING
Check out the video below to see the process:
GRANITE, ONYX CHIP AND CRACK REPAIR
No one’s expects to see a chipped or crack on the profile and/or the surface of their countertop, coffee table and walls (cladding).
Why do chips or cracks occur? Onyx is sedimentary stone, it will have swirls or layered mineral deposits when hit with an object can chip or crack.
Stone Care of Arizona is the Onyx chip and crack expert. Stone Care of Arizona, provide free onside evaluations and estimates. If you desire a free estimate give us call at
480-625-0557. After hours please contact us online.
Click here: Request form
When Stone Care of Arizona, the Arizona chip and crack repair expert provides services. Once in awhile we meet one of our VIP customer who would like to show their appreciation in an extraordinary way. The clients reaction is PRICELESS!!!!
Click the play button below:
STONE CARE OF ARIZONA, THE ARIZONA STONE CARE EXPERT
No one wants their beautiful Onyx countertops to be marred by etching and scratches. Whether you have Granite, Travertine, Marble and Limestone countertops they will need to be regularly cleaned and disinfect to keep the surface free from harmful COVID-19, germs and pathogens. Make sure you have the Onyx, Granite, Travertine, Marble and Limestone countertops disinfected to protect you and your family.
Stone Care of Arizona is the COVID-19 disinfectant expert. We use only plant based (vegan) botanical Decon 30
as our preferred disinfectant. Our disinfectant Kills 99.99% of Germs. Virucidal (HIV-1) Bactericidal (Including MRSA) Fungicidal, Tuberculocidal and COVID-19.
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