GuidesStone Care Guides
How to Choose the Best Diamond Polishing Pad
Bringing new life to granite, marble, concrete and/or fabricated stone is an easy process when the right polishing pads are used. It is essential to choose the correct diamond polishing pads for the task at hand. The following information will help you choose the best diamond polishing pad for every task from cleaning to burnishing (buffing) natural stone flooring.
Which Color Do You Need?
All Diamond polishing pads come in different colors and the colors are based on the aggressiveness of its ability or "scrubbing" capabilities. Typically, lighter colored pads are thinner. Polishing pads which are beige, white or off-white are used for less-aggressive tasks such as light cleaning or burnishing. Buffing is done at a high speed, so light colored polishing pads are used to prevent staining or altering the floor with a darker pad.
For aggressive tasks, the darker pads are thicker and used at a slower speed to prevent damaging the floor. Green or blue pads are typically used at a slow speed for basic scrubbing and red or pink polishing pads are also used at slow speeds for buffing. A red pad should never be used at a high speed because it will leave splashes of red dye on the floor.
When stripping a floor the speed is slow (about 175 rotations per minute) and coarse pads are used. The fibers of coarser polishing pads cut through the surface easier which makes it easier to strip layers of wax, polish and other buildup from the floor. The coarsest pads are darkest in color, usually black or something close.
Diamond Polishing Pads Grits
When selecting polishing pads you will also have to choose the type of grit which is appropriate for the task. Grits on polishing pads are similar to the grits on sandpaper and range from 50 to 3000 grit. The lower the grit amount, the coarser a pad is. If you are preparing to remove scratches and small chips you would typically start with a 50 grit pad which is course enough to even the surface out. Once you have removed the scratches, you will move up to about a 200 grit to dull the surface and remove the buildup of wax and dirt. The final step is to use a pad with a high grit to produce shine and gloss, so if you want an extra glossy, mirror-like finish, you would use the highest grit available.
