More than two thousand years have passed since humans used marble stones for building structures for the first time. Yet, they are considered one of the most popular solutions for gorgeous, durable, and affordable flooring even today.
Professionals can always be hired for all the marble floor-related services. But I always found it to be a smart and cost-effective idea to do the tasks myself. All those handy, smart machines available in the market, can be easily hired or bought for every kind of marble flooring need.
In this article I tried to make you familiar with all the marble flooring machines, elaborating on how they work and their market information. Using my own experience, I will also answer some commonly asked questions about marble flooring in the latter part of this article.
5 Common Marble Flooring Machine: With All The Details Information
Here I have listed 5 marble flooring machines that are commonly used to serve the purposes. Read the below parts of my article to know about them:
1. The Wet Tile Saw:
Marbles are gifts from nature. They come from the mines. After being extracted as blocks, they are cut into shapes of floor tiles in factories. Still you need to cut them further to fit them in your house floors following your floor plans. A popular solution for cutting marble tiles is the wet tile saw.
- Usage Of A Wet Tile Saw:
A wet tile saw is a small and portable machine. Using it, you can easily cut big and hard tiles. It can handle basic straight cuts as well as sophisticated curved cuts. This electric tool has a water-cooled diamond blade. The toothless diamond blade is great for sophisticated cuts.
- How A Wet Tile Saw Works:
A wet tile saw looks a lot like a common table saw. While its rotating diamond blade cuts the tiles, an attached steady guide keeps the tile straight for an accurate cut.
To make sure the tile does not burn while cutting, wet tile saws have a built-in water spray with them, attached to the blade. Where some models of wet saw have a water container, some have to be connected to a water source.
It takes some skill to learn how to cut tiles into delicate shapes with a wet tile saw. The built-in guide of the device can work perfectly only with a pair of steady hands.
- Popular Wet Tile Saws Of The Market:
Here, I have listed some popular models of wet saws. They are highly rated in online stores and well-priced:
| Model Name | Manufacturer | Blade Size |
| SKIL-3540-02 | SKIL | 7 Inches |
| SKIL-3550-02 | SKIL | 7 Inches |
| Delta 96-107 Cruzer | Delta | 7 Inches |
| PCE980 | PORTER-CABLE | 10 Inches |
| MK-370EXP | MK Diamond | 7 Inches |
You may also find places to hire a wet tile saw for a day or two. You will find it cost-effective. But if you are obsessed with tools and if you are one of those, “Do It Yourself (DIY)”. However, having a wet tile saw of your own, should not be a weird idea.
- Manual Tile Cutter:
Another well-known tool for cutting marble floor tiles is – ‘Tile Cutter’. This is a small machine that looks a lot like a car-jack with a bar. Compared to wet tile saws, tile cutters take more time to set up and cut a tile. They are not recommended for harder tiles. But they are less expensive and easy to keep in your toolbox.
2. Usage Of A Manual Tile Cutter:
Like the wet tile saw, a tile cutter is used to cut tiles. Unlike the wet tile saw, it does not need electricity. So physical labor is required to use it.
Nevertheless, a tile cutter is popular among many, because of its low price, portability, and less demand for intricate skills. If your housing project is small, not with a critical design or soft tiles, you can use a tile cutter without hesitation.
3. How A Manual Tile Cutter Works:
You have to place a tile inside the tile cutter, score it properly and snap the tile with force along the score. For harder tiles, you have to choose the perfect scoring wheel.
- Popular Tile Cutters Of The Market:
| Model Name | Manufacturer | Weight |
| Rubi 14988 | Germans Boada | 25.3 Lbs |
| QEP 10630 | QEP | 17.96 Lbs |
| Rubi Tools TR-710 | Rubi Tools | 36.1 Lbs |
It should be mentioned that cutting tiles with a tile cutter is not always an easy job. They can fail you from time to time. So, while using it, you should keep some spare tiles with you.
4. Grinding Machine For Marble Floor:
Floor grinding machines are nowadays much appreciated by both DIY enthusiasts and construction professionals. They are used to polish and clean different types of floors, including marble floors. Floor grinding machines have rotating discs at the bottom to do the magic to the floor surface.
- Usage Of A Floor Grinding Machine:
Age makes cruel marks on everything. Once shiny marble floors also forget to shimmer after a period. Floor grinding machines are the perfect solution for this problem. If used with proper care and techniques, it can turn a marble floor into an almost new one.
- How A Floor Grinding Machine Works:
A floor grinding machine works with electricity. You have to steer it through all the corners of the floor to get the job done. Abrasive pads at the bottom of the machine, grind off the surface of the floor. Hence it is called the ‘Grinder’.
All the uneven areas of the floor get leveled by this grinding. This machine will help you get rid of blemishes on the surface. There are other pads attached to the machine, who polish the surface simultaneously. Which gives the floor a new shiny look.
- Popular Floor Grinding Machines:
| Model Name | Manufacturer | Weight | Power Consumption |
| SHCG-520S | SIHOK | 210 KG | 7.5KW |
| JS700 | JS FLOOR SYSTEMS | 441.5KG | 15HP |
| G330 | Changge Longang | 140 kg | 4KW |
Along with the polishing compounds, the diamond abrasive discs of the grinder machine beautifies the marble floor superbly.
5. Marble Floor Polisher:
Generally, most floor grinder machines have built-in polishers. But some of them leave the polishing part for other machines. There we need another machine to polish the floor. Which is – ‘Marble Floor Polisher’.
- Usage Of A Marble Floor Polisher:
As the name implies, a marble floor polisher is used to shine up the marble floor. Marble floors may look a bit dirty after some years. But beneath the surface, the marble has still got all the natural glowing and shines. A proper polish can make them visible.
- How a Marble Floor Polisher Works:
You will find a range of options when it comes to polishing the marble floor. The most common way is to attach diamond polishing pads with a sander machine. My personal experience says an orbital sander, which moves side to side, is a better option for this job.
After switching on the sander machine, you have to press the polishing pad against the floor. Moving the sander side to side does the job perfectly. Since a lot of stone dust is created by the process, you must wear all the protective gear to save your skin and nose.
- Popular Marble Floor Polishing Machines:
| Model Name | Manufacturer | Weight | Power Consumption |
| Toolocity XCP458 | Applied Diamond Tools | 21.7 Lbs | 110 Volts |
| PA0001000 | ZFE | 8.95 Lbs | 120 Volts |
| Ewbank EP170 | Ewbank | 7.5 Lbs | 240 Volts |
Some Commonly Asked Questions On Marble Flooring Machines:
How Much Pressure Should You Put On A Wet Tile Saw?
Wet tile saws use electricity for the force they need to cut tiles. You never need to put any pressure on it. Use your hands only to gently guide it through the cut. The blade will also help to hold the tile. If you push the tile forcefully, it may break or chip the tile.
Do Wet Tile Saws Make Mess While Cutting?
The diamond blade of a wet tile saw cuts the tile so fine that a lot of dust is produced by it. This dust can be harmful to health. To mitigate the health risk, wet saws use running water along with the cutting.
The continuously running water does not let the dust fly in the air. However, you should have arrangements to get the water running to a safe destination while working with wet saws. Clean the floor immediately after a wet tile saw.
How To Cut Straight With Tile Cutters?
Sometimes it can be difficult to cut tiles straight with manual tile cutters. In that case, you should double the scoring at the end of the tile which is not breaking properly. Try putting some extra pressure with small pushes, rather than giving a single big push.
How To Protect Yourself While Grinding A Marble Floor?
Grinding a marble floor will create a lot of harmful dust in the air. You must wear safety glasses or a face shield while the grinding is on. Gloves, aprons, and safety boots should be worn to protect your skin from irritations that marble dust can cause.
To protect your lungs and respiratory system, you should wear masks. If the grinder makes loud noises, you should wear hearing protection too.
Are Vacuum Cleaners Bad For Marble Floors?
The plastic or metal attachments of a vacuum cleaner are not friendly to a marble floor. They might leave some stains in the long run. So, use only the brush attachment of the vacuum cleaner while applying them on marble floors.
You should never use a vacuum cleaner upright on a marble floor. The wheels may harm the floor. Always remember to tilt the vacuum cleaner a bit while operating it on marble floors. Instead of vacuum cleaners, you should be focused on manual maintenance of marble flooring.
Do You Need To Change The Grinding Wheels?
Like all other cutting devices, grinding wheels also need to be changed after it is worn. After the wheels wear out and get smaller, the overlap ratio of the machine increases and closes the face of the wheel. Then the overall performance of the grinder goes down. That is why you should always keep an eye on the wheel of the grinder.
Why Does Grinding Wheels Explode?
While grinding, the rate of RPM (Rotation Per Minute) of the grinder wheel gets very high. This high volume of rotation generates a lot of heat, causing some expansion. At that moment, if any foreign particle is attached to the stone, the difference between the expansion of the foreign particle and the stone can cause the wheel to explode.
How To Clean A Floor Grinder?
First of all, remove the grinding wheel from the machine. Separately clean the wheel adapter, spindle, and threaded parts. Gently scrub the inner side of the wheel guard. If there is high contamination, use a scraper on it. Finally, rinse the machine with hot water.
Should You Use Steam Mop On A Marble Floor?
Heat-steams are popular for easily cleaning difficult stains. But they are not meant for marble floors, especially with high steam. Because high-temperature steam can damage the sealing of the marble floor. You can use a steam mop on marble floors for a short period and with very low steam in it.
How Can You Polish Your Marble Floor Without A Machine?
You can make a mixture of baking soda and water at home to give your marble floors a natural shine. Mix 45 grams of baking soda with 0.9 Ltr water and rub the floor with it using a clean cloth. Let the floor dry for a couple of hours. Besides, many cleaning liquids, available in the market, are notorious for their toxicity.
Final Words:
The marble flooring machines are perfect examples of how technology has made our lives easier. With a little bit of skill, anyone can operate these machines efficiently. At the same time, they save money and time.
The sense of accomplishment that you will have after finishing the flooring job all by yourself, is priceless. I suggest you try some of these machines after proper training from a professional.
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